Michigan Central’s elusive train to Joliet, Illinois, approaches the Maple Street crossing in Matteson, Illinois, in mid-1968. Ralph Eisenbrandt photo, Paul Jaenicke collection In the mid-1960s, I attended a parochial school in the far south Chicago suburb of Matteson, Illinois, that bordered on the Joliet branch of the New York Central. Old-timers in town referred to it […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
Gateway to the Kettle Moraine
A recently “discovered” Soo Line Railroad silent movie from 1919 featuring glimpses of how Colleywood / Maryville Junction looked 100 years ago. Video shot by Radio Trains. […]
Gateway to the Kettle Moraine
A recently “discovered” Soo Line Railroad silent movie from 1919 featuring glimpses of how Colleywood / Maryville Junction looked 100 years ago. Video shot by Radio Trains. […]
Glyn Ellen receives funds for new Metra station NEWSWIRE
An inbound Metra UP West train departs the Glen Ellyn, Ill., station in March 2018. Glen Ellyn has received $14.4 million toward construction of a new station. TRAINS: David Lassen GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — Glen Ellyn has received a $14.4-million grant for a makeover of its Metra station, an event the community will celebrate with […]
Iowa Interstate bolsters locomotive fleet NEWSWIRE
ES44AC No. 510 leads train SIPE east at Bureau, Ill., in February 2014. The railroad’s three new locomotives will have the same appearance. Jeremy J. Schrader FORT WORTH, Texas – The first of three new Iowa Interstate Wabtec Corp. ES44AC (T4C) locomotives was spotted outside of Wabtec’s Ft. Worth plant recently. No. 517 was released […]
Iowa Northern, UP launch West Coast-Iowa international intermodal service NEWSWIRE
SHELL ROCK, Iowa — The new Butler Intermodal Terminal in Shell Rock will be the hub for an internationally focused intermodal service to be offered by Iowa Northern Railway, Union Pacific, Watco Cos., and logistics firm Valor Victoria. The service will launch in December. It is designed to provide an alternative to larger Midwest rail […]
Congressman may seek to strip Amtrak of control of Chicago Union Station NEWSWIRE
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, shown during last week’s hearing on Amtrak in Washington, may pursue legislation forcing the passenger railroad to turn over control of Chicago Union Station to Metra. Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson once again turned down a call to relinquish control of Chicago Union Station at last week’s House hearing on […]
Fan-favorite Minnesota short line faces loss of business NEWSWIRE
St. Croix Valley SD40-2 No. 1326, wearing an NP logo for the day, heads south near Pine City, Minn. on Oct. 8, 2019. Steve Glischinski RUSH CITY, Minn. – The St. Croix Valley Railroad, famous for its diesels painted in the style of the Northern Pacific Railway, is facing the loss of one of its […]
New Lenox, Ill., approves bid for new Metra station NEWSWIRE
The Village of New Lenox, Ill., has awarded a contract to build a new Metra station, replacing one closed and moved in 2018. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW LENOX, Ill. — The Village of New Lenox has approved an $8.6 million bid to build a new Metra station. John Burns Construction Co., which had the lowest […]
CN donates locomotive to Green Bay museum NEWSWIRE
Canadian National has donated this SW1500 to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. The railroad gave the locomotive a full overhaul prior to the donation; the museum then repainted it into its current scheme. National Railroad Museum GREEN BAY, Wis. — Canadian National has donated an SW1500 locomotive to the National Railroad Museum in […]
Public meetings set on Metra extension to Kendall County, Ill. NEWSWIRE
PLANO, Ill. — Two Kendall County communities will host open-house meetings on possible extension of Metra’s BNSF line beyond Aurora, Ill., into the county. Plano will hold a meeting on Dec. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Plano Community Library; the next night, there will be a meeting at the Oswego Village […]
Carbondale, Ill., receives funding for new transit facility NEWSWIRE
An artist’s conception of the Carbondale multimodal station, which has received a $14 million federal grant. City of Carbondale CARBONDALE, Ill. — The city of Carbondale has received a $14 million federal grant to build a new transportation center to replace its current Amtrak station. The facility, the Southern Illinois Multi-Modal Station, will be served […]