Railroads, Chicago-style

WC 713 at Schiller Park, IL by John Benner Via Flickr: Wisconsin Central GP30 713 idles at Schiller Park, IL on the evening of September 16, 1989. Kodachrome 64.

WC6501_LaGrangeIL_0595 by Mark Wurst Via Flickr: “A Wisconsin Central SD45 brings a cut of intermodal cars down the Indiana Harbor Belt Line in May 1995. The train is about to dive under BN's ‘Racetrack’ at LaGrange, IL.”

Photo by Mark Wurst

“A pair of Wisconsin Central SD45's snake their train out of the south end of Schiller Park Yard and pass the old Soo Locker room/depot in 1995.”

Photo by Lou Gerard

(via Getting out of Schiller | A pair of Wisconsin Central SD45's… | Flickr)

WC 3003 train 218, 16th Street Tower, Chicago, ILL; March 9, 1995_ by John Leopard Via Flickr: “Intermodal train T218 from Green Bay clatters across the old Rock Island RR at 16th Street near downtown Chicago. They are operating on the St Charles Air Line that crosses the Chicago River on a drawbridge seen in the distance. The old B&OCT bascule drawbridge in the raised position is unused and carried trains to/from Grand Central Station.”

March 9, 1995

Photo by John Leopard

(via South of Deval | A pair of Wisconsin Central SD45's are sout… | Flickr)

“A pair of Wisconsin Central SD45's are southbound past Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois, with a mixed bag consist including double stacks up front in March 1998.”

Photo by Lou Gerard

40 Cylinders of Fun by Don Kalkman   “A Wisconsin Central southbound roars through Prairie View with one of WC's plucky F45s leading a standard SD45. These were the good old days... “

Prairie View, Illinois

1999

Photo by Don Kalkman

Circus Has Come To Town by Man Of Family Via Flickr: “This is the first of two times I have worked a Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey's Circus train (both the Red Train), this one headed to Green Bay for a weeks dates. On this day we left Schiller light engine down the Harbor to CP LaGrange ...The train came east on the BN race track, a waiting switch engine tied on the rear and pulled the train down onto the IHB eastbound at Maple Ave.. We tied on the rear (which was the headend) and away we went the other way! Stopped momentarily at CP Norpaul for B-12, it started to rain, so i quickly jumped off and grabbed a few frames of flares on the massive passenger train of 54 cars (with the WC 7505 & WC6631). Minutes later the signal will come in and Marty Simane and I will be off! My notes say we tied up in Fond du at 0500.... “

NorPaul Yard, Franklin Park, Illinois

September 1, 1997

Like Butter Baby by Man Of Family on Flickr.

Caption: "WC 6578 leads T041 across the Rock diamond at Clark Street on the IC St Charles Airline. Meadow Gold Butter's cold storage building reflects in the late sun, in this pre-Yuppy invasion of the South Loop. 1996."

(via 0855-WC-7502 01-2001tif | Wisconsin Central SD45 6596 leads … | Flickr)

Wisconsin Central SD45 6596 leads a train east, crossing from the IHB to CN/GTW rails at Blue Island, Illinois

January 2001

Photo by Art Gross

(via 0297-WC 6618 04-1998iv | WC SD45 6618 leads a train on the I… | Flickr)

Wisconsin Central SD45 6618 leads a train on the Illinois Central at 18th Street in Chicago

April 1998

Photo by Art Gross

With Flare by The Mastadon on Flickr.

Caption: “Wisconsin Central train T048 was rolling south on the Chicago Subdivision at Prairie Crossing on a pleasant afternoon in Lake County. SD45s 7520 and 6525 had the train well in hand as it thundered past the new-at-the-time Metra stop.” July 31, 1998 Photo by Don Kalkman

Hammerhead by The Mastadon on Flickr.

Caption: “Wisconsin Central SDP45 6634 had L201, the Rock Job for Grayslake, well in hand hammerhead-style as it lapped a dead southbound FDNS with a freshly caught Catfish at Monaville Road in Lake Villa.” February 10, 1999 Photo by Don Kalkman

Fading Light by sdl39hogger on Flickr.

Caption: “Fading Light. With one double left to make at Norpaul yard, we wait on the IHB dispatcher for that permission to enter the main line for headroom and ultimate departure to Schiller Park and beyond as the sun falls into the horizon.” WC UPFD WC 6650, 6583 Franklin Park, Illinois Autumn 1998 Photo by Danial

Roll Ore by The Mastadon on Flickr.

Caption: “An empty Middletown ore train resumes its trip back to Minnesota for more taconite after pausing at Mundelein for a southbound on the Wisconsin Central in 2000. The run-through CSX C30-7/C40-8W duo were sounding just as good as you’d imagine that they would. This was still a non-quiet zone at the time and that Leslie was blending nicely with the Dash 7 as it notched up.”

Mundelein, Illinois

March 2000

Photo by Don Kalkman

Santa Fe Castaway by The Mastadon on Flickr.

Caption: “Wisconsin Central FP45 6652, built as Santa Fe 101 in 1967, was leading a trio of SD45s northward on the Chicago Subdivision at Prairie View in 1996. After the CN takeover, the classic cowl wound up in Ohio at Larry’s Electric and has since been turned into scrap.” Photo by Don Kalkman

Plowing through Des Plaines by ujka4 on Flickr.

Caption: “For a while, Wisconsin Central ran two intermodal trains in each direction daily between Chicago and Green Bay. GP40 #3015 leads one of those trains through fresh snow in Des Plaines, IL in January of 1993.”

Caption: “Former Santa Fe F45 5981 leads a southbound Wisconsin Central freight over B12 in Franklin Park, Illinois in July 1995.”

Photo by Lou Gerard