Watch This Wild Video Of A Train Cruising The Streets Of Chicago


Watch This Wild Video Of A Train Cruising The Streets Of Chicago

(By Greg Rourke) – Chicago has always been a railroad town. Lots of railroads congregated here, and many still do. Railroads often had branch lines and industrial spurs to service businesses that produced more freight than horse and buggy could handle. As Chicago grew up and trucks started handling the lions share of local cartage, most of those branches were torn up. Most, but not all, as witnessed by the Chicago Terminal Railroad.

What’s somewhat unique to the Chicago Terminal is the amount of street running. Yes, railroad tracks running down the middle of the street. And the majority of their trackage is in Lincoln Park and on Goose Island, home of many yuppies living in lofts in former factory buildings. I drove a truck around there for 12 years, that was bad enough. Ideally trains stay on the rails so steering around errant motorists isn’t an option. And said motorists have no respect for the trains, and are ignorant of the fact that the trains always have the right of way.
The locomotive assigned to this section of track is an EMD SW8, built in 1951. There are only a couple industries still served on this line, mainly a lumber yard and a scrap metal yard. The little switch engine is plenty to haul around the few cars needed. Rail cars often end up in front and behind the loco, with crewmen always riding on front of the train to flag traffic and boot errant pedestrians out of the way. That badass single chime air horn sounds beautiful and gets a real workout. Progress is often delayed by people parking on the tracks, but tow trucks are quickly dispatched to teach the offending motorist a lesson. The scrap yard in the video is one I would often haul 25 loads a week into, the scrappers in pickups seem to be oblivious that a freakin’ train was bearing down on them.
   Traffic on this line has slowed way down. The bridge shown over the Chicago river is an ancient swing span, and thieves recently stole all the wiring out of it for scrap copper. Fortunately we still have a few videos showing better times. Turn up the volume and enjoy that beautiful Wabco air horn.


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One thought on “Watch This Wild Video Of A Train Cruising The Streets Of Chicago

  1. mr that guy

    This looks like every middle class mother driving an oversized SUV through a parking lot that she has no command of what so ever. Beware the behemoth, for it does not stop and cannot fit squarely in parking spaces.

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