Elizabeth and I awoke up at the Quality Inn in Mendota, checked the Internet and packed then checked out. We went to Cindy's on 34 Restaurant where I had French Toast with sausage links and Elizabeth had cinnamon apple French Toast; both meals being excellent. We departed and took US 34 to our first stop in Earlville.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Earlville station. We proceeded west to Sandwich.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Sandwich station which had been cut in half to make these two houses. Our next stop would have been Plano but we learnt from the Railroad Station Historical Society listing for Carroll County that it had been relocated to Lyon Farms and Village in Yorkville. We drove in and asked a gentlemen if we could take pictures of the station here and he responded with "just drive to it!" so we did just that.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy wooden Plano station.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy wooden caboose 13816 built by the railroad in 1918. It is always a nice surprise to find something on display beside a station. On the way out we thanked the man and we drove to Bristol.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Bristol station. From here drove the last ten miles to Aurora, returned the car to Enterprise and they drove us back to the Holiday Inn where we checked in. The two of us then decided to ride into Chicago on Metra.
Our Metra 2016 for our inbound trip to the Windy City. We brought our weekend pass, walked out to the train and boarded.
Metra Chicago, Burlington and Quincy F40PHM-3 211 laying over in Aurora for the long weekend.
Canadian National ES44AC 3867 at Eola yard.
Canadian National ES44AC 3909 also at Eola yard.
Amtrak Midwest Charger SC-44 4616 at Amtrak Chicago yards. Our train took us to Chicago Union Station.
Elizabeth and I walked into the Great Hall in Chicago Union Station then went to Jersey Mike's for linner. While Elizabeth waited there to order, I walked over to Walgreen's for a new Copper Fit knee support. I was successful and returned shortly to enjoy our good food, after which we walked to the front of Metra 2011 for a picture.
Metra 2011 was ready to take us back to Aurora.
HLCX GP38-2 3891 back at Eola Yard.
Our train brought us back to where we started this morning and we returned to the room, which was on the third floor again and overlooking the tracks.
BNSF 6465 West was the first train from our room.
BNSF 3268 East was our second train which had DPUs on the rear.
BNSF 7780 West was the next train.
That was followed shortly afterwards by BNSF 8160 West.
BNSF 4367 East passed by our hotel room. Elizabeth and I wanted to take photographs of the Illinois Zephyr while we stayed here so we walked about five blocks west and found a good location.
Amtrak Illinois Zephyr 383 on the bridge in Aurora.
We returned to the hotel and here came Canadian National 3851 West, the train I was waiting for.
I went for a short walk after sunset and caught Amtrak Illinois Zephyr 384 on the fill east of the hotel then finished the Oelwein story which Elizabeth proofed before we called it a night.
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