Ugh, just not getting out to interesting places...at the same time there are trains at them. So back to the Archives. River Forest Il. This was the original end of the line for the Galena and Chicago Union RR. First railroad in Chicago chartered in 1836, completed in 1848 ultimately this became the Chicago & Northwestern's portion of the Transcon running to Council Bluffs. This shot is facing east to Chicago, behind me is the DesPlaines River and a mile or 2 further, the famous Proviso Yard and UP Global 2.
MLW please, and make it a double: IMGP7736_CN6153_CP7077_Aug-2010 by Mike VE2TRV posted Oct 14, 2016 at 5:47 AM On the left, CNR class U-2-c Northern, built in April 1929. After an illustrious career, it ran in excursion service from 1960 to 1962. CN's Northerns (of any class) were among the finest machines to polish the rails, the hoggers saying that they ran like Swiss watches. In the background is CP 7077, an S-2 built in May 1948, and reported as the first production diesel built by MLW. But there's an interesting story about that one, from what I've read. Back in 1948, 7076 was supposed to be the first off the line, and was to be sent to a trade show for display. But it wasn't ready, and neither was anything else on the factory floor. So here comes Alco USA to the rescue... They took one of their own, just off the production line, painted it for CP as their #7077, and sent that off to the trade show. So the one on display, advertised as the first Canadian-built Alco, was an American stand-in. Show business... You gotta love the front end of that Northern.
Yoho's fine shot got me to thinking of Chicago again. From August 1978, here's a westbound C&NW "scoot" at Fox River Grove, IL crossing its namesake river.
And a late weekend photo, had to work both days, but saw this train barrelling over the Powder river bridge on our way home... And of course there will be a video link up on the Glendive thread in railfanning.
