Wanna see a freight train stop in 60 seconds?Andrewsaxamophone2026-09-27 | Wanna see a freight train stop in 60 seconds?vid03Andrewsaxamophone2013-04-07 | Ignore This.ATWSAndrewsaxamophone2012-10-06 | The Union Pacific's and Metra's new train warning device. ATWS stands for Advanced Train Warning System. It kind of reminds me of a futuristic version of the old pedestrian signals at the Lisle Metra station on the BNSF. Anyway just as I had gotten out of work I wanted to walk around town seeing how the weather was beautiful. With the restaurant I work at being one block from the tracks I walked up and while I was walking the coal train EB came through. Only seconds later the ATWS kicked in so I took this video of it. Two other trains had passed while the coal train was crawling east, a WB coal with general UP power and an Outbound Metra. ~Glen Ellyn, IL (Main Street) 9/30/12
*So it looks like there are some audio problems and quality problems as well. This was taken from my cell phone. My SD card has been failing me lately. I can play the video on my phone and have great quality and great sound so I'm not sure what went wrong while uploading the video. Please bare with me on this. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.Some CSX on the GM&OAndrewsaxamophone2012-07-28 | As I drove into Lemont the first thing I saw while crossing the bridge was an old Santa Fe 600 series Warbonnet leading some orange GE on an auto train south. Perfect beautiful light, to bad I didn't bring my camera. The second thing I saw while crossing the bridge was stack cars flying south on the old GM&O. Even though I didn't want to foam in Lemont I still figured what the hell, might as well see what I just missed. I was able to catch up to the UP's train, I BPG4, in Lockport. As it turned out not only was I chasing the UP stack on the CN but I was also pacing the BNSF auto train. You can hear the horn from the BNSF auto train at 1:12. The video starts out driving to Second Street in Lockport from Route 171. The song you hear is Dear God by Avenged Sevenfold. Great song. I pull up to the crossing and have some seconds to spare before the train goes by. I tried filming the driver side mirror to try to show the auto train behind me on the BNSF but it didn't turn out so great. Once the I BPG4 cleared I went back to Lemont only to learn that I was pacing a NB auto train on the BNSF with a 700 series Warbonnet leading some orange GE. Pretty cool huh? ~Lockport, IL 7/27/12Kitty TornadoAndrewsaxamophone2012-06-12 | She'll do this for a solid minute some times, then she'll pass out.Video 700, A Rare J553Andrewsaxamophone2012-05-03 | 700 Public Videos On Youtube! Cool.
On my route, the Illinois Nothern's Michigan Sub (still a work in progress, no where near completion, and when it is finished I don't know if I'll release it yet) the freight train count is low, but what you can find can be pretty decent. The Illinois Northern is a regional line that goes through Illinois, Wisconsin (On the Chicago and Madison Subs), and then into Indiana and then Michigan (On the Tamarack, Monon, and Detroit Subs). This is the Tamarack Sub, this video was filmed in the town of Tamarack. Nothing significant railroad related about the town but it is the central point between CP State Line (Where the Chicago Sub ends and the Tamarack Sub begins, also where the Monon Sub starts). Seen here is J553 (Job #553). J553 starts in the Illinois Northern's Pickney Yard and is a transfer freight to the City Switch and Auto (CSAO) yard, "King Street Yard," with their office located on Martian Luther King Drive in Mozart, IN. The J553 drops the train for the CSAO and picks up the train that the CSAO has built for them on the previous day. The CSAO takes every car and switches out the enormous industrial park in Mozart. Usually the J553 has a series of box cars for Elk Grove, a town a little bit south east of Mozart, but today they didn't even have box cars for the industries in Mozart. The J553 usually does yard work at King Street, takes the Elk Grove box cars to Elk Grove, does work there, then returns back to King Street to pick up the train the CSAO has left for them.
Usually this job has a pair of IN GP40's, but today there was a real treat. ICE 6456 (SD40-2 Snoot Nose) was the leader, and an IN GP40 was second out. Every town along the Metra served portions on the line is a quiet zone with the exception of two crossings and the crossings in Elk Grove. The reason horn was given today was because of railroad and rail/pedestrian crossing replacement. As you can see the new gates have been installed at the pedestrian crossing. What you can't see so well is the new lights, bells, and signs for the crossing which are being kept in a fenced in area on the other side of the tracks here at the crossing. You can hear the WCH M-Bell is dying. The lights are placed on an old WRRS Bracket, but the 12X20's are WCH LED lights. The new lights are on Harmon brackets, and are 12X24 Harmon Fade LED's. There are also two GS E-bells in the pit.
With all of that said I hope you enjoy my 700'th video.Another I BPG4 In LemontAndrewsaxamophone2012-04-28 | So this is what happened; I got to Flag Stone to see the Limited Clear for a Westbound so I hauled ass back to town but met up with it half way. Great Conrail Leslie RS3L on the leader. ~Lemont, IL 4/27/12CN Ballast Train in LemontAndrewsaxamophone2012-03-28 | I've been wanting to upload this for a long time now. On September 10'th 2011 the CN Joliet Sub was on fire! A total of 3 freight trains in 2 hours not including the Oil Local in the 4'th hour. The first freight was I G4BP with CSX power, the second was this ballast train with a really cool engineer. Great K3 on this SD75I. I wish the cell phone could pick it up but they were dumping ballast. I didn't record the entire train because I even though this was the third time I caught the train (it was only going 10 MPH) I was determined to get it in another location. The third train was I BPG4 with CSX power. Only the ballast train is in this video. Enjoy! ~Lemont, IL 9/10/11This Is Not MetraAndrewsaxamophone2012-03-01 | So after my class I decided to bike for miles to Wheaton then Glen Ellyn. With all the waysides in Wheaton green I figured I wouldn't catch any trains. In Glen Ellyn after Metra passed the signal stayed red EB on M3 so I figured I'd wait out the freight. It was two Gevo's on an autorack. All trains were giving horn in Glen Ellyn due to platform work right at the Main Street crossing. Just about 12:00 Noon I figured Metra was about to get to the station. The gates went down at Prospect Street and I decided not to take the phone out at first because it was just Metra. How ever the cab cars that are used on the Union Pacific West line tend to have decent K5's and K3's, so I took out the phone. Needless to say when UPY 1433 was rounding the curve with a MofW train for Lombard I was shocked. ~Glen Ellyn, IL 3/1/12The Racetracks NameAndrewsaxamophone2012-02-23 | A very late Amtrak 3 is leading the race against an NSINTW. Filmed through the Downers Grove yard. Note the cool looking SD70MAC second out on NSINTW. ~Downers Grove, IL 7/31/11I BPG4 w/ CSX power in LemontAndrewsaxamophone2012-02-20 | Before a family affair I took some time out of the beautiful day to go Lemont. I didn't bring my camera because I didn't plan on doing any train spotting how ever I wish that I did. Driving down New Ave I saw the signal at CP Flag Stone change from a solid red board to a Clear for a southbound. I knew it had to be for freight since Amtrak passed passed about a half hour prior. After waiting it out I was rewarded with CSXT 5 leading the Union Pacific train I BPG4 (Intermodal from the Bedford Park CSX facility to Union Pacific's Global IV). This is the first time I've seen this train in daylight. I've always seen it through Lemont between 8:30 and 9:04 PM. Yes, 9:04 PM. I've seen it through Lemont at 9:04 PM more than once but I guess this is the new schedule having this train get through Lemont at around 3:30 PM. A side note sorry for the shakiness. I was more concerned with seeing the train for myself rather than for the video. With all that said, enjoy! ~Lemont, IL 2/19/12MSTS:::: Foaming the LSRCAndrewsaxamophone2012-01-04 | My first upload in a long time. With time between semesters I started getting back into MSTS. I've done some work with the route, still have to add some textures to make it look real, but I've extended the mainline track to cross the CN Freeport Sub and then end in another yard. Marble Yard is a manifest sitting, loading / unloading point, and the other half is an intermodal port that the Union Pacific uses along with the LSRC trains to Springfield and back. The Rockford Yard is of course still in use between the LSRC and CN but does not see as much activity now that Marble Yard is in.
Due to Worth Yard currently under construction (Worth Yard is south of Granville by about 5 miles), all activity for Worth now takes place in Rockford. The first train is the Granville road switcher which usually goes from Worth, to Granville, to Mendota then back south. The second train is the MYG3, Union Pacific's Marble Yard to Global III Intermodal Train. There are between 2-4 transfers between the UP and LSRC every day. Marble Yard has definately added traffic through Rockford.The Cutest Thing Youll Ever SeeAndrewsaxamophone2011-07-19 | I forgot about this video from when Matzoh and Bri were still kittens.Driving In The RiverAndrewsaxamophone2011-06-10 | My neighborhood is placed conveniently in a Valley. We are like the New Orleans of Chicago. The intersection videoed here in Glen Ellyn, IL is always the first to be flooded in a storm due to ti being the lowest point in the neighborhood. For 3 minutes you get to see cars whip through the spilled over DuPage River. This was filmed at around 7:30 PM on June 9'th 2011, before the second storm of the day hit. Can't wait to see what happens next! *For the picture, check out this link from Flickr that I also took on my cell phone!* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5816387593Historic Lash through LisleAndrewsaxamophone2011-05-14 | I'm still debating on if I want to upload the picture of not, but until that decision is reached I got video on my Flip. This is the M BRCGAL5 13. Not to often you get the Track Section number to match the actual date. The power is EMDX 9088 and EMDX 9063. *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5717236489 ~Lisle, IL 5/13/11Dinner Table Version of Ode To JoyAndrewsaxamophone2011-04-10 | ...Peace Out...Tons Of AMTK 508 Horn!Andrewsaxamophone2011-04-10 | Due to crossing problems at Loomis Street, Don was more than eager to let the pedestrians and motorists know that he was on his way. *Pictures* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5605278588 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5604695519 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5604696405 ~Naperville, IL 4/9/11SOO GP38-2 w/ Leselie RS3L!Andrewsaxamophone2011-04-10 | Perfect Leslie equipped on SOO 4442, too bad the engineer didn't know how to use it... Reguardless, a late night G53 glides through the every so blooming downtown of Franklin Park. ~Franklin Park, IL 4/2/11Blue & Gold Trio! (Part 2 / 2)Andrewsaxamophone2011-04-03 | Got the CP 277 once again going through Des Plaines. ~Des Plaines, IL 4/2/11 *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5583770793Blue & Gold Trio! (Part 1 / 2)Andrewsaxamophone2011-04-03 | I can't remember the last time I caught a Blue and Gold trio, this was very well worth the wait. I wanted to call it quits a few times but kept my mouth shut, then with talk of CP 277 leaving that made staying more enticing. Finally about 20 minutes after being told, "Signal Indication," DM&E 6083 with two IC&E units take off northward with the CP 277 manifest. ~Bensenville, IL 4/2/11 *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5583770793The Indiana RailroadAndrewsaxamophone2011-04-03 | Much like every one else lately I too caught the INRD SD9043MAC's. ~Elmwood Park, IL 4/2/11 *All the picture I got of them* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5584354370 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5584355490 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5584353066 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5583762381 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5583759941 http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5584348142Truck Almost Hits Gate! Rare Power For Canadian Pacific!Andrewsaxamophone2011-03-21 | As we got to Bensenville Yard on York Road we saw the light from a train the yard. As it got closer to B-17 we saw that the leader had a high head light. After seeing a blue and gold DM&E SD40-2 sitting at Bryn Maur the thought of another SD40-2 was pretty exciting. We were prepared to shoot this guy going west down the CP Elgin Sub but then heard from B-17, "283 C&M Sub 2 on signal indication." We then parked at some Mexican restaurant with bouncers standing infront of it. We waited a couple minutes for the train to come around the corner. The high head light gave us high hopes of an EMD, but the horn was a K5, the same type that CSX typically has, sorta fowled out. Once the horn blew we were sure it was a CSX standard cab unit on the point because the ditch lights were flashing. As it got closer we saw no yellow, and we quickly realised that it was an NS C40-8 leading an NS Gevo. I've seen CSX on here before, but not NS! ~Bensenville, IL 3/18/11Driving Around In A 76 CamaroAndrewsaxamophone2011-03-17 | My friend Mike is now the proud owner of a 1976 Camaro. Car drives like a beast! I got video from riding around. Ignore the shouting sorta mid-end way through the video, he was shouting at our friends dad. After that he gunned it from 20 to 40 MPH down the straight-away in our neighborhood. HELL YEAH!Cell Phone: DM&E 6364 Through Des PlainesAndrewsaxamophone2011-03-13 | CP 277 throttles northward toward Northbrook on the UP Milwaukee Sub where it will get off at CP Techney and get onto the Metra Milwaukee North line. After Rondout the track is officially owned by CP and labeled the CP C&M Sub. *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5523033420 ~Des Plaines, IL 3/12/11Kitty Loves CoinsAndrewsaxamophone2011-03-11 | My cat Bri has always liked to steal stuff. It started with my step moms wallet to which she wouldnt stop blaming me for it until she saw the cat steal the cap to her deodorant bottle. Since then she's taken small objects, money, and even my boxers (I still don't know where those went) into the utility room which is where their food, water, litter box, and beds are. I was playing with the coins on the table to which she got very curious so I started recording.Winning Combo!Andrewsaxamophone2011-03-05 | M BRCGAL4 04 has a baller lash; BNSF 8196 (SD60M) leading BNSF 8230 (SD75M). I've never seen any freight go this fast through Lisle before... Maybe once years ago, but holy shit...
~Lisle, IL
3/4/11Yet Another EJE Oil Local, BUT...Andrewsaxamophone2011-03-04 | ...it's an origional EJ&E with it's safety stripes and Leslie RS3L! I was freaking out that we were going to miss it, but then we got to Lemont and even to Flag Stone with time to spare and caught Metra going past the idling L543, but that part is not in this video, I didn't take video of that, but I did take a picture. I did how ever take video of the train going across Stephen and Main streets in Lemont, just like everyone else. *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5497410280/in/photostream *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5497409878 ~Lemont, IL 3/4/11Conrail SD50 TrailerAndrewsaxamophone2011-03-04 | Like totes the seriously wrong leader, like o-m-geeeeee....... Anyway, Thanks to MattBNSF1991 and Robert D-p for the tip on this guys location and whereabouts! I was scared shitless when Metra invaded the platform, but it cleared just in time. ~Lisle, IL 3/2/11This Was HorrifyingAndrewsaxamophone2011-02-26 | Saw this while driving to La Grange. I'd hate to be playing street hockey if this guy came around...This is not a UP freight...Andrewsaxamophone2011-02-26 | While waiting for the I G4BP we saw Amtrak 22 southbound. There is a whole huge story to go along with this, but it's really long and I just don't want to type it all out. **Picture** http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5440122748/in/set-72157612663271571
~Burr Ridge, IL 2/12/11While Waiting...Andrewsaxamophone2011-02-26 | AMTK 90215 kicks up the fresh snow on the ground with the P302. This train went north through Lemont approximately 50 minutes before the P303 with AMTK 517 went south. Note the ice covered bell on this guy. **Picture** http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5479807056
~Lemont, IL 2/26/11Amtrak 517 Through LemontAndrewsaxamophone2011-02-26 | With a heads up from Michael Hansen on Facebook about the P303 having AMTK 517 as power I drove to Lemont to get full coverage. On my arrival I saw the northbound P302 with NPCU 90215 on the lead. After having a bitch fit with Julie, she finally comes clean and tells me that Amtrak 303 is running behind schedule, 43 minutes behind schedule. With a couple trains passing on the BNSF, and talking to Ballparkfrank10 the entire time, time flew by. **Picture** http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5479208861
~Lemont, IL 2/26/11Oy Vey!Andrewsaxamophone2011-02-13 | Every few seconds the alarm on this emergency vehicle would go off! It was either this car or the black car behind it, didn't want to get close enough to find out, standing in front of it across the street was bad enough..Midnight DelightAndrewsaxamophone2011-02-06 | ^^Cause that's not the queerest video title ever... No seriously, it's not.
Midnight on the Joint CP/UP Milwaukee Subs was pretty busy, two trains in less than 1 hour is actually pretty good for this line. Here we have a UP coal lead by, and ending with (not included) GE TRAYUSH. The horn on this leader is incredible! Can't place it, if it is a K3, an RS3L, or what, but I liked it!Scanner InterferenceAndrewsaxamophone2011-01-29 | Standing on top of D-P Hill we found out that my camera interferes with the scanner. This was in Sugar Grove. The channel it was frozen on when the camera was on was, 160.995.
160.995 59 Corwith Yard, Logistics Park Chicago (steamtrainsandtractors.com)CITX 3063 westAndrewsaxamophone2010-12-27 | With someone talking over the crew of CP 589, all we got out of this on the scanner was, "B-17 out." We had two options, drive west, or drive north. The only good one was to drive west because once they head out west through Bensenville, they really pick it up and move. If they go north, they are restricted to 15 MPH. We drove west to Church Street, and we saw that the green nose had continued west past the C&M cut off. We set up fast, and got full coverage CP 589 with CITX 3063 and ICE 6215. *PICTURE* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5294408767HD IN Michigan Sub Cab Ride! Tons of K3!Andrewsaxamophone2010-12-26 | The IN's train "O 355-dd" originates from the CN in Rockford, then travels south down the LSRC onto the IN Maddison Main. Between Rockford and the IN main the power is switched out to accommodate the LSRC. Once in a very rare while CN will have run-through power on the LSRC train "O CNIN" [Oil from Canadian National to Illinois Northern], and once in an even rarer while IN will not send any power up to retrieve the train, so the LSRC power turns into run-through all the way through Chicago and into Michigan. Seen here is me driving LSRC 216 with LSRC 215, LSRC 214, and CRL 15 behind me on a 76 car loaded oil train. Seen here is passing the Elk Grove curve which cuts right through an outskirt neighborhood. Speed is reduced to 25 MPH, both due to the curve and little activation time of the signals.Very Playful Baby KittensAndrewsaxamophone2010-12-08 | From :47 on is the best, they are so cute!Baby Kittens MeowingAndrewsaxamophone2010-12-04 | This is what I wake up to every morning.Railnet MontageAndrewsaxamophone2010-12-01 | Mr MattBNSF1991 hitched a ride on the Railnet again, but the Railnet had major problems today making todays chase...funner...?
These major problems included: *Sliding rail in Wedron *Stalling up the hill in Serena *HBR 5009 dying *No conductors *HBR 5008 had to run back to Ottawa LHF limiting their speed to 15 MPH.
1) After missing the light power from Serena back to Wedron I waited for them to crawl back through the crossing, but they literally crawled! 2 MPH due to a sliding rail.
2) After stalling up the hill, 2 hours pass and they finally get through the first public crossing in Serena.
3) Missing something? HBR 5009 died so they had to set it out on the siding.
4) Glad I got this shot since the gates will obstruct the train crossing the road.
End) Josh seriously flew... It was near impossible to catch up, but finally in Fox I got my picture.
(1) The turbo duo comes out of the siding for head room while switching cars inside the plant.
(2) HORN DUEL!!! sorta... If you listen closely you can hear the Metra honk for the main entrance for the Seneca Plant while the engineer gives a large amount of P5 for the Oxbow crossing.
(3) Sitting idle waiting for the conductor to finish his job, Amtrak 301 cruises through with a Phase III NPCU #90366 on the point of Amtrak P40 #817.
(4) Listen to those J's in North 8! Done switching over 40 minutes late the oil local makes its way through downtown Lemont where it passes an array of fall colors in front of the KA Steel siding. Note the interesting coal car at the rear of the train. *Picture* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5099014043Sheridan To EolaAndrewsaxamophone2010-10-12 | I drove all the way to Serena until saw the train heading north east from County Highway 2. Seeing the train I felt it was safe to make a sharp U-Turn in the middle of the road and highball down Route 2 bound for Country Road 32. I gotta thank LaFawnduh for help on directions, got me through the sticks and skin head country (Yorkville).
This train is Z CHCSTP, thank you Jerry! (told you I'd make it rhyme...)Y CHI WOWAndrewsaxamophone2010-10-09 | Gevo, Gevo, Dash 9, Gevo, GP35 (Blue Bonnet), SD40-2 (H1), Dash 9, Gevo, Dash 9. 9 engines, two good, but seeing big power moves is always neat, sorta. To bad the Shamwow guy didn't bight the ear off a prostitute, otherwise I'd have him annotate this. ~Romeoville, IL 10/6/10The only damn train...Andrewsaxamophone2010-10-09 | Granted seeing Job 303 of the BRC is not always easy, LeMoyne is generally busier than two trains in 4 hours. The other train to pound the diamond was an Amtrak Lincoln Service. This BRC job zoomed back and forth for a while but I missed it when it officially went back to Clearing, oh well, atleast I got pictures and videos of the other times I came by. ~Chicago, IL 10/7/10 *PICTURE* http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagorailfan/5062787356