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Chicago area
- Thread starter citycat
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ac6000cw
Established Member
It's also next to the Great Lakes, the moisture from them causes 'Lake Effect Snow' in very cold weather.
THC
Member
Nobody has yet mentioned the tremendous cab ride films that CTA released for each of the L lines. Here's one for the Brown line from this time of year to give you a flavour of what to expect:
Thanks to CTA I've whiled away many happy hours getting to know Chicago from the safety of my own armchair in Essex.
THC
Thanks to CTA I've whiled away many happy hours getting to know Chicago from the safety of my own armchair in Essex.
THC
ac6000cw
Established Member
The spectacle part of US railroading is the freight train operation, these don't pass through Union Station or downtown Chicago, but start from each of the large freight yards on the various radiating routes, and there are a series of connecting lines through the suburbs between them. Aurora, on the BNSF-hosted Metra line westward, is mentioned above, but is a good place to travel to, pass their two main yards, see action, and sit in a bar beside the line, which as well as the suburban trains is probably the busiest freight route.
There's a webpage here that describes it. In typical USA rail article style it envisages travelling there by car (!), but you can get there on Metra.
There's a webpage here that describes it. In typical USA rail article style it envisages travelling there by car (!), but you can get there on Metra.
Aurora IL Railfan Guide
railfanguides.us
Yes that's the one, they look both the same to me.
ac6000cw
Established Member
The largest classification yard in the world is UP's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Yard
To quote from the Wikipedia article:
I think the largest yard in the Chicago area is BRC's Clearing Yard, a mere 5.5 miles long and 786 acres... a long time ago I visited it with group of other UK rail fans - it was quite an experience.
But there are some very large yards in Europe too e.g. Maschen near Hamburg.
Even still one might expect that warm air from the south might sometimes impact the Chicago area, potentially giving some high temperatures in February, and the strength of the sun alone (which is quite considerable at its latitude by mid-February; Chicago is at Mediterranean latitudes) would cause significant warming compared to midwinter.
That said, looking at Wikipedia (source: NOAA/WRCC) it appears that Chicago's coldest month is in fact Jan, with 0.4C maximum temp compared to 2.7C Feb. So January is presumably in actuality the most severe month, which is what I would have expected. The number of snow days is also the highest in Jan, 8.9 versus 6.4.
The warming from Feb to April or May is dramatic to put it mildly, with the April mean max 15.6C, slightly warmer than the southern UK, and a summer-like 21.9C in May.
Summers have temps comparable with the Mediterranean. Autumns are milder than the UK on the whole, with a max of 17.6C in Oct which would be distinctly warm for the southern UK. In fact the max temps divide very neatly into the four seasons: spring and autumn (Mar-May and Sep-Nov) quite moderate, summer (Jun-Aug) hot, and winter (Dec-Feb) very cold.
Interestingly, May is the wettest month, both in terms of volume of rainfall and number of rain-days, which is as high as 12.4.
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ac6000cw
Established Member
Although it's 20+ years old, this is a map showing the approximate annual gross ton-miles on the routes around Chicago in 2000 and 1971 - https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/chicago_tonnage.pdf
UP and BNSF probably have similar traffic levels, but the BNSF traffic is split between the ex-CB&Q/BN route via Aurora and the ex-ATSF via Joliet whereas UP's is heavily concentrated on the ex-CN&W route via West Chicago.
Since 2000, I think the main change in flows is probably due to CN buying WC (Wisconsin Central), then the EJ&E 'outer belt' line to link its four radial routes together - which has dramatically increased traffic on the ex-EJ&E route. I think buying the EJ&E was very smart move, as it also gave CN a bypass route to avoid the congestion and interchange delays in Chicago that the other railroads suffer from.
I'd echo the advice about the weather. Truly arctic at times...
If you are going to get out of downtown and explore do seek some local advice. As I discovered on a work, non railway related trip there are some parts of Chicago that are quite scary (and I'm not someone who scares easily).
If you are going to get out of downtown and explore do seek some local advice. As I discovered on a work, non railway related trip there are some parts of Chicago that are quite scary (and I'm not someone who scares easily).
Union station isn't great for seeing trains I found, not allowed on platforms and staff being a bit over cautious trying to send you to a train.
I found just about every journey on the L I did had something; drugged up user, homeless using it to sleep, people smoking weed, beggars, people asking for a lighter to smoke on the platforms etc. The outskirts that the L goes into aren't particularly nice either, that being said Skokie on the end of the Yellow line seemed pleasant.
I found just about every journey on the L I did had something; drugged up user, homeless using it to sleep, people smoking weed, beggars, people asking for a lighter to smoke on the platforms etc. The outskirts that the L goes into aren't particularly nice either, that being said Skokie on the end of the Yellow line seemed pleasant.
Your local contacts will give you advice.
Skokie is as far out as the CTA reaches, it's a conversion of a former interurban, and the shuttle was the personal idea of onetime CTA Director George Krambles, also a serial rail buff who ensured that what old stuff was still around in his time went to various museums, which he later assisted in retirement, particularly the Illinois Railway Museum out at Union in the far suburbs.
I'm sufficiently long-visiting that I don't say "Yellow Line", but "Skokie Swift", which was George's name for the non-stop shuttle, initially done using adapted single cars and the remnants of the interurban overhead wiring, with some homebuilt-looking pantographs. The colour names came along in the early 1990s. You may notice the front cars of the L trains have four coloured lights above the driver's window, red, blue, green, white. These were long used to identify the train route, on the Loop and elsewhere to the Towerman (signaller) at the switch tower (signalbox), L operations previously being surprisingly much on sight. When the 1990s map with the colours was done these were adapted, only slightly, to the various line colours. Thus the Pink Line is red and white, Orange is red and yellow, Red is just that, etc.
If you take the Orange line to Midway Airport you will parrallel a lot of freight lines. THC has mentioned youtube which will give you a good taste of what to expect.
(Google CTA ride the rails whatever colour line you want for the rest of the network)
I don't know what your spouse travel concessions are like but if they extend to flying from ORD - EWR for the day you can the take a bus - or indeed the airport transit and train to Newark Airport rail station where (certainly at least a few years ago) the platforms were open access and you could see Amtrak trains as well as New Jersey Transit. You could then take NJT to Penn Station or PATH to Manhatton. Penn Stn to Grand Central is walkable if you want a good day out.
(Google CTA ride the rails whatever colour line you want for the rest of the network)
I don't know what your spouse travel concessions are like but if they extend to flying from ORD - EWR for the day you can the take a bus - or indeed the airport transit and train to Newark Airport rail station where (certainly at least a few years ago) the platforms were open access and you could see Amtrak trains as well as New Jersey Transit. You could then take NJT to Penn Station or PATH to Manhatton. Penn Stn to Grand Central is walkable if you want a good day out.
just saw this thread, ex-pat living in Chicago. The Metra (surburban rail) platforms are not gated but Union station is pretty nasty, the Amtrak platforms are gated off.
Also as everyone says February can be cold. Next week they're predicting highs of -10C. And you don't get used to it. Lake effect snow is more on the Michigan side than the Chicago side due to prevailing winds. It really is something to see though when it happens.
As for doing some rail stuff, I'd suggest doing a run on the CTA brown line downtown (loop to Chicago), it really is something to snake between the buildings as you feel like the train is about to fall off the elevated tracks. It only falls off a couple of times a decade.
If you do want to take a Metra train out of Chicago Union, I would recommend a BNSF run to Brookfield, there's a very decent Irish bar right there while you wait for a return run. Metra service can be very infrequent outside of rush hours.
Any other questions just ask!
Also as everyone says February can be cold. Next week they're predicting highs of -10C. And you don't get used to it. Lake effect snow is more on the Michigan side than the Chicago side due to prevailing winds. It really is something to see though when it happens.
As for doing some rail stuff, I'd suggest doing a run on the CTA brown line downtown (loop to Chicago), it really is something to snake between the buildings as you feel like the train is about to fall off the elevated tracks. It only falls off a couple of times a decade.
If you do want to take a Metra train out of Chicago Union, I would recommend a BNSF run to Brookfield, there's a very decent Irish bar right there while you wait for a return run. Metra service can be very infrequent outside of rush hours.
Any other questions just ask!
citycat
Member
Thanks for your info. Would you know if the $10 Metra day pass is valid to all destinations on the Metra network? The website doesn’t make it too clear.
I’m flying out this coming Sunday. Monday next week to do the Metra and CTA lines, then fly back again Tuesday.
Ok your question got complicated because Metra is changing the fair structure Feb 1 and I'm not familiar with all the changes but from the website:
A new fare zone map, going from ten to four zones:
https://metra.com/sites/default/files/2024-01/Zone Map.png
here are the fare costs
https://metra.com/sites/default/files/2024-01/Fare Chart 1.9.24_Page_1.png
so basically to get a weekday all zones day pass is $13.50, cheaper if you get less zones.
It also sounds like all ticket offices are also closing, so you should buy from a TVM if the station is equipped (https://metra.com/TVM) or
hope that helps
edit: good timing, Chicago is currently unseasonably warm!
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citycat
Member
Looks like my prayers for warm weather have been answered.
Many thanks for the info.
Many thanks for the info.
FormerBritInMe
Member
Note that if you are coming from O'Hare on the Blue Line there is an additional $5 charge.
A source of interesting information about the Chicago "L" can be found here: Chicago-L.org
Whisky Papa
Member
- Joined
- 8 Aug 2019
- Messages
- 397
Well, not 'additional' according to https://www.transitchicago.com/fares/. Yes, the single fare is $5.00 instead of $2.50, but there doesn't appear to be any surcharge on day or longer passes (my bold below):
I don't know how you've been doing today but you might have gotten free trips on Metra, their ticketing provider has thoroughly messed up implementation of the new fares apparently. Hopefully you're still enjoying my adopted city.
Continuing Ventra app glitches leave Metra riders unable to buy tickets
The app was working Sunday, but some purchases weren’t going through Monday as the morning commute began.
chicago.suntimes.com
citycat
Member
I will give more details on my trip upon my return, but I spent the day on the BNSF line, saw the westbound South West Chief and the California Zephyr during their stop at Naperville, Illinois, and I dropped into the Irish bar at Brookfield, The Irish Times pub, where they treated me to a beer on the house when they found out that I had travelled all the way from the Netherlands to visit their hospitable establishment.I don't know how you've been doing today but you might have gotten free trips on Metra, their ticketing provider has thoroughly messed up implementation of the new fares apparently. Hopefully you're still enjoying my adopted city.
Continuing Ventra app glitches leave Metra riders unable to buy tickets
The app was working Sunday, but some purchases weren’t going through Monday as the morning commute began.
The Metra day pass is a bargain at $13.50 for unlimited travel. I could have clocked up even more miles and even crossed into the state of Wisconsin if I had gone to Kenosha, but I decided to take it easy on just the one line for the classic diesel haulage and the freight trains.
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citycat
Member
Please see my trip report in the Trip Planning and Reports thread. Hopefully you might find it interesting. There will be a part two when I get time.
Thanks again for all the replies in the Chicago advice thread. It was very helpful.
Just to advise that Part Two of my trip report is posted in the trip report section, for anyone who's interested.
Thanks again for all the replies in the Chicago advice thread. It was very helpful.
Just to advise that Part Two of my trip report is posted in the trip report section, for anyone who's interested.
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