I woke up shortly after 6:00 am. I put the battery back in my cell phone and turned it on. It was working again. I set an alarm for 6:30 am and went back to sleep for 20 minutes.
When I got my wake up call I got dressed. I went downstairs for breakfast. I found out that breakfast doesn't get served until 7:00 am. Karl was picking me up at 7:15 am. I went to my room and finished packing. I went down at 7:00 and was able to have breakfast and check out before Karl got there.
When
Karl arrived, we headed out to Rosemont CTA station. We got there in time
despite a wrong turn. I saw people gathering for the charter and was pleased to
see Richard who I met at the
I
was given a two page brochure on the A few minutes before
Someone on the charter thought I was heading to O'Hare airport to catch a flight because of my suitcase! I told him I was on the charter. The train departed and our first photo stop was at O'Hare.
The cars on the charter train were as follows: 2303-2304-2261-2262. We departed O'Hare. We had our next photo stop at Damen.
We departed Damen. We went underground. They shut off the car's interior lights. Karl asked me if I thought it was cool. I told him about how the lights on the TTC's Gloucester subway cars used to blink off when the train passed over a gap on the third rail, though only for a few seconds.
We then went outside again and went up the track that connects the blue line to the pink line. Until April of 2008, this was used by blue line trains regularly until they stopped running blue line trains to 54th -Cermak. We had our next photo stop at Hoyne-Damen on the pink line.
When we arrived at 54th-Cermak, I saw my friend Greg on the outbound platform. Greg wasn't sure if he was attending or not. It looked like he was. We had our photo stop on the outbound platform though. At one point, they signed the charter train as a blue line train to 54th -Cermak.
We then moved to the inbound platform. Greg got on and I said hi to him. I also introduced him to Karl. The train then departed 54th -Cermak. We had a five minute photo stop at Ashland.
We then departed Ashland. I noticed throughout the charter that passengers were allowed in all four cars. Also, despite the fact that CTA regularly doesn't allow passengers to walk between cars, people were doing it freely on the charter; even when the train was moving.
This is quite different from the two subway charters I've been on in Toronto. On those charters, only the front and back cars were open and people could only change cars at photo stops.
As we went around the loop, we passed by the curve where in 1977 a train consisting of 2000 and 2200 series El cars rear ended another train and because of the curve; the train fell off the elevated structure to the street below killing 11 people. Greg made the remark “We do not speak of the curve.”
Our next photo stop was at Midway. This was also a washroom stop. I chose to switch cars. Once again, I was mistaken for a regular commuter, but I told them I was part of the charter. I took some photos.
We departed Midway. As we passed through the Loop, I photographed the train as we went around the curve.
Our next photo stop was at Conservatory on the green line.
We then headed to Harlem, the terminus of the green line. This was not a photo stop. We then headed south into the loop. Along the way, the charter people kept playing the pre-recorded announcements pertaining to delays. This would be our lunch stop. Karl invited me to go with him. However, we got off at the wrong station and had to walk a few blocks. We ate lunch at a pub. Karl and I were joined by his friend's mother. I told her about my previous trips and how Karl and I met at the Michigan Transit Museum in 2000.
After lunch, we returned to the El. While waiting for our charter train, I photographed some service trains.
Soon, the charter train returned. I photographed it when it came in.
We followed the purple line out to Howard station for our next photo stop.
Howard was also a rest stop. I filmed the charter train heading into Howard Yard before I went upstairs.
When the train returned, we got on and headed up the Skokie line. As we passed the Skokie shops, I filmed the shops as we passed. We got to Dempster/Skokie and changed ends. We departed Dempster/Skokie and had our next photo stop at Oakton/Skokie station.
We had an unscheduled photo stop at the old platform at Wilson station. This platform is scheduled to be removed and this would be the last chance to visit there.
Our next scheduled photo stop was at Sheridan.
At Sheridan, a run by was staged; the train reversed out of the station and came in. I filmed the train pulling in. After we left, I heard the crew say that the opposite direction is better for runbys.
We got back on the train and headed out. We went into the State Street subway. Once again, the interior lights were turned off. We had a quick photo stop at North/Clybourn.
We then departed and followed the red line's present diversion up to the green line. Just past 35th-Bronzeville-IIT, the train went into a pocket track. We were changing ends. While waiting, I photographed a couple trains.
We then headed back onto the main line going the opposite direction. As we passed near the 14th Avenue track, they made an announcement. On a previous charter with some 2200s, that charter train pulled into that pocket track. One of the cars split the switch and derailed bringing that charter to a premature end! Two of the cars in our charter train were also in the consist of the train that derailed. However, the cars that derailed were retired right after the incident.
We stopped at Clinton station on the green line and let people off so they could catch Metra home. We then followed the Pink line to 18th and then reversed and headed down onto the blue line. We then had our next photo stop at Clinton.
The train departed Clinton. As the train ran through the subway, they once again shut off the lights. We had our last photo stop at Logan Square.
A few more people got off the charter train there. I decided to ride all the way to Rosemont. Along the way it was reviled that IRM is getting 2200 series El cars 2243 and 2244. Many people including myself applauded at the news. The cars are presently out of service with CTA and awaiting official retirement. IRM hopes to move the cars to the museum in the summer.
The charter train arrived at Rosemont. We got off and I took a few more photos.
I saw Karl at Rosemont. I hadn’t seen him since the photo stop at Howard. He asked me to call him once I was on my train.
I photographed an in service blue line train.
I then filmed the charter train pulling into the yard north of the station. I took one more photo of the train.
I said goodbye to Karl and then waited for the next train. I figured that this would be the last time I would ever ride a 2200 series El car in Chicago. When the next blue line train arrived, I photographed it before I got on the front car.
The train consisted of four 2600 series El cars. I rode 20 stops south to Clinton where I got off and photographed the train.
I then filmed the train departing. I then made my way to Union Station. I bought dinner at the McDonald’s in the station. I caught a glimpse of the Empire Builder deadheading to the yard but was unable to film it.
I then waited for the Lakeshore Limited to board. I saw tonight’s train would be full. Boarding began after 9:00 pm. I saw like my last trip, Viewliner dining car #8400 was on my train! I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25094. I had a seat on the right hand side of the train. I gained a seatmate right away. I phoned Karl and let him know I was on the train. The Lakeshore Limited departed on time.
As we passed Amtrak’s 14th street yard, I saw F40 #406 from the 40th Anniversary train in the yard. I heard it was going to be used as a Cabbage like other Amtrak F40s. Unfortunately; I was unable to film it.
I went to the café car and found it was an Amfleet 1 café car with business class seats on one end. The Amtrak crew had taped the seats off thereby limiting the number of places for people to sit.
When I rode the westbound Lakeshore Limited on my Arizona trip back in 2006, it had a Horizon café car with business class seats, but the crew never taped the business class seats off in that car.
I went back to my seat and played Plants vs. Zombies and worked on this report some more. I realized I had forgotten the blanket I bought on the Three Rivers at home. I managed to make due without it.
Click here for the last day of the trip: Final part
