A Teen Explores Chicago's Railroads - The Sequel 1975-78 

You should make more of these videos, its really cool to hear about a persona story in the 1900s

I grew up on Chicago's Southside (100th st. & Torrence ave.) then Calumet City. My dear old dad was a locomotive engineer for the Belt Railway of Chicago (1950 to 1984). Went to work with him many times, as did my brothers. We had no fireworks for the 4th of July but the Belt "provided" fuzees that we lined our driveway with.

As a teen that explores many of those areas now, especially Techny, Bensenville, and the Racetrack, I am very excited. It is just a completely different time!

Its crazy how good the quality of these photos are. These belong in the Smithsonian Archive.

Haha - I was about the same age as you (born in late 62) and was a teen in Park Ridge. Lived right on the Chicago & Northwestern route. Never ventured far and wide as you did, but a good chunk of my life there was around the CNW commuter trains, and the occasional freight. Not to mention the planes landing into O'Hare would cross the rails right where we lived. Very cool.

Grew up on 100th st 2 blocks from the old C&EI tracks in the 50's. Didn't know anything about trains except I could not stay away from those tracks. As a kid, when my friends weren't around, I would go to the tracks, grab a hunk of grass, and watch the trains for hours. The signal was right there at 100th and sometimes the train would catch a red and stop pretty much right in front of me. My friends had no interest and I never tried to explain. It was a busy line in those days with many coal trains coming from Wisconsin and going SE to the Steel Mills in Gary and East Chicago. There were also passenger trains going thru, but I have no idea who they were. Quite a few freights also. Never thought about taking pictures, couldn't afford a camera anyway. Didn't bother me to sit for hours, I thought it was fun. I have been back a few times and not much has changed, the signal is still there but I am sure it is not the old one. A moment of credit to the Railroad detective who chased me off many times. Never caught me but I knew it was him, he drove a maroon 54 Buick and I remember that car to this day. As I got older I realize he wasn't really trying.

I'm french railfan of US railroad. Wonderful video for me. The seventies was a difficult era for american railroads ? But different systems with colored paint scheme was good. Chicago was a hub for railraods of america, and junction point to east coast and west coast lines. In France this era was still very interesting for various trains : steam, diesel and electric locomotives. And also turbine rail cars over 125 mph. Friendly.

I am 15 and love these videos the hump story reminds me of when I was 12 on December 24th my dad took me to oak island yard and we got a whole tour of the yard plus the yard tower were the hump works

My name is Ethan Armitage.

Wonderful presentation. Love the history, the priceless eyewitness accounts, and the humor! Thanks a ton

Delaware & Hudson boxcar in Chicago? An interesting addition to any HO model railroad set in the Windy City!

LOL at everytime you said 800s you made sure to pop up "little Joe" on the screen. AHAH <3 <3

That Laredo reference really took me by surprise! Texas guy here.

Those yards have certainly changed over time, especially the Milwaukee Road Yard now CP Yard, and the BNSF Cicero Yard. I'm from Evanston, and being a little older I can still remember when the NortShore ran both down what's now the Skokie Swift and the Evanston lines and I'm sorry that you never got to the Wilson Terminal where the CTA, North Shore , and the Milwaukee Road ALL had a junction.

The ballast used on the CNW came from Wisconsin. It is a form of very hard sandstone, if I remember correctly, called "pink lady". If you have ever been to Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin you know what I am talking about. The quarry that supplied the ballast was owned by Martin Marietta and it was located in (I believe) Rock Springs, WI not that far from Devil's Lake in Baraboo, WI. The CNW trackage to Rock Springs skirts the shore of Devil's Lake. While camping at Devil's Lake on one occasion I saw a ballast train making its way south. The designation for those ballast trains was "Rock Springs Extra" I believe. They may have had other freight mixed in but their main purpose was to transport ballast for use on the CNW system.

Ha! “They’re called EIGHTHUNDREDS”

The photo of the IL unit at the MILW engine house brought back a memory that the MILW would sometimes 'borrow' the locomotives on transfer runs and use them a little before sending them back to the owner. One story I heard was a loco set from a transfer run into Bensenville was half way to Savanna, IL, when the owning RR called wondering where their power was and when it was being returned.

Jolly good show! My friend Bruce & I were all over Cleveland's flats & chased 4701 on the Cuyagoha Valley in the mid 70's. Priceless experience, wish we could go back!

You're right about documenting. I was 8 years old when the Milwaukee Road left the West. We lived along their Chehalis Sub. After their final bankruptcy in 1977 and announcement that they would leave the Northwest, dad suggested we set up a camera and tripod at the window. All mom would have to do was snap a shot as a train would come by. At my young age, not understanding the meaning of the impending embargo, told my dad there was no need for photos because the Milwaukee was a survivor and would still be around. So with that said, we only have a few shots of derailments that occurred a few times near our home over the years, including some shots of U33C

After school I used to ride down to the tracks and do my homework waiting for NS trains to come by on the double track main. It wasn't until I could drive I started exploring the more interesting railroads in my region