Chicago City El, Passenger rail **Tons of pix**

[YmeBP]

I recently went to chicago and i stumbled across an overhead walkway w/ a great view of a passenger train station. I managed to snap a couple of photo's. you can view full sized (they are HUUUUGE) at My beginner's attempts at railfanning

These photo's are pretty self explanatory i was most interested in how they had their crossovers laid out. My new layout in my head is going to start w/ a yard and i've been paying close attention to how the prototypes have been built.

i've got some progression images here. Wasn't sure how many cars to snap ehehe .

 

[railohio]

That Millennium Station, formerly known as Randolph Street, serving the Metra Electric District and South Shore/NICTD. The first train pictured belongs to NICTD while the subsequent trains are Metra.

 

[LocoIndy76]

:thumb: Cool pics... Thanks for sharing!!!! :thumb:

 

[steamhead]

Nice pics....How come the overhead wires come together at the suspension poles..?? How often do the wires or overhead pickups have to be replaced..?? I t would seem that with all the sparking the wires and contact would become pitted in a short time.

Another note... Somebody didn't do their ballasting right....Did you see all that ballast ON THE TIES..!!?? That's a no-no....

 

[YmeBP]

That Millennium Station, formerly known as Randolph Street, serving the Metra Electric District and South Shore/NICTD. The first train pictured belongs to NICTD while the subsequent trains are Metra.

Thanks i was wondering what the name of the station was so i could google map it: Art Institute of Chicago, United States - Google Maps

I was standing on the overpass at e. monroe street . Man this is way too cool that we can do this w/ maps!!

 

[Tommybza]

I know it well Randolf or the old IC station I like to use that to see if the Cabbies know there stations .If you were to get off at Van buren going north and look to your west you will see a building that sez SANTE FE .On Michigan Ave I hope you enjoyed your stay in the city .

 

[LocoIndy76]

Thanks i was wondering what the name of the station was so i could google map it: Art Institute of Chicago, United States - Google Maps

I was standing on the overpass at e. monroe street . Man this is way too cool that we can do this w/ maps!!

This is even better!!! You can look at it from different angles(i.e. N, S, E, & W) They are aerial photos instead of satelite... Very cool... Wish it worked everywhere!

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qzcy3d7py8f7&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11386021&encType=1

 

[YmeBP]

This is even better!!! You can look at it from different angles(i.e. N, S, E, & W) They are aerial photos instead of satelite... Very cool... Wish it worked everywhere!

[URL="http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qzcy3d7py8f7&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11386021&encType=1"]http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qzcy3d7py8f7&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11386021&encType=1[/URL]

Awesome! I just spent 30 minutes playing with this hahaha zooming around the city . Eventually i would have to assume they will have the planet mapped this way. Makes building a layout really easy when you have instant access to 1to1 images .

 

[Jim Krause]

Thanks for the photo's. We people here in the West haven't seen an electric line since The Milwaukee Road went entirely diesel.

 

[60103]

Nice pics....How come the overhead wires come together at the suspension poles..??

I think the wires coming together have to do with the switches. One wire comes in and runs parallel to the other one for a short distance and then is terminated -- usually with some sort of tensioning device. In a yard like this, it may come in and then one goes off at the next switch.
On long stretches of plain overhead, the wires are tensioned in sections and there's a stretch where they run parallel, then one wire rises and goes off to the side to a tensioning device -- usually a pulley and a lot of weights.