TrainWeb.org Facebook Page

Text Box: SHUTTLETRAIN’S WANDERINGS

  

 

Welcome to

2013 A Collection of Wanderings: Part Two

 

So we survived the trip back from the gulf coast, it was a rainy trip. I was glad that we could travel and see all the sights. But, that was the first trip of July. The last week of July, we headed east on Interstate 70 and then north on Interstate 57 to the Village of Park Forest, Illinois. The Village as part of the agreement with Canadian National Railroad’s buyout of the EJ as it’s called up there, built a railroad park sitting alongside the newly opened CN Matteson connection. Mrs. Shuttletrain and I would be part of the Grand Opening from the park the next day. We met with the Village’s park and recreation director, who took us on a quick visit of the RailPark. We then headed to the Fossmoor Brewing Company which is located in Fossmoor, Illinois in an old METRA commuter station. We were met by the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau director and public relations director. We had a great dinner and learned a great deal of their plans for the Chicago Southland Rail Trail. We also got a VIP tour of the brewery.

Cannon 202.JPGCannon 203.JPGCannon 204.JPGCannon 205.JPGCannon 206.JPGCannon 207.JPGCannon 208.JPG Cannon 209.JPGCannon 210.JPGCannon 211.JPGCannon 212.JPGCannon 213.JPGCannon 214.JPGCannon 215.JPGCannon 216.JPGCannon 217.JPGCannon 218.JPGCannon 219.JPGCannon 220.JPGCannon 221.JPGCannon 222.JPGCannon 223.JPGCannon 224.JPG

 

The Chicago Southland Convention and Visitor Commission director (far left)manager of the Fossmoor Brewery(second from left) Mrs. Shuttletrain (second from right), and your’s truly(the tall guy).

Cannon 225.JPG

The CVB director felt that he needed to take a picture so his public relations director could get into the shot.

Cannon 226.JPGCannon 228.JPGCannon 229.JPGCannon 230.JPGWeCannon 231.JPGCannon 232.JPGCannon 233.JPG

 

After talking for over three hours about what the Chicago Southland was doing or planning, and offering our insights to their plans and giving them ideas of other cities to visit, we left and headed to the hotel. The next morning started early as the Chicago Southland public relations director met us at the hotel and then gave as tour of the Rail Trail sites: http://www.chicagosouthlandrail.com/rail_site/illinois_central.cfm.  We visited most of the sites, Blue Island, Illinois which the day we were there was closed because of major, major track reconstruction. The Pullman Historic District was a great area, It had some building that were redone back to the glory days and others that had a long way to go. We stopped in Homewood, Illinois and visited the railfan viewing platform and walked through the tunnels leading to the platforms. The station itself was closed because it was not Amtrak time. We did manage to see a couple of trains while we were there.

1375039388777.jpg1375039389962.jpg1375039390406.jpg1375039391091.jpg1375039393173.jpg1375039393524.jpg1375039394094.jpg1375039394556.jpg1375039394907.jpg1375039395278.jpg1375039395671.jpg1375039396084.jpg1375039397796.jpg1375039398094.jpg1375039398852.jpg

Homewood also has some great murals on a lot of their buildings in the downtown area. We left Homewood, and went back to our hotel to get our car and then headed over the Park Forest RailPark for the show and grand opening. The opening was held right as the Let’s Talk Trains program went on the air. We spoke with the mayor, parks and recreation director and the CVB public relations director. The show ended and we packed up, said our thank you to everyone and headed northwest for Aurora, Illinois. We had heard that an old roundhouse was being used as an entertainment area, so we just had to see it for ourselves. It was pretty nice alright. No pictures allowed though. We then head to our next hotel in the town of Sycamore, Illinois. The next morning we traveled back one of my favorite places, Rochelle, Illinois for a two meet and greet. We saw about six trains in those two hours two. Then on to a family function with relatives in the Sterling area. We bedded down for the night in Morton, Illinois then back to Washington, Missouri the next day. It a great trip, meeting fans is getting easier.

Part Three

 

Home Page      Railroad Stations             Rolling Stock             Wanderings