Amtrak's Capitol Ltd - REAR VIEW - Indiana state line to Chicago Union Station

[@PhillyBagel]

Great job catching the Rock Island at 7:50. You couldn’t have timed it any better.

[@TheChicagoL]

I've ridden on this stretch of right-of-way a few times. And lived not to far from it (@ 73rd St & Cottage Grove) in Grand Crossing. The track appears to be pretty well maintained in this video. However just north of the former Illinois Central "flyover", the two viaduct overpasses that carry these tracks over 75th street and then Greenwood Ave., (5:00 - 5:12) are in dangerous condition. The lattice cross brace girder work that prevents the column supports from buckling because of their unusual height have literally and completely rusted away. Those tall columns, of course, support the weight of the deck and any train rolling over it. If those two viaducts don't receive rebuild/reconstruction attention they desperately require, they are structural failure disasters just waiting to happen.

[@jonesyokc]

If you play this backwards, it is a cab view of a train leaving Chicago 🙂

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

The amount of stacking from 7:00 to 8:00 is so impressive. You're crossing under some lines and over others. In the span of that minute, you cross under the Englewood Flyer, then cross over the Red Line and the Dan Ryan, and then under the Green Line's Englewood Branch.

[@ramonestubblefield758]

At 15:21 the the train goes under the dan Ryan expressway in China town

[@ramonestubblefield758]

And the orange line elevated structure to midway airport

[@ramonestubblefield758]

17:00 that’s the orange line elevated structure to midway and those crossings are the Metra tracks to joliet

[@DOLRED]

14:00 MLB The parking lots and ball park of the Chicago White Sox on left at 35th Street.

[@testaccount1140]

The crossing at 17:10 before the bridge. I have seen pictures of "Old" Chicago, and this crossing was amazing. It was much more than the 2 tracks crossing 2 tracks that exists now. Very impressive.

[@stereoplayers]

Old 21st St. Interlocking...all those lines crossing each other...all those diamonds... You ought to see the Then/Now track diagram for Indianapolis Union Station (the world's first Union Station). Originally 12 passenger tracks (13--stub track on the west end), 2 freight bypass tracks. Over 200 trains a day used to call on Indianapolis Union Station, second busiest after Chicago Union Station. Today, it's 2 passenger tracks (Amtrak leads, although only 1 is mainly used), 2 freight bypass tracks. Down to 1 passenger train (the Cardinal, 3 times a week).

[@armageddon1981]

The yards you went through was cp 509, park manor, and 55th (five-five as NS refer to it) yards, and UP Canal st yard. I used to work for NS, i work for UP now.

[@thomasabramson100]

17:06 crossing the Illinois Central now all organic no GMOs LOL if anyone remembers the Gulf Mobile & Ohio predecessor of the IC NOTE this crossing used to be 10 tracks

[@garlboydlatham4295]

Yes, I remember 21st Street VERY well! Among other things, it was the point where Santa Fe trains crossed to head into Dearborn Station.

[@scottspencer1081]

Very enjoyable! Thank you.

[@Ferrocarril_Chicago]

Very much enjoyed this! My home turf, the South Side!

[@xray606]

Interesting. It's crazy how many old tracks are around that IN shoreline area. I saw numerous old bridges and RoWs.

[@Mrbeahz1]

At 14:10, Guaranteed Rate Field (?). Just doesn't sound as good as Comiskey Park.

[@ocsrc]

There used to be 12 tracks there

[@superbulldog81]

Very nice...thanks for posting!!

[@MDLsRailViews]

:-)

[@robertbowman3406]

Was that bridge to the left of the two track main line once a railroad bridge? I can see the concrete counter weights but no track. What is the name of the highway bridge crossing the river? I would like to look it up on Google maps.

[@MDLsRailViews]

The bridge to which you are referring is on the old New York Central main. This Amtrak train is travelling on the old Pennsylvania main. They ran parallel for several miles in the "old" days. The NYC trackage is now gone, obviously. Amtrak's Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited use the old NYC main from Cleveland to right near the Hammond-Whiting Amtrak station, at which point they make an almost imperceptible jog over to the old Pennsy line. Also, I did not refer to the video, but I am assuming the highway bridge to which you are referring is the Chicago Skyway, also known as Interstate 90.

[@QNative2012]

At 2:07 if I'm not mistaken it looks like there used to be some sort of Station that used to exist at this point (passenger or freight?) - to the left it looks like remains of a platform and also a remnant to the side of the train as it passes. The widening gap between the 2 middle tracks kind of gave it away also. Anyone know what that location could've been at one time?

[@testaccount1140]

Does the highway bridge that shows on the right side of the video at approx 1:05 have a name? It resembles the OLD Tappan Zee Bridge in New York and the Tobin Bridge in Boston.

[@mdlsrailfanwindowviews]

I believe you are referring to the Chicago Skyway, which is Interstate 90.

[@testaccount1140]

@@mdlsrailfanwindowviews Thank you for answering my questions. BTW - this is a great video.

[@QNative2012]

It also reminds me somewhat of the Pulaski Skyway Bridge (I1&9) from Jersey City to Newark, NJ. Same kind of structure/build.

[@divox9pqr]

Back on the Cap Ltd at some point as I make my way out west. Can’t wait for the pandemic stay at homes to be lifted in the outlining states: MD...IL...then out west...CO..WA...and CA.

[@RosaFan161]

I've never taken this trip when the weather was this good, so was the train actually on time or late? I can't tell.

[@MDLsRailViews]

Don't recall. But probably late. NS's treatment of Amtrak is abysmal.

[@RosaFan161]

@@MDLsRailViews As a matter of fact, NS received an F on their 2021 report card for ''on-time passenger service''. The Sunset Limited and Capitol Limited were tied for the least on-time train of the year, with only 28% of service being on-time all of last year, including 0% of the trip I took with my dad from Washington to Chicago and back last September.

[@lunatrain]

Nice catch of that General Electric B32-8WH #500 at 18:26-18:30. Its not very often you see a B32-8WH since only 20 of them were produced.

[@sardu55]

The old hometown, scenic Hammond, Indiana. Someday the track you've filmed will be used for a new commuter rail into the Loop, coming up from southeastern Lake County, Indiana. Today, despite thousands of people who live out that way and work in Chicago, there is no direct rail link for them to commute by train into the City. They all must take a POV and fight the expressway traffic. Or, park the car and take the South Shore into the City. I'd heard there was a move to establish commuter rail like that but it had been dropped due to many technical issues and lack of cooperation from the affected railroads.

[@jslasher1]

The railroads in question do not want to host any passenger train service. This service will take years to establish.

[@mike89128]

@@jslasher1 About 30 years ago, Amtrak ran a commuter service from downtown Chicago, to Valparaiso, Indiana. It was discontinued because freight trains had right of way, and the commute would often take 2 1/2 hours for 65 miles.

[@georgeadams1853]

@@mike89128 I believe one of the freight railroads, probably Conrail (maybe Grand Trunk Western) ran the commuter service to Valparaiso. When they had a chance to get out of the commuter business with the formation of regional transit systems like Metra and NICTD (South Shore), they did. Metra does not operate in Indiana.There has been talk of NICTD establishing service to southern Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, but it will require rehabbing abandoned lines or building new ones -- and you can bet the taxpayers will balk.

[@garlboydlatham4295]

@@georgeadams1853: It was the Pennsylvania Railroad, then Penn Central, which is why Conrail became involved. Conrail was relieved of the responsibility to run those trains about the same time the term "freight railroad" was coined. Amtrak took over the operations for a short while, under contract. Balking taxpayers and spineless politicians tired of footing the bill and the trains vanished away. Maybe one day...

[@garlboydlatham4295]

@@jslasher1: "The railroads" are whores and would do anything for money - even sell their property (read: birthright). All it would take is the political will.

[@RailfanTurner]

Terrific catches/power!

[@testaccount1140]

Am I correct in assuming that all of this is Chicago. IE - once the train leaves Indiana it is in Chicago?

[@mdlsrailfanwindowviews]

Yes. The Chicago city limits are right on the Indiana-Illinois state line.

[@kevinhoward9593]

:29 switching from NYC back to PW&C

[@jamaaluddinas1jamaaluddina28]

WICH GAUGE ? MITER GAUGE ? OR BROD GAUGE ? ? ?

[@georgeadams1853]

Standard gauge 1435 mm or 4 feet 8.5 inches

[@jamaaluddinas1jamaaluddina28]

@@georgeadams1853 THANKS FOR ANSWER MAI BROTHER

[@repowers2]

6:51 AHHHHH WHAT IS HAPPENING REALITY ITSELF IS WARPING---oh wait, that's one of those "curves" that's rumored to exist in places that aren't Chicago

[@vaultec1367]

For some reason after watching this video everything is wrapping when looking around. Illusion in a train video.