(HD) Amtrak Ride: Union Station to Glenview: Open Air Great View!

Ride from Chicago Union Station to Glenview, ride the entire 17.4 miles on the high speed ex Milwaukee Road, now CP on an open air observation car at the rear of the Amtrak Empire Builder. Outstanding, unobstructed views of towers A-3 and A-5 Interlocking plants, plus Mayfair Crossing of the C&NW, now Metra Northwest mainline. We pass interesting trains, like a Metra Work Train, with a SW1500, a Amtrak Hiawatha Service train with a P32-8WH, stored Metra F40-C's and a CP Local in Soo Line paint! For more information on Lamberts Point, visit www.261.com. 6/15/2014.

[@asifnasim7010]

No doubt,it is a great open air view with a original wheels/track sound. Thanks Railjames. Greets from Pakistan.

[@ryangrimm9305]

I'm amazed at how smooth it is...last time I rode those tracks was 1979.

[@mikebones9667]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!! I closed my eyes, got a drink from the TipTopTap car and settled in at the Beaver Tail. It was pulled by an Atlantic. Maybe it was the Skytop Ob. car pulled by EMD E-unit (#15, of course!) as we head to Everett St. Those MUST have been the days!!

[@railjames]

+Mike Bones I felt the same sense of history on this route.

[@RenegadeChauffeur]

I think I saw your car on the end of the Empire Builder...from the outside your car looks fantastic!!

[@railjames]

RenegadeChauffeur I wish it was my car!! LOL I was just a guest. It is a classy car on the inside too.

[@58bigjim]

Great video my friend!! Enjoy the ride each time i watch it!

[@58bigjim]

Infromative and very professional ! Thank you!

[@Elodea]

Amazing how much has changed since the 1960's. I used to ride that line daily from Forest Glenn to downtown. Forest Glenn freight house and several sidings are gone. The interlocking tower at Mayfair is gone. The Weber subdivision from Mayfair to Evanston on the C&NW has been completely retired. Saw my first of two railroad suicides as a little kid at the Edgebrook station. An old man jumped in front of a UP Overland Express train at 80 MPH, poof! Gone in a cloud of pink. Most of the industrial sidings between Edgebrook and Morton Grove; gone. Did have the opportunity to ride that line in my own PV, "Cornelia" from Chicago to Seattle on two occasions in the 1980's.

[@richardgerlach5156]

Elodea I think I saw that PV back in the late 70's early 80's on a siding on the then (SCL now CSX) Homestead, FL line. It was at Krome Ave. and was orange colored. Was that the same car?

[@Elodea]

Richard Gerlach Same one!

[@richardgerlach5156]

Elodea Small world!

[@gda44256]

Nice video. Great videography

[@stripervince1]

Great rail video

[@w9gb]

This is the old Milwaukee and B&O RR lines to North Concourse of Union Station. 2:45 : Passing underneath three (3) Union Pacific (old C&NW) lines to Ogilvie Station (METRA Service). 7:00 : A3 Tower Interlocking. One of last Manual Interlocking in US. Automation costs: $$ and time.

[@thephantomeagle2]

Ogilvie has 6 tracks going over Amtrak there, not 3.

[@RLTtizME]

As I recall, this line only operates in reverse, as confirmed by the video.

[@briancolombo7597]

How are you able to get this route in the open air? I have done this on Amtrak Haiwatha from Milwauke to Chicago and back the other way too. But I've never seen open air rail cars. I would love to try that May - September sometime on a warm sunny day. That would be so awesome and fun I think.

[@illinoisrailfan8804]

Sounds like a bar in the background

[@railjames]

+Burnt Waffle11 Yes, other guests on the private car were having a good time!

[@UncleCaptainMidnight]

sounds like they were spilling drinks on each other - you gotta wonder if the whole experience is lost on them.

[@erichguenther4486]

Can't do this anymore, Amtrak will not allow riders on the rear platform of private cars while train is in motion.

[@Railroadfan5383]

Very nice. Also its Tower A2, not A3. And what is all the excitement about in the beginning about? Like crossing switches and passing trains?

[@railjames]

Hi 5383, in the CP employee timetable, tower A-2 is at 2.9 MP, and A-3 is at 3.1 MP, but that is the tower that is marked. The conversation is among other guests who were on the rear platform of the of the car.

[@Railroadfan5383]

railjames The tower is A2, because that's where the building stands. There is no such thing as tower A3 because the tower doesn't stand in milepost 3. The same applies for the junction, if its controlled by tower A2, then the junction is A2. I've never heard any employees I know refer to any part of that area as A3.

[@harrymallory7963]

Ah! So thats what that was! 5:25

[@dominicdisano5937]

right before you meet up with the UP Genova Sub, it looks like there was an old line in-between with an old signal bridge that can be seen at 4:55 on the left side of your screen! Do you know what line that was?

[@railjames]

Dominic, I think it was a former Chicago and North Western freight line that served an industrial area on the north side of Chicago. The line came up and joined the Chicago and North Western West line which is to the left of the picture. Perhaps some other viewers might provide further color on your question.

[@dominicdisano5937]

Oh, okay cool! Thank you Railjames!

[@tech83studio38]

Awesome

[@CommodoreJames]

4:35 Why is there Northeast corridor signals in the Chicago Metra tracks? o_-

[@railjames]

The track here was once owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, hence this type of signal.

[@thomaslatham9710]

At 7:39, people are drinking heavily and getting loud.

[@allenahlemeyer2806]

Great Video

[@RailyardProductions]

I was lucky enough to ride private varnish from Toledo,Ohio to Chicago. Awesome experience! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZS1n4qmhquUi6c

[@bluedorissmith6352]

Excellent, wish I could've been on that ride! not likely I'm in the U.K. thanks Geoff

[@desertfoxx1823]

Great video! Really appreciated the commentary.

[@robertkerr3059]

thats the way to roll!