FlanaryRon-WB CNW hoppers-ElmhurstIL-2-6-88
"Route of the 400s"
I remember it was cold---quite cold, indeed; kind of like stomping your feet and complaining about it cold. We had just finished an extraordinary meal at the old Paradise Restaurant & Lounge (now closed) in Elmhurst, Illinois on February 8, 1988. All the while we were there, a near constant stream of commuter trains and freights were rolling outside just across the street. This was Chicago & Northwestern's main line west just out of Proviso Yard, and the trains paraded by the big picture window on the front of the eatery. With the tab paid, I grabbed my Nikon as the rumble of another westbound freight could be heard. I dodged traffic, hustled across the street, and framed a few images, including this last one of the sequence (the others mere medium tele views). GP50 No. 5070 was on the point, followed by a Conrail unit and two more C&NW EMDs. The green and yellow/gold paint--though a little worn--looked great in the low western light reflecting off the nose and sides. This was just one reason I had again come to Chicago. For railroad action, this was the epicenter. Soon enough, the Northwestern would be gobbled up and digested by Union Pacific, but for now, another soon to be "fallen flag" was in 3D, quadraphonic sound, Technicolor, and smell-a-vision for my full sensory enjoyment. Not a "400" (or a UP "City" streamliner before they jumped to the Milwaukee Road to reach Chicago), but good enough for a frigid day at Elmhurst.
FlanaryRon-WB CNW hoppers-ElmhurstIL-2-6-88
"Route of the 400s"
I remember it was cold---quite cold, indeed; kind of like stomping your feet and complaining about it cold. We had just finished an extraordinary meal at the old Paradise Restaurant & Lounge (now closed) in Elmhurst, Illinois on February 8, 1988. All the while we were there, a near constant stream of commuter trains and freights were rolling outside just across the street. This was Chicago & Northwestern's main line west just out of Proviso Yard, and the trains paraded by the big picture window on the front of the eatery. With the tab paid, I grabbed my Nikon as the rumble of another westbound freight could be heard. I dodged traffic, hustled across the street, and framed a few images, including this last one of the sequence (the others mere medium tele views). GP50 No. 5070 was on the point, followed by a Conrail unit and two more C&NW EMDs. The green and yellow/gold paint--though a little worn--looked great in the low western light reflecting off the nose and sides. This was just one reason I had again come to Chicago. For railroad action, this was the epicenter. Soon enough, the Northwestern would be gobbled up and digested by Union Pacific, but for now, another soon to be "fallen flag" was in 3D, quadraphonic sound, Technicolor, and smell-a-vision for my full sensory enjoyment. Not a "400" (or a UP "City" streamliner before they jumped to the Milwaukee Road to reach Chicago), but good enough for a frigid day at Elmhurst.