It's called a gauntlet track. It brings the train close to the platform to ease loading and unloading of passengers. Meanwhile, freight trains can barrel through the station without risk of striking the platform.
It changes sides more than once. With the tracks covered by snow it looks for a second like derailment There are time codes in the description if you want to see it.
I'm happy that you enjoyed it. in the spring of 2024 all of the double-tracking and other line improvements will be complete. They've been underway since 2021, including double tracking the single-track parts of the line all the way to Carrol Ave in Michigan City, building of several new stations, new platforms, new catinary/OCS, high-speed crossovers and more. This marks one of the most important changes to the line since it first came into service in the late 1800's!
@@MrCateagle Yes, the West Lake Corridor project. It is already underway. It broke ground in early 2022 if I remember correctly www.nictdwestlake.com/construction/
@@karlfife Thanks for that link. 'Twould have been nice to have that "way back when" when my folks lived in Lansing, IL. Then again, that was over 60 years ago and the Monon was still running then, as was the Grand Trunk which cut diagonally through Lansing.
I understand blowing the horn when approaching a level crossing, but this guy was out of control. Blowing the horn while approaching a railroad bridge? Or nowhere near a crossing?
The very beginning of the video shows the Highline cars, but the Head car views and the sound of the train seemed to be the single level Nippon Sharyo cars. I've been on both sets of cars ( single and bilevel) and can tell the difference between the two with just audio.
As the guy who shot the video, I can confirm that the video was shot standing at the pass-thru door at the head-end of the 'Highline' cars seen at the beginning of the video, also made by Nippon Sharyo, so-called. "Gallery type Bi-Level cars". The two trains' drive systems do in fact sound different, 3 speed steps on the DC shunt-motors on the single-level train sets, versus AC Variable Frequency Drive on the double-deckers. To get this shot from the single-level train, I would have needed to be in the cab, which is not allowed. .
@@karlfife the Highliners were purchased on a piggyback with Metra's purchase of Highluners for the Metra Electric Line. The Electric motors on these newer cars have a higher pitch than the single level cars. The one thing that now makes me think that these are the Highline cars ( besides your statement) is the announcement in the background at the Hammond station, " caution, the doors are about to close." Those were never on the older cars and can be heard on all Metra Lines.
Yes, the train passes under the i-90 Skyway viaduct just before 6:30. It runs parallel to it starting at 31:30. Harder to see, but the train also crosses over the I-94 Bishop Ford Freeway at 10:12
@@karlfife Yep, the East Chicago Bypass. I know that stretch of the Toll Road out to South Bend like the back of my hand. We grew up together; the Toll Road was dedicated two months before I was born!
@@karlfifefor those who might be tempted, the trip from Michigan City to South Bend is extremely boring even for a railfan. There is no industry that I remember, and a straight track going through trees. The train used to end at the Amtrak station on the west side of South Bend, but they built new tracks out to the airport. The premise was that in the event of weather problems in Chicago, planes could be diverted to South Bend and take the train to Chicago. But that would leave you at the Randolph street (Millennial) station in downtown Chicago. It would also require them to send a big train out from Michigan City to handle all of the people and the luggage. If there was more than one plane, there just isn't enough capacity to handle that kind of people. I doubt that was ever used. If you go even farther back in time, the South Shore used to run all of the way to a station in downtown South Bend. They also ran special trains for football at Notre Dame university. The tracks originally went to within a couple blocks of the football stadium. The service is still offered, but they have bus service from the airport to the stadium.
Always liked riding the old North Shore up to Waukegon ,Wisc. and back to Chicago then the Shore Line to Gary, Ind. my last ride was in 1959. Thanks for the south bound ride! And esp. the snow!
That was the old Chicago and Northwestern line, whose air horn I can hear when the wind is coming off the lake. I'm almost a mile west of one of the north side stops and there's a brand new station being built around Loyola.
Not for long. They're going to double-track the line. Along with other improvements, this will reduce the time to Michigan City to just one hour. Faster than driving.
That's some fantastic HO modeling!!! How did you all the figures to move like that? You must have used a literal ton of plaster on all the snow. And the weathering of the cars with snow effects. Now, how were you able to squeeze miles and miles of track into HO scale I wonder? LOL
Love the contrast of the snow, the gray sky, the twinkling lights in the residential buildings, and the red & green of the traffic lights as you're heading out of Chicago.
I like this vid, wish you had more of them, thanks and I did not know about the heat one the snow always being completely melted around all track switches
At 42:00 the train pulls into the Gary Airport station. Sadly I cut the video before arriving at Gary Metro station, and pick it up again after pulling out of the Miller station. I think everyone loves this train. It's like no other. :-)
I believe the stop here sign is just before the "gauntlet bridge" where there was a horrendous accident about 30 years ago. The eastbound train failed to stop at the red signal (claiming he couldn't see it because of the sun). The westbound train was going at full speed and was not able to stop in time while the eastbound train was blocking the switch. The "solution" was to require the train to stop and blow their horn. Even if they made a mistake and both got on the bridge at the same time, they would be able to stop without colliding. The gauntlet bridge is only wide enough for one train, but has overlapping tracks. Not that it matters to anyone, at the time I was commuting from Michigan City to Chicago, and probably would have been on that train in the front seat - except that weekend I fell and broke my elbow.
Is it true that all major cities, not just NYC, are allowing up to 1 million people a day to jump the fares ? Not having to pay, and the police and crews are told not to confront the fare jumpers, because they were attacking anyone who tried to make them pay ?
Increasingly, transit systems in the United States are going to "proof of payment", meaning you buy a ticket from a machine or use an app on your phone to activate an electronic ticket. It is mostly the honor system, with a chance that a fare inspector might ask to see your ticket or qrcode on your phone. On the South Shore, and this applies other places like Metro-North in Connecticut, there is a problem with collecting outbound fares. When you're going towards Chicago, the conductor will see you got on the train, charge you the fare to Chicago unless you say you're not riding all the way to Chicago. They put a piece of paper in front of you (or above) so they know you paid the right fare. On the outbound side, you will be asked for a ticket within the first few stops. In theory, you could buy a ticket for the first stop, but then stay on the train to your actual destination. It is too much of a nuisance to keep track of where each rider is supposed to get off, and stop the train looking for fare evasion. So they seem satisfied to get the right fare in one direction. If the system allows paying in cash on the train, then you have a problem that the conductor carrying cash outbound. Any of above might have changed, and obviously fare evasion is wrong.
