Chicago Union Station is host to
Amtrak as well as Metra commuter trains. Like many other commuter
operations in the country, Metra brings commuters in from distant areas
north, east, and south of Chicago. The equipment was similar and
different from what I see daily in the Los Angeles and Orange County
areas. The F-40 locomotive is similar to ones the NCTD
Coaster (North County Transit District) in San Diego uses as well as
Metrolink. Metrolink has about four F-40's, only one
of which is operable. The three
stored inoperable ones will be remanufactured using SD-60 components
later in 2004 or 2005. I was impressed with the crowds that
exited the Metra trains as well as the beauty of the double deck
stainless commuter cars. The operation utilizes the push pull
method with a cab car on one end and the locomotive on the other end.
One piece of equipment that I have
never seen in person is the MP-36 locomotive built by Motive Power, a
Wabtec company. They are only recently found in California's San
Francisco Penninsula area serving CalTrain's "Baby Bullet" between San
Jose and the City of
San Francisco.
I watched some switching and
departures and then returned to the Amtrak area by walking around the
platform closest to the Chicago River where the Capitol Limited was
discharging passengers. This was good because it meant that David
Gunn, President of Amtrak, was in the building.
