July 9, 2012:

 

            I got up at 7:30 am and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and finished packing. I then checked out of the hotel. I got into the rental car and made a couple stops. One of which was to get gas. I had to get the rental car back by 9:30 am. I made a couple wrong turns, but I got back to the rental area with 14 minutes to spare. I returned the keys and took the shuttle to O’Hare Airport.

 

            Shortly after the shuttle left the rental place, we were stuck waiting to turn left at a really long red light. The light eventually changed and soon, we were at O’Hare Airport. I got my suitcase and headed to the El.

 

            When I got to the CTA station, I saw I had lost my pass. Worse the vending machines only sold three and seven day passes. I ended up buying a three day pass resolving to make it worth it.

 

            I then boarded a train and rode to Clinton. I filmed the train pulling out and walked to Union Station. I rented a locker and put my suitcase in it. I then photographed an Amtrak train with P32 #510 on the point.

 

 

            I then left Union and headed back to Clinton Station. I boarded a 2200 series El car and rode the train to Clark and Lake. I then went upstairs to transfer to the Loop. I was going to the Museum of Science and Industry.  I photographed a northbound Green line train and a Pink line train consisting of new 5000 series El cars.

 

 

 

            I rode to Adams and Wabash where I filmed the train pulling out. I then walked over to a nearby McDonald’s for lunch. I then walked to Millennium Station where Metra electric and the South Shore line trains board. I bought a ticket for a Metra electric train leaving in 2 minutes. I had to run, but I made it.

 

            The train departed and I rode to 55^th-56^th-57^th street station. I got off and filmed the train pulling away.

 

 

            I then walked to the Museum of Science and Industry. I photographed the building before I went inside.

 

 

            I went inside and paid admission. I also bought a ticket to an exhibit from the hit Discovery Channel program Mythbusters.  I photographed the original Burlington Zephyr which is on display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then headed up to where the Mythbusters exhibit was. I photographed several items from the show.

 

 

 

 

 

For those who can’t tell, it’s a boat made from duct tape!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            There were several interactive exhibits in the Mythbusters exhibit. I got to pull the tablecloth off a table as well as build model houses out of simulated straw, wood, and brick and test it in a wind tunnel.

 

            I then photographed an HO scale layout that duplicated Seattle, Chicago, and the Midwestern plains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ship looks kind of like the Edmund Fitzgerald, don’t you think?

 

 

 

 

 

            I also photographed some full scale railroad equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

            Next I photographed an ex United Airlines Boeing 727 on display inside the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed various other exhibits. The Museum of Science and Industry is a large version of the Science Centre in Toronto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I went to see the German Navy submarine U-505 which is on display at the museum. Along the way, I photographed various exhibits and posters leading up to the submarine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            During World War 2, the U.S. was bombing German U-boats in the Atlantic. Someone came up with the idea of trying to capture a U-boat. That opportunity came on June 4, 1944 when the USS Guadalcanal and five destroyers detected a U-boat and attacked. The damaged submarine surfaced and the crew abandoned ship. Eight men from one of the destroyers headed out and secured the submarine before it was eventually towed to Bermuda. After the war, the plan was to sink the submarine and use it for target practice. However the museum was contacted and decided to acquire the submarine. It arrived there in 1954.

 

            I then arrived where U-505 was on display. I was amazed by how big it was. I photographed the submarine as well as an exhibit on how it was captured.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed some posters giving facts of the U-505 as well as the stern of the submarine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed a few more exhibits about the U-505 as well as participating in a submarine diving simulation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then left the U-505 and went into another room and photographed a few more exhibits based on World War 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then returned to the Pioneer Zephyr. There was a tour on board. I went inside. They had an animatronic donkey that gave a brief story about the Zephyr’s record braking run from Denver to Chicago.

 

 

            The tour then went into the train’s economy coach section. I photographed the interior.

 

 

 

            I was given a brief history of the train before we moved to the first class section in the observation car. They had some animatronic dummies and a video playing recreating the Zephyr’s record braking run to Chicago. The dummies spoke and talked about the train. I photographed it.

 

 

            The tour was over. I took a couple more photos of the Zephyr before I left the museum.

 

 

 

            I then caught a bus to the Garfield station on the Green line. I photographed a train of 2400 series El cars when they arrived.

 

 

            I rode the train to Roosevelt and filmed it pulling away. I then walked over to Amtrak’s 14^th street yard and took some photos.

 

 

            Someone walked up to me and asked why I was taking pictures. I told him, and he was okay with it. He then started asking questions about my personal life. I told him it was none of his business.

 

            I crossed the street and took a few more photos.

 

 

 

 

            I then walked back to Roosevelt and caught a Red Line train to Jackson. I then walked to the Arby’s nearby and had dinner. After dinner, I went back to the El. I decided to ride the Blue Line past Western to cover some previously uncovered trackage. I boarded a 2200 series El car which was the third car in the train and the train left. Right after Western station which I had ridden to during my layover in Chicago during my Dallas trip, we passed an abandoned station. The train also passed through two more abandoned stations before I got off at Austin. I filmed the train pulling away.

 

            I walked around the area for a few minutes before I caught a bus back to the station. I just missed a train to downtown. When the next train arrived, I noticed it was the same train I had come into Austin on. I rode to Clinton.  Along the way, I filmed the three abandoned stations as we passed through. I got off at Clinton and photographed the 2200 series El car as this may be the last time I ever ride one in service.

 

 

This could be the last 2200 series El car I ever ride in service with CTA.

 

            I filmed the train pulling away and walked back to Union Station. I retrieved my suitcase and went to wait for the Lakeshore Limited back home. I saw there was already a large crowd in the waiting room. I joined the cue line and waited.

 

            When train 48 finally boarded, I photographed the last car.

 

 

            I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25069. I got a window seat on the left hand side of the train. While waiting for the train to depart, I filmed the equipment from the Empire Builder that had arrived late as it deadheaded to Amtrak’s 14^th Street yard. I noticed it was the same equipment I had filmed a few days earlier departing Chicago. The Lakeshore departed on time. I filmed the Amtrak yard as we passed.

 

            After my ticket was taken, I made my way to the café car but found it wasn’t open yet. I returned to my coach seat.

 

            The train stopped at South Bend. At South Bend, I gained a seatmate.

 

            I watched a DVD on my computer and worked on this report some more. At one point, I went back to the café car and found it had opened and then closed! Kinda dumb if you ask me!

 

            I went back to my seat and tried to rest. I took some Nyquil and pulled out the blanket I had bought on the Three Rivers back in 2005.

 

Click to read about the last day or my trip:  End of trip