Up in June …
Railfan Road: Chicago’s Cicero Avenue
Roosevelt Road used to be THE Chicago railfan road. On less than a mile of viaducts just south of downtown, fans could catch passenger trains to and from many of the great Chicago passenger stations and associated coach yards. But intercity trains now only call at Union Station, and while commuters still roll, several iconic terminals and longtime coach yards are long gone. Now Cicero Avenue (nobody calls it Illinois Route 50) is Chicago’s best railfan road — further out, running north-south and focused on freights and commuters more than intercity passenger trains. The scenery may not be world class, but the rail action is dense — 18 rail lines hosting about 650 trains per day along 42 road miles. Don’t decry “look-alike” commuter trains — six locomotive types lead Metra commuter trains in different paint, including several heritage schemes
Memorable train rides: Summerville Steam Special
The adventure: Departing from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Grand Junction depot in Chattanooga, Tenn., this all-day steam excursion takes passengers over a former Central of Georgia route into the north Georgia mountains to a midday layover in Summerville, Ga. Leaving Grand Junction, you are on the original Southern Railway main line and you will shortly pass through the 984-foot Missionary Ride Tunnel. At East Chattanooga, the route diverts onto the Chattanooga beltline, for a ride through the city. After passing a cemetery on the south side of town where many of the Andrew’s Raiders of the Great Locomotive Chase fame are buried, the tracks diverge onto the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway for a climb up Missionary Ridge, and then through the Chickamauga National Battlefield. South of Chickamauga, it’s rolling hills and farmland for a midday arrival in Summerville. After a layover, it’s back on board for the return trip and an early evening arrival in Chattanooga.
Coming in July …
Trains missing? Capture interesting images nearby
You have taken time off from work, the clouds have parted, the sun is out, and you are heading out for a full day of chasing and photographing trains. Refreshments are packed in the cooler, the scanner is humming, and your camera is ready for quick retrieval when that first locomotive headlight breaks the horizon at the perfect spot you picked out weeks ago.
Except the scanner is quiet, and that headlight never comes into view. Maybe it is a work window, a derailment, or something weather related farther down the line. Whatever it is, that parade of trains you see almost every day on your way to work is just not happening today.
We have all been there.
Memorable train rides: Australia’s ‘Indian Pacific’
The adventure: This was both adventure and recovery time after covering the 2000 Olympics for Scripps-Howard News Service, which was 16 days of 16-hour days (I loved every minute, but it was exhausting). I also enjoyed a remarkable bit of good fortune: When I attempted to book a first-class roomette, they were sold out — not surprising, given the surge in tourism the country experienced around the Sydney Games. I settled for booking accommodations in the economy Holiday class. Knowing I planned to write a travel story for my newspaper about the trip, as it drew nearer, I contacted the Great Southern Railway, explained my upcoming trip, and asked if it would at least be possible to arrange for one meal in first class so I could describe the experience. I promptly received a cheerful message in return: “Thank you for your interest! You have received a complimentary upgrade to First Class.”
