We awoke and walked across the street to McDonald's for hot cakes and sausage and once back in the room, I put the corrections into Part 2 of this story before we checked out and met Dave Smetko in front of the Motel 6. Bob drove up and then Dave followed us out to the first photo location on County Road 1100 on a great curve on the Norfolk Southern mainline.
View of that great curve.
Our group there. Keith Schimdt would join us here for this shot and it was always good to see him. We started hearing the steam engine's whistle about seven miles away on this clear but calm and cold morning. The whistle then grew louder and louder, soon we saw smoke and then the train coming.
What a great show Nickel Plate Road 765 put on by our photo location. We said goodbye to Dave before we became Railfans Chasing Trains and I was wearing my T-shirt that said just that on it. We took off after NKP 765.
A view looking from the car as we chased. From here we drove to our next photo location west of Huntington.
Nickel Plate Road 765 put on another great show passing us here too. We returned to US Highway 24 and our next photo location west of Wabash.
Another great Nickel Plate Road 765 show at this crossing. We drove into Peru to catch the engine at rest during the pilot crew change.
Three views of Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765.
The train in Peru. We left after the train did, but that was our last shot of the train as we took too long in Logansport to get to the tracks.
Autumn colors on the way to Logansport.
An old Pennsylvania Railroad signal.
The railroad crossing in Logansport.
Toledo Peoria & Western GP20 2058, ex. Toledo Peoria and Western 2009 nee Santa Fe 1114 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1960.
Four views of the Transco Railway Products facility in Logansport which has been providing quality rail car repair service and specialty replacement car parts to North America’s railroad industry for over 70 years. From here we headed west on US 24.
You do not have roads like this in California.
The former Pennsylvania Railroad station in Walcott built in 1873.
The former Pennsylvania Railroad station in Remington built in 1893. It was originally called Carpenter Station, after Carpenter's Creek where a railroad station had been established, around which the town grew. The name was later changed to Remington, after the founder of the general store. The main trade was in grain, as the area consisted of excellent prairie farmland; the town's position on the Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad made it a good location for such trade.
Our next stop was the Park Forest railfan viewing platform in Matteson Illinois, a new photo location three of us. It is owned and operated by the Village of Park Forest and is the site of one of the country's largest rail intersections, where the north/south Canadian National main line intersects with the east/west rail arc formerly owned by the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railway. Upon purchasing the 198-mile EJ&E rail arc, CN constructed the necessary track for rail interconnection. Visitors can view the train action from a 35-foot-high platform overlooking the rail tracks and intersection. The park is a popular tourist attraction for rail enthusiasts around the country.
On display here is Elgin, Joliet and Eastern caboose 531 built by Morrison International Corporation in 1953
The viewing platform on the top of the hill.
The wooden walkway to get to it.
Canadian National 2599 South.
That caboose again.
Metra Electric 809.
Canadian National 2643 West.
Canadian National 2248 East.
Metra Electric 810.
The rear of Canadian National 2248 East. From here we drove to Homewood to show Bob and Chris what was here.
Illinois Central 8408 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956 as Illinois Central 9181, on display. Next I showed them the Railfan Platform.
The view from the Railfan Platform at Homewood. We then drove to Blue Island.
Blue Island Tower which controls the crossing of Indiana Harbor Belt and Grand Trunk Western.
View at Blue Island.
Metra train 214.
Metra train 405.
BNSF 8765 North.
BNSF 4872 West. From here we drove Chris back to O'Hare then stopped by KFC and filled the rental car with petrol which we then returned. We took the bus back to Terminal I and I was TSA pre-check which allowed me not have to take off my shoes, take the computer out of the bag nor go through the puffer; just the old walk-through machine. I wrote this part of the story as I waited for my plane home.
Going HomeI flew home on United Airlines Flight UA 473 back to Orange County Airport and called Winston, who picked me up and took me home, ending an excellent steam adventure to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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