Chicago CTA Metra 2015 Blizzard

Watch the Chicago CTA Brown Line and Metra tackle the blizzard on February 1, 2015.

[@peters1127]

Another excellent video to add to my favorites, filled with Snow, CTA , Snow, Metra, Snow, Ducks, Joggers, people shoveling Snow, Snow covered streets in beautiful neighborhoods. Did I forget to say Snow .

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Yes, this is another one of my favorite videos! Cheers!

[@PRHILL9696]

Nothing beats winter time in Chicago and you mix that with trains and it is perfect! I once played catch with a football with my brother under the Brown line in a blizzard and every time a train came by they blew the horn at us and we waved back

[@nyceyes]

PRHILL9696 // Great story. 😊

[@robolaserkittens5633]

Thats so cool!

[@PRHILL9696]

@@nyceyes Thank you!

[@PRHILL9696]

@@robolaserkittens5633 thanks!

[@trainliker100]

That's a well done video. It even makes me a little homesick as I grew up in Oak Park that borders Chicago and rode the CTA all the time. Even rode what is now the Metra, although when it was the Chicago & Northwestern line west between Chicago and Geneva.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thank you! I enjoy living in Chicago.

[@glendenig6419]

Awesome video... not just the trains... even the beautiful old homes and buildings. Outstanding! I wasn't aware CTA had street level crossings... that's cool!

[@nyceyes]

Glen Denig // Agree. Very beautiful. 😊

[@mic1240]

Are few other lines/stops with street crossings too. L is above, on and under ground throughout system.

[@akis.4493]

@Brylen HinesTerry Purple and Yellow too.

[@DJSteveNDeed]

@@akis.4493 and Pink Line at Cicero and 54th/ Cermak

[@DickBeach]

One of the best train videos ever....such great variety!

[@heatherhesiak4243]

Our fav stop Francisco! Seriously my son’s favorite video. Thanks for making it!

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Heather Hesiak I’m so happy your son loves my video! It was a lot of fun to make!

[@trainingtheworld5093]

Hi from Brisbane Australia, really enjoyed this compilation!

[@nyceyes]

Wow what a beautiful video and collection of movements and scenes. Nicely done. I saved it to my favorites to watch again someday. 😊

[@58gentlegiant]

Great video! So good to see my old neighborhood (Irving Park & Western)

[@brownhornet1975]

Nice to see the CTA has lines that cross in grade level!! Cool! I'm a Train Operator for the NYCTA and i WISH we had a line that had grade crossings. Gives you that Railroad feel. Nice video!!!

[@fnihp30]

brownhornet1975 I admire Train Operators! It was my childhood dream to become one. Heck, I still would like to become one...lol! Don't know how I got into banking/finance.

[@Alrucards]

brownhornet1975 Well on the Brighton line(B/Q) some portions the tracks use to be at grade crossings until the city wanted to remove them in the early 1900's. The LIRR still have some grade crossing on some lines at the edge of queens.

[@Papichoochoo1969]

brownhornet1975 no you don't.

[@trainrover]

brownhornet1975 no you don't.

[@vincentm614]

Alrucards the B/Q lines which is the Brighton beach express and local run in sort of a trench and I believe was part of a railroad before becoming part of the BMT or Brooklyn Manhattan Transit. Now we no longer use terms like BMT or IRT or IND. We just go by the generic term subway.

[@Nderak]

0:47 seeing the sparks on the tracks was interesting.

[@someguy8427]

3rd rail always does this

[@Great_WesternTVFan]

@@someguy8427 and electric pantographs on overhead wires

[@someguy8427]

@@Great_WesternTVFan at high speeds

[@72mrblade]

Best video ever made!!

[@humbledandgrateful7411]

Gosh, the clattering and the clanking! I'm hoping people who live right next to the tracks don't find it nearly as uncomfortable as it sounds in the video... But everything's just beautiful, the trains, the buildings, the snow... And the mallard at 6:23 was a very nice touch!

[@achicagoan5480]

Joy George unless you're house's windows are open, you can't really hear the train from the inside. Either way, it's cool to see one of the only elevated train systems in existence go past your bedroom window and have people looking into your house. Okay, the last part is creepy, but most people don't sleep in their attic

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

ThatOneWeirdGamer cool!! I wish I an an El view!

[@humbledandgrateful7411]

ThatOneWeirdGamer Right next to the tracks - and track-facing?? Ok... But it's true, there's something cool about what you described...

[@achicagoan5480]

Joy George well, when I lived next to an L train station, I didn't hear the L train pass by, or maybe it's cause I got used to it.

[@humbledandgrateful7411]

Theeeeere we go, hehe :) But there just might be two reasons to it: (1.) If you compare 0:24 and 1:15 in the video, it appears to make less noise on tracks laid on the ground than the elevated ones, and (2.) even if elevated, the noise might be reduced at the stopping/starting speeds near a station (or why you didn't hear it as much). But I suspect this is just sharper-than-actual audio from the recording, or something like that :)

[@PEKUMBU]

I miss these sounds. Fabulous audio capture. I felt like I was walking outside in the neighborhood.

[@ericn9vjg]

You are very talented. Thanks for sharing.

[@deannemarinez2329]

Wow this video is so calming to me. I love it, I'm from Southern California we never get snow! Never! It hailed once this past winter for about 10 minutes and it's the first time it's ever happened in Cali, so we went ballistic!! But this is so beautiful, although I'd freeze for sure!!!! Still it's a very beautiful calming video, thank you

[@someguy8427]

Consider your self lucky to be in 70+°f weather and not 15°f weather

[@geterpillette]

Oh my goodness, I have a toddler who loves ice and el train and this video is the best. I remember riding from lakeview to Albany park that day on the way to watch the super bowl and how much happy camaraderie was in the city that say.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

I'm glad the CTA kept their trains and buses running through the storm!

[@CapLeppy]

Just trying to get out of Chicago in February back then was a nightmare

[@charleskesner1302]

Thanks I enjoyed it.

[@angelsarereal6003]

My heart is calling to Chicago, however I don't think I would be able to live there during winter!!

[@someguy8427]

Or being able to survive through tax season

[@jimwalsh233]

Wimp.

[@aj031890]

I used to say that. But I've lived here almost 3 years now. You find a way to adapt. It's definitely weird to hear myself say "45 degrees isn't that cold"

[@davidberlant5096]

@@aj031890 I moved here 7 years ago from California and it is the best decision I ever made. I love Chicago's winters and changeable weather. Now that I've experienced single digit cold with sub-zero wind chills I too can say that 45 degrees isn't so bad. Once you learn how to dress for it, the cold can make you feel so alive!

[@tca666]

these households living so close to the tracks must be so used to the noise all dayyyyyy

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

I have a friend who lives right next to the El tracks, and he says all homes near the tracks have insulated windows and he can't hear the trains at all. He says you can feel the trains rumble through though. Also he said that sometimes trains stop on the track in between stations so its kind of awkward having train passengers looking into your living room for 30 seconds while the train is stopped.

[@johnny4aces410]

Yeah, you get used to the noise by going deaf!

[@assandshit9668]

I used to live next to the tracks and at some point it becomes your alarm clock

[@HeliFreak18]

It’s actually not bad

[@jimwalsh233]

Is it true that a drunk took a wiz on the 3 rail of the Brown Line tracks at street level and was electrcuted?

[@djas1840]

Hey....Hats off for going out and filming this. Outside In this shitty weather eating it up through the lens!!!

[@someguy8427]

Especially since the battery stayed alive in the cold weather

[@sekaidaniels9865]

DJAS and they got mad when labron first left cleavland vs chicago same weather.

[@gaborszenas2846]

This video is just gorgeous! Can I ask the type of the camera what you work with?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Gábor Szénás thank you. I use a Cannon G30.

[@gaborszenas2846]

Great job! Thank you for your answer. Greetings from Ibiza.

[@supplysarge]

Nice train and duck action!

[@that90skid72]

Ι'm amazed at how CTA and Metra keep operating with so much snow and freezing. In the UK or in France everything stops working properly with half an inch of snow or temperatures exceeding 90°. Despite the trains looking really conservative or old school, it works properly with mostly no fuss (correct me if I'm wrong).

[@jayejaye92]

+J VK They are built for the extreme ;)

[@TestTubeBabySpy]

Lol, very old school, its only this last order of cars that run on AC and thats only through the use of inverters, the system still runs on DC, our little train set is very sad ) :

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

+TestTubeBabySpy I am glad to see the CTA order new railcars with AC traction, but I really wish they could have updated the look of the cars and made them walkthrough (probably in 4 car segments).

[@TestTubeBabySpy]

+Luke Starkenburg Incompetence and corruption in every aspect of chicago means they will do things the cheapest way possible, so that means taking as much as the old design as possible and sliding it on over to the next generation of cars. Hate to talk bad about my own city but it really is that bad.

[@that90skid72]

Luke Starkenburg Definitely. It's quite surprising that CTA trains in the 1960s like the then 2000 series looked way more modern than the 5000 series.

[@nywiigshachristian8922]

Can’t believe 2015 is already 8 years ago

[@tincanboat]

nice shots, I spent Christmas in chicago in 1966 I was attending navy boot camp Great lakes. It was freezing and I was from Florida ended up with bronchitis.

[@Robsay01]

When I want to think of home I play this video. Left for N.C. and never came back. Many brown line and several red line runs during the winter here. After an el ride home from downtown on the brown line to home I would get a six pack of dark beer, get a fire going in the fireplace and hope for Spring on cold winter days like shown. Lol

[@scottwarner3818]

Love is all around @ 5:55

[@nelsondzmiller4637]

I grew up in Chicago, and I can say somehow CTA found a way for them trains to always be moving even if the buses stopped running cause of the blizzard, snow get sooo high, but yeah they reliable and people not losing money to the snow so everybody still be going to work except the schools though, but it's just amazing them trains stay running 24/7, you never stuck somewhere

[@marieelena]

I spent 11 years walking thru those blizzards in Chicago!

[@someguy8427]

Hats off to this guy! (No sarcasm)

[@sekaidaniels9865]

marie elena i spent 19 years walking threw that.

[@davidsmith4567]

Fantastic!

[@adelgado75]

Great video

[@sadaheyl]

The snow is pretty chill

[@eddieknox9874]

that would be the way to get around in a blizzard, I live in the country, I rely on my 4x4

[@Ms2amores]

So nice to see Pratt Ave and the Red Line Train....

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

Now I see the two locations together. Do you know any Metra Stations near any High rise Apartments?

[@vincentm614]

Ditto, I live in NYC and the NYC train operator is correct. We dont have grade crossing here in fact most of our trains run underground and only run on an El outside of Manhattan. Ive been on the Chicago El and enjoyed it alot. I was on the Blue Line from the airport to downtown and rode the Green Line from the loop to the south side. My understanding is that all the CTA trains are called the El even when they run underground just as all MTA NYC trains are called subways even when our trains run outside on an El.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Yes, it is very unique to have a subway system, especially one with a third rail, to have grade crossings. As you know from riding our CTA Blue line is that it runs on the surface, in tunnels, and elevated track. Its all called the El.

[@mic1240]

The trains in nyc indeed run elevated in northern parts of Manhattan, not just underground.

[@vincentm614]

Michael S well true the 1 train runs on an El at the 125th street station because of the valley landscaping along broadway and it runs outside at the Dyckman St and 207th street stops farther uptown. But those are the exceptions not the rules. Years ago back in the 40s there were elevates lines along several avenues in manhattan. But they were taken down and considered eye sores by many. Lots of skyscrapers went up after their demise.

[@TheChicagoL]

(Vincent Mouzon) Well, what about the J/Z and M lines that go el over Broadway, Myrtle and Jamaica Avenues in Brooklyn and Queens? Also the 2 and 5 trains that run el via White Plains Road or the 4 train over Jerome Ave or the 6 Pelham train over Westchester Ave. in the Bronx. What about the F and G trains that run el over McDonald Ave or the D train that runs over New Utrecht Ave and 86th Street in west end Brooklyn. And lets not forget the 7 Flushing train in Queens; that line is more like an el than a subway only because most of its run is on the structure. Even the the 8th Ave A train runs elevated via Liberty Ave to Lefferts Blvd. Oh yeah, I almost forgot...the 2 and 3 trains that run elevated over Livonia Ave. in Brownsville Brooklyn, not to mention the "L" train to Canarsie. And last but not least, the N and W trains that run el over 31st in Astoria Queens. Believe me, I don't mean no harm. But that sounds like an awful lot of el to me. And I have ridden on a number of them.

[@LtProductionzzz]

What camera do you use? Nice video.

[@djas1840]

Paulina is the best spot for a shot on the Elevated. The old station was killer, now they got a new one. My old man use to live outside that windah in the Yellow Tree Flat 3423 Paulina ......

[@venkateshreddy6899]

i love such weather anyway.. but of course its cold..

[@jadencloward1312]

I went to chicago this Dec-7-Dec-10 2016

[@JTProdigy]

I love the shot at 6:25

[@Surrey360]

This makes me cold. Great video!

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

Do you know any Metra Stations near any High rise Apartments?

[@stolte95]

Isn't this the same station and neighborhood where they shot the film The Sting?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

+stolte95 It might be!

[@BoratWanksta]

Actually, The Sting was filmed at Chicago Union Station, LaSalle Street Station(where Metra Rock Island trains start and terminate at), and also the 43rd Street station of the Green Line 'L on the south side. It wasn't along what is now the Brown Line 'L, actually.

[@seablesh]

The good thing is it’s running.....the bad thing is why in such a cold winter city investment hasn’t been made to make majority of CTA underground.......it is cold riding blue line.....yes, these are beautiful video, and I love Chicago overall

[@chicagocarless]

Shaoqing xu Because here in Chicago we're not afraid of winter.

[@someguy8427]

The red line is underground (partially) and there is a reason why it is called the elevated rapid transit system or well known as the "El"

[@blasueltz123]

Crazy, the train goes through the front gardens of houses, 2 meters next to the bedroom. Who gave the building permit?

[@rpf276]

I do not know but the permit is probably close to being 100 years old.

[@sweetgyy]

Beautiful

[@Jlvl86]

_Nice Video!_

[@MrHoffmannfd]

This may sound like a stupid question, but what is powering the train? They wouldn't have the 3rd rail at a crossing that pedestrians could contact, and there aren't any overhead lines.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

The third rail isn't there at crossings so the trains coast through the road crossings. This isn't all true because the trains are either 4 cars long or 8 cars long (rush hour or non-rush hour) and there is always at least a portion of the train making contact with the third rail.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

The Yellow Line used to be partly overhead wire. Halve of the system was powered by third rail and halve with overhead catenary wire. This was changed a few years ago and now its all third rail.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

+Pernell Butler the Yellow Line was converted to all third rail ground power a few years ago, so no CTA lines use catenary power anymore.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

The Metra electric and the South Shore trains use overhead catenary power. These trains use the Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and head south.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

The third rail isn't there in the road crossings. It takes a break during the road crossings.

[@jimbobogie8204]

I trust that the CTA has a good fleet of snowplows!😉

[@waremblem3405]

It SNOWS in Chicago?! Why hasn't anyone told me about this? I'm always the last to know.

[@someguy8427]

Anything in the north will get snow especially a city like Chicago... Duh

[@yixnorb5971]

@@someguy8427 You don't realize sarcasm when you see it. Don't take things too literally. DUH

[@someguy8427]

@@yixnorb5971 if you were so oblivious to his sarcasm then he wouldn't be the last one to know would he?

[@richarddrum9970]

War Emblem.......interestingly, 12,000 years ago, Chicago was under two miles of ice, snow ain’t a big deal. Fun watching trains in the snow though.

[@Bombardier2199]

Richard Drum sir, North America wasn’t even its own continent yet.

[@JollyRodders]

Nice video. How do they keep the electrified rail from freezing up...?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

I don't know specifically about the CTA, but many transit systems run buses and trains frequently during heavy snowfall to avoid snow buildup. They also have snowplows for the CTA trains but they are rarely used. In fact I have lived in Chicago 10 years and have never seen a snowplow on the tracks. Frequent trains will keep ice from building up on the third rail.

[@larryh8578]

Luke Starkenburg CTA also uses trains equipped with de-icer fluid that is applied to the 3rd rail to keep it free from ice buildup.

[@someguy8427]

There are little snow scoops in front of the contact pins to clear off the snow

[@AlexCab_49]

3:27 real life snow piercer.

[@connection_ok]

This is how I see the world.

[@MartyLJ57]

I didn't know that they run at street level

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

+Marty Perusal Yes, there are a few different area where the CTA runs trains at ground level with road crossings. The Purple, Pink, and Brown Lines all have ground level running with street crossings. The Orange and Blue Lines also have significant ground level running, but don't have street crossings.

[@Dantewinning]

@@Luke_Starkenburg red and blue also goes underground

[@snoofyair4744]

The yellow line as well

[@assandshit9668]

I used to live next to the pink line tracks at some point the train becomes your alarm clock

[@toastymcgee9788]

So what's it like having an apartment right next to the train line?

[@PRHILL9696]

most people love it! myself i have been by cta and for years was right next to Metra

[@chicagocarless]

It sucked. I spent six months living in a third-floor apartment in Wrigleyville with my windows eye-level with and one house-width away from the Brown Line. Closed windows don't matter. Every time a train passed, nothing requiring sound (tv, phone call, conversation) was possible to accomplish. Sometimes when the trains would start running early in the morning, they would scare me awake. You don't just hear the roar/clatter when you're that close--you feel them rumble by. Your whole apartment vibrates. Some new buildings are built near L structures with soundproofed windows and some older buildings are retrofitted with them. But most aren't. In the parts of the city where this happens, the L runs in the service alleys down the middle of blocks (the alleys that provide access to residential garages and where trash pickup happens)--meaning you're getting the noise in your back rooms, and often your bedroom. No one here chooses to live that close if they can avoid it, unless sound isn't an issue in their building.

[@evanstonbalce9588]

Chicago L trains are similar to San Francisco's BART or Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Metra trains are similar to Caltrain also in San Francisco.

[@someguy8427]

Bart and "El" trains are completely different just to start that the Bart trains are autonomous and the "El" trains aren't

[@ritiprd]

nice quality

[@faustobrindisi5745]

Dear Friend: I am planning a next trip to USA, to the city of Chicago. I am a fervent admirer of the railroads and would like to know the best Metra itineraries that I would recommend to get to know the city, as well as about CTA or bus lines. Any information about this subject will be of my liking for my trip. Thank you very much for your attention Fausto Brindisi from Rosario, Argentina

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Hi, I'm sorry but your comment went into my "junk" folder for some reason and I just now read this comment. For the CTA, I would definitely ride the Brown Line CTA Line and try to get the last car and look out the back window. The Line is elevated and there are seats that face backwards for good viewing.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

The Green Line is also very nice as there are really good Chicago Skyline views from the stations and the train. If you ride the Green Line to Harlem/Lake, the track follows some freight and Metra tracks. I also really enjoy riding the Orange Line because it follows many different freight tracks.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

I hope these messages are not too late and you are still planning your trip to Chicago. One Metra ride which I have done a few times is riding the Heritage Corridor from Union Station to Joliet. Take an early train, like the one leaving 2:45 or 4:50PM. When you are in Joliet, take any Rock Island Metra train back north to the city to LaSalle St Station.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

One more Metra Line train I recommend doing is the Metra Electric train from Millennium Station to Blue Island. This schedule is very complicated at first, but the line splits and terminated at different stations. Once at Blue Island, switch to a Rock Island Metra train back to the city.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Let me know if you want more suggestions. I'm sorry your message went to my junk folder and I never saw it until this morning.

[@poldon1968]

Is usualy all that snow in Chicago?

[@someguy8427]

Sometimes 2-4 feet every year but this year it's a bit low with only 1-8 inches

[@TheRealLaughingGravy]

So, after he digs his train out of the snow in the train yard, does the engineer leave a chair to save his space?

[@someguy8427]

Nope😆

[@kmiller1974]

You know what? That was Cool!

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

What's the address at 1:05 and the building at 1:10?

[@robertbowman3406]

The corner of that building at 4:32 was rather close I would say.

[@yousorooo]

Chicago with snow is the best

[@someguy8427]

It's far more quiet way nicer than usual

[@stripervince1]

So glad I live in Florida. Not in a million years could I ever deal with that. 70 is freezing here

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

What's the location at 1:37?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

THOMASINTHE1980S N Wolcott Ave between W Leland and W Wilson Ave.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

This is in between Damen Ave Station and Montrose Station on the Brown Line.

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

What's the address for the house?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

4631 N Wolcott Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

Thank you.

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

location at 1:05?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Throatwobbler Mangrove the location for this shot is W Sunnyside Ave and N Wolcott Ave. This is near the Brown Line Montrose Station.

[@cmag19]

Nothing will ever top February 2010's blizzard.

[@alexthompson4079]

It is not Febuary yet do you mean 2014

[@alexthompson4079]

+Someone From The Earth sorry i did not notice

[@danielesussarello8329]

Anche a Chicago hanno il vizio di non pulire la strade e marciapiedi con la neve???😨😨😨😨😲😲😲😲😲😲

[@jeremiahznicholaszsmithz2287]

That's just the CTA Brown line

[@gr8nes464]

Mostly its CTA. Only 1 Metra! That sucks

[@someguy8427]

Still it shows metra and they didn't describe how many cta or metra trains there would be

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

What's the address at 1:11?

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

THOMASINTHE1980S it's the same location as at 1:37. 1:11 is looking North on Wolcott and panning to the East following the train around the curve. 1:37 is looking South on Wolcott and panning West following the train.

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

I Meant the building location.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Man, you want specifics!! The building address shown at 1:11 is 4626 N Wolcott Ave Chicago, IL 60640. The address of the house at 1:37 is 4631 N Wolcott Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

I apologize. I Should have been more specific.

[@THOMASINTHE1980S]

What color line is those locations? By that I Mean which Color for the L line.

[@dusxtt]

Awesome

[@raysand2557]

I can't get over some of Chicago's trains running in the middle of streets. In NYC, those trains that aren't elevated or underground run on open dishes [below ground level], but not down the middle of streets competing with traffic.

[@shumacwilder]

mistake spelling "Brown"

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thank you, I fixed it.

[@highwaymaintainer]

Chicago weather sucks, pissing hole in the middle of america. The weather meets in the middle like a toilet bowl flush

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

I love it! We actually don't get as much snow as New York or much of the midwest. I wish we got more!

[@highwaymaintainer]

@@Luke_Starkenburg The problem is it destroys everything the salt for the snow rusts your car prematurely And not to mention the beating your house takes it’s not even worth renovating, but I’ll admit it’s to each his own

[@maas1208]

​@@highwaymaintainer More reasons to take Public transportation.

[@robfriedrich2822]

The double deck trains in Germany looks much better

[@trainrover]

One of the cheapest metros in existence..no wonder it bears laughable ridership.. .. . .

[@richardfleer1905]

Chicago never lets snow stop trains from moving. You'd be pleasantly surprised how many people use the CTA Red Line everyday.

[@trainrover]

Yeah, ridership must be on the upswing everywhere what with everybody nowadays trying to hold down at least 2 jobs.