Metra rush hour at Franklin Park, epic action and tons of horn! -3/12/15

On March 12th, 2015 I rode Metra to Franklin Park with a friend to railfan the Milwaukee District West line evening rush hour and whatever freight trains came, also metraf40c joined up with us and this was one awesome evening. I'd like to note there are a few moments in various clips where its the video gets pretty shaky, that's because I waved to the crew at that moment and it was hard to keep the camcorder still. All the video clips in this are in order as I recorded them, just a lot of Metra, horn, and action, so enjoy!
The friend I was with was someone I just met that day visiting Chicago on vacation from Pennsylvania. He works at the shops for the Strasburg railroad, doesn't have a KZbin but hes cool, we had a great time and I hope to meet up with him again in the future. ;)
So the three of us basically camped out the small park around Tower B12, which is preserved there, not in service anymore. Also for part of the evening we also chilled at Ruby St. grade crossing a block West of the park.
I won't type out descriptions for the Metra trains, I mean its quite obvious what they are, F40PHs and MP36s with P5As and K5LAs blaring like crazy, also the cab cars with K3LAs too. Some of them in the video aren't passing through like normal, that's because they only go as far as Franklin Park and wait to push back into Chicago.
Here's the description of the others trains that came through:
UP 9378 C40-8W, BNSF 4886 Dash9-44CW (or C44-9W, same thing), and CP 8797 ES44AC lead a tank train onto the IHB after departing Bensenville yard.
UP 9303 C40-8 and UP 9517 C41-8W lead a manifest from UP Proviso yard to CP Bensenville yard. They had to stop after passing us about a block away so the conductor could throw the switch to enter Bensenville yard on the right yard lead track. (Yes for some reason those switches aren't powered yet) After three idiot joggers trespassed those Dash8s wound up, the end of the train eventually stopped a feet hundred feet from us.
The same three joggers would be seen going around the back of it again near Scott St. grade crossing, and another random person walking from the crossing, around the back end on the tracks, and back to Scott St. Seriously how hard is it to walk to a crossing that you can legally walk across?
CSX 5225 ES40DC and CSX 7321 C40-8W (Ex Conrail) lead a tank train out of Bensenville yard onto the IHB after an outbound Metra expresses through.
ILSX 921 SW1500 (Chicago Terminal) yolos it through Franklin Park solo heading to the Western Ave coach yards. It would take about an hour and half by the time it came back flying through in run 8 with the two Iowa Pacific passenger cars it went to fetch. Its got a really cool P5 and headlight configuration, that was the catch of the day for sure!
After that metraf40c went home and my friend and I rode Metra back downtown, where I would see him to his Amtrak train and I would head home. Here's the link to metraf40c's channel: / metraf40c
Thanks for watching!

[@nicolasgoldring7128]

I'm particularly intrigued by the switcher. That's something you don't see everyday, especially a switcher with such a powerful horn.

[@chicagolandrailfan1550]

8:32, that horn sounds amazing

[@datdumbmf2323]

That switcher when it had two Iowa Pacific cars it had a amazing horn so awesome

[@BionicleStudios55]

10:40 That switcher thought LOL

[@Railroadfan5383]

Bionicle Studios 55 Yea its a move to go get the two cars. All the employees cramping inside the cab tho... lel

[@BionicleStudios55]

lelellelelelele

[@Amtrakmaverick]

4:16 those locomotives look messed up

[@Unknown_Bread]

@@Amtrakmaverick how

[@midwesternrail4729]

7:20 I have an N scale version of 427!

[@Railfan225]

Still one of the best videos on KZbin!

[@dwkcamman611]

Another wonderful video Fred! Well done!

[@Railroadfan5383]

David Kamptner Thanks David! :)

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

Near & dear to me. I spent many hours near these tracks. Rode into Union Station or west to Medinah to go caddy at the country club. Nice video. Now I'm watching 3-mile BNSF freights near Goffs, CA when not watching UP near Minidoka ID.

[@mcresq65]

Man, that lil switcher was flat getting with it, wasn't he?!?!?!

[@Railroadfan5383]

***** Yep! Run 8 for sure!

[@LeitoCristofoli9022]

Magnificent video Railroadfan5383 you have earned one more subscriber. Greetings from Argentina!!!!!

[@RC.EST16]

Love the intro shave and haircut

[@Videostosnoreto]

Nice job dude. Love your channel! :D

[@Railroadfan5383]

Archangel Photography Thanks! I work hard too, got lots more coming for sure.

[@Videostosnoreto]

Looking forward to it! :D

[@cruxinterfaces]

Great video, we will be at Knowledge Fest Thank you for the content

[@XionVanitasShi]

I'm excited to ride the metra in a few months. I love riding Amtrak. Only way I travel to Illinois from Michigan

[@PeaceyPraps]

At 10:48, I remember seeing that switcher before, when me and my family were driving through Chicago a couple of years back. I never knew it could go that fast! Jeez! O_O

[@Railroadfan5383]

Zephyr4501 Im assuming you saw a switcher off Interstate 90/94, that's a different one. Its ILSX 900, an SW8. You can see it when you drive by on the highway. This one is in Bensenville, a different one but still in the same paint scheme. Still, any switcher going that fast is awesome.

[@PeaceyPraps]

***** Oh, now I remember. I couldn't remember which one it was because the paint scheme is the same. But, you're right. Any switcher able to go that fast IS pretty awesome. By the way, that last clip was an epic catch!

[@TrainFan189]

10:39 13:21 Awesome P5

[@rayuscanga1617]

10:15 FNM 15010 with NdeM markings horn

[@BorisLu]

Super video!

[@OwlEye2010]

That's quite the horn for such a little switcher!

[@bernardodominguez6412]

Those guys got lucky another train wasn’t coming

[@JessicaTTG]

3:44 Interesting to see a standard cab C40-8 leading a train these days.

[@Railroadfan5383]

TheIdahoGamer Yes it is, I was happy to catch that. Its happened about 10 times in Chicagoland since early Winter 2014. But not on UP tracks, mainly on CP freight trains using UP power and they've put a C40-8 on the point. The one I caught was a UP train from a UP yard, but they always use Dash8s and older power on it.

[@TonyThePlaneTrainFan]

8:36 cool catch!

[@midwesternrail4729]

1:17 115 was scared of the freight train

[@TransportationFanHU]

Very nice, long and tall, high trains

[@Ohio-Railroader]

Awesome video! I have yet to make it out to Franklyn park but it is defiantly on my list! Love the switcher!

[@Unknown_Bread]

8:32 the best horn for metra, I love it 😀 nice video 11:22 nice horn aswell 13:29 switcher is back 10:39 switcher! 5:02 who hears the p5? 9:00 horn action and a cool horn coming 9:26 cool horn 10:12 I love how the horn honks 1 time high pitched 1 time low pitch and 1 low low pitch (aka the doppler effect but at the time i wrote this i didnt know what that was LOL)

[@Unknown_Bread]

8 timestamps

[@rayuscanga1617]

10:15 Ferromex 4502 horn

[@Unknown_Bread]

@@rayuscanga1617 no because Ferromex 4502 has a RS3L While metra 115 (found at timestamp 10:15) has a p5

[@rayuscanga1617]

@@Unknown_Bread10:15 The Metra P5 horn in low pitched sounds like old CH-P horns in GP38-2

[@fajaraw0467]

It used WABCO AA-2 horn full system (for Indonesian train)

[@nathanielschmitt470]

love it

[@erickcorral6136]

i love metra trains

[@user-cv4zy7ds4o]

Hello there i'm here for the first time

[@theaveragerailfanner7447]

Ive been to Franklin park before. It is a great place for railfanning

[@Railroadfan5383]

Deven Devers It sure is!

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

FP is in the history books for in 1959 some bank robbers got out of town ahead of freight trains blocking N-S and E-W roadways for some early minutes. Inter-agency radios spread the BOLO, but it was a wake-up call. These views are E-W, west being towards that overpass highway. Just east of water tower is a connection to separate Soo Line or Indiana Harbor Belt tracks. IHB has a smallish yard just south of here, and just beyond overpass a ways is the Bensenville yards. The road crossing just this side of the FP water tower is Rose Street aka 25th. "Back in the day" Rose Street crossed multiple tracks of IHB yards at grade. Caution advised!

[@realzacharykool9378]

Huh, 119 doesn’t come on Milwaukee west line very often

[@Nitsujy12345]

That switcher has some strange rear headlights!

[@Railroadfan5383]

Nitsujy12345 Yep it does, its the way it got rebuilt. Honestly its pretty darn cool cuz its basically unique to only that unit or just a few of them, wherever else they might be. Its an Ex SP SW1500, im not sure if the company who rebuilt it did more than one unit.

[@ursulagomez6034]

Nitsujy12345

[@idongesititina2442]

Great

[@veronicareynoso9596]

Nitsujy12345

[@michellestone3306]

Is this the Milwaukee district, north central service or both?

[@Railroadfan5383]

+Michelle Stone This is only Milwaukee West line trains. The NCS Metra trains split off just East of where I was.

[@Trainlover1995]

Pretty much all of those F40s that came through had Old Cast P5s, by the sound of it.

[@Railroadfan5383]

They are P5As. They arent old cast I know.

[@planebois]

HAHA the Chicago Terminal Switcher. Probably running to North Avenue Yard to go do some work. The Bloomingdale Line (606) had been closed by this time though, so I’m wondering how it got to north avenue yard.

[@Railroadfan5383]

Read the description

[@RailfanDaniel1997]

Nice shots, man! Oh, they'd better not have that place become a QZ!

[@Railroadfan5383]

Southeastern Railfan Productions Thanks! And well its been considered by the town before, but nothing has happened yet so its still safe for now.

[@RailfanDaniel1997]

Good. So it's still gonna have the horns for quite a while!

[@Railroadfan5383]

We can hope, could be done at anytime and go to quiet within 2 months.

[@RailfanDaniel1997]

People these days.

[@MrJimmybgood]

very cool I loved this video. thank you.

[@MrCsxtrain]

Lots of P5 and 5KLA horns! Am i dreaming?

[@Railroadfan5383]

MrCsxtrain Nope, well maybe about the 5KLAs tho. :P

[@MrCsxtrain]

***** LOL Fred you are very funny! I like 5KLA, 5KHLL, and RS3L horns!

[@therookie9276]

NS 1071 Productions is a 5KLA some sort of other horn, or are you referring to a K5LA?

[@trainzguy2472]

Never in my life have I seen a switcher move that fast!

[@Ian-zc9os]

Metra Si es 😂🎉😊

[@realzacharykool9378]

I like the horn at 8:32

[@realzacharykool9378]

I like up 9378 horn

[@guillerminacordova8441]

1:21 F40PH 115 It Came Back! In 10:18

[@ryans4116]

Yup

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

hey what horn is that at the beginning of your video

[@Railroadfan5383]

Ruben Rivera Nathan K3LA. Practically every Metra cab car that they currently use to lead an inbound has a K3LA.

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

THE OLD EJ&E HAD A SIMILAR SOUNDING HORN

[@Railroadfan5383]

No, EJE had Leslies RS3Ls on a lot of their equipment.

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

***** YES BUT SOME HAD RS3LS

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

LOOK AT A VIDEO ON HERE EJ&E BLE UNION AND THE 1ST TRAIN HAS THAT TYPE OF HORN

[@BossSpringsteen69]

Must've pulled the 9303 out of storage. The last time I saw narrow nose GE's they were in storage.

[@bekkahlynnn]

6:19/ sounds like horn from train game roblox

[@sylviaolivo8415]

6:06

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

I wish I could see train action like this! I was told by someone that the MP36s are no longer on the BNSF, shame. Also, at 1:12 (video time) there was an F40PH with a slightly lower tone bell. Is it a rebuilt F40PH or just a different order?

[@Railroadfan5383]

+ChicagolandEye Yea the MP36s were taken off the BNSF and put onto the Milwaukee lines and the Rock Island because BNSF complained so much it was too hard for them to maintain them. So almost all the F40PHM-2s were swapped with the MP36s. That F40PH is rebuilt, Metra had 100-149 rebuilt. But the bell wasn't changed, some F40PHs have older or different bells I think. I'm not really sure on what kind of bells they are, but I know some have that lower tone, and some the higher tone, it varies. Sorry for late reply, never saw the comment notification.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

+Railroadfan5383 It's cool. A few days ago the old Metra Electric Highliners were retired from service. Chicago is dropping the old railcars so fast. The 2200s in 2013. The 2400s in 2014. The Highliners in 2016. Wow.

[@Railroadfan5383]

It was two days ago, I actually planned on going to ride the train and get video/pics, but other things prevented me from doing it, plus it was really cold out. But I've rode them before in the past and got some video back then, so at least I've experienced them which is good. Same for 2200s and 2400s, Ive rode the 2200s a few times years ago, and the 2400s I rode the farewell trip for them and got video/pics of them too. I think the 2600s are beginning to go now too.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

+Railroadfan5383 Yeah, they're beginning to fade out. I can't say I'll really miss the 2600s, I got a bit tired of them on the Blue Line. They're quite outdated and don't really have any redeemable qualities. For the 2200s, it was the folding doors. For the 2400s, the unique wide design. But the 2600s are the most generic you can get.

[@ericedgar5488]

MPIEMDRailfan jjkn

[@bernardodominguez6412]

Dame there getting lucky the train are going slow if there was a train that was going so quick sheesh

[@ItsSnowyAmelia]

1:20 there is an F40 there when the freight begins, when the freight ends at 2:10, an F59 is there. Was it coincidence?

[@Railroadfan5383]

Yea it was, the F40PH went back inbound, and another outbound came and was stopped there at the end of the tank train. Also, its an MP36, not F59.

[@ItsSnowyAmelia]

Yeah, I realized it a few minutes after I made the comment. xD

[@Railroadfan5383]

+MattPlaysMC33 ah lol no problem. Metra does have 3 F59PHs now, but not the F59PHI with the steamlined nose, like Amtrak.

[@ItsSnowyAmelia]

ok, thanks for telling me.

[@utubewatcher806]

+Railroadfan5383 my imagination or does the MP36 resemble a Milw Road Hiawatha rear observation car (without one row of windows)?

[@ptsr_93]

Your ever near chicargo Near/ north of union station You can catch 10 trains per 30 seconds!

[@Railroadfan5383]

Yes I have been to canal and Clinton street grade crossings plenty of times. It's not quite that many trains, but it sure feels like that many

[@rockisland4506]

9:36 creepy k5la

[@MattKhosrowRailfan]

3:10 huh a k5l on a metra cabcar

[@MattKhosrowRailfan]

Capt_ CJ no by bad I meant to say k3l

[@admydragon]

Houses/apts/condo's most go for cheap around Franklin Park.

[@Railroadfan5383]

I would agree, the train action/horn probably being a big factor.

[@Trainlover1995]

+Cameron Applegath Well, it doesn't bother me. I say keep the horns going through the night! It's music to my ears! Unless the residents start rising up and demanding a quiet zone, which I loathe for being unsafe for the public and unfun for railfans.

[@Railroadfan5383]

In my opinion, the horns should stay regardless if people living nearby dont like it. I've seen people walking across the tracks, and even climb through/duck under trains a lot over the years, its surprising there isn't a death each month. People run around the back and sometimes the front of trains a ton, its also surprising that I've never seen either a railroad or town cop hand out trespassing tickets.

[@hectorhardy6961]

Like train metra

[@thomasabramson100]

About what times did ILSX 921 run through ? and are that regularly scheduled runs

[@Railroadfan5383]

+thomasabramson100 It went through just after 5pm and just after 6:40pm. They are not scheduled runs, they run as needed on weekdays. They go downtown and back to drop off or pick up Iowa Pacific cars that need to be transferred between Bensenville and the Amtrak Chicago yards. When they run, they do it in the evening and trail behind and inbound or outbound Metra. But as to what day they do it, its as needed. It doesnt happen too often either, sometimes twice in one month, sometimes not at all in one month, its random.

[@JohnSmith-jk7nu]

Cool you should make a vid of u riding Metra

[@Railroadfan5383]

John Smith Thanks and yea I have some already on my channel. I have a few others to post as well, once I can edit them with the limited time I have.

[@davidbarnett9312]

At 3:16, is O'Hare close by?

[@Railroadfan5383]

Yes Ohare is just Northwest of Franklin Park

[@bnsfwarbonnet]

MP36 420!!! 🔥🌿🚬😗

[@irf1630trains]

Damn, Ya beat me to it...

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

420 is now a -3C :D

[@rockisland4506]

bnsfwarbonnet ohhh 0_0

[@luck20k]

+Railroadfan5383 was this in IL

[@Railroadfan5383]

+Metra mp36 408 and Canadian National Yes, Franklin Park, IL.

[@CSXEMDTrainLover]

awesome train video

[@Railroadfan5383]

Connor Doornbos Its done. ;)

[@manokiller]

***** Awesome man, love seeing a days worth of good movements.

[@Railroadfan5383]

Thanks! Yea it was a fun evening, metraf40c Conrail101 and I went railfanning today in Franklin Park as well. Maybe well be able to meet ya sometime.

[@Trainlover4472]

0:01 comuter Rush ftw

[@refugiosierra1580]

That place used to be my local metro station. But now I live in Addison and my local is now itasca

[@refugiosierra1580]

Also at 4:36 why would they run over the tracks? LOL

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

And ... what was the # of that cab

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

the first metra nippon sharyo cab actually on of the old legendary metra cab K5LA's that the music city star uses now oh my

[@seanbrown871]

Amatthew rail Productions

[@Sys-Edit0r-1995]

I see people trespass on tracks in town especially after 5

[@Railroadfan5383]

Yes people trespass a lot in Franklin Park, Ive seen it dozens of times. Have yet to see town police or railroad police catch anyone.

[@MrMrFtrain]

MPI-36 #420 BL@ZE IT!!!

[@Railroadfan5383]

MrMrFtrain IKR lol

[@carvcom1]

Now I know why we don't see too many MP-36s up on the Milw Fox Lake line, they are all on the Milw West line! Didn't see many CP locos, just one, even though it is a CP line. It seems to be more UP....

[@Railroadfan5383]

The MP36s are on both Milwaukee lines all the time, the equipment used on either line will commonly go from being used on the West line to the North line, or vice versa. The same equipment also gets used on the NCS line and heritage corridor. But the heritage corridor only uses F40PHs because the trains are shorter with fewer bilevels, and they dont need the high horsepower MP36s on those trains when they are better suited for the longer trains on the Milwaukee lines and the NCS. And CP locos are the most common thing on the C&M sub, and they use plenty of NS and CSX power, only occasionally does CP use UP locos on CPs trains. Also, CP owns the tracks after Rondout to Milwaukee, WI, Metra technically owns the tracks from Chicago to Rondout and then to Fox Lake, and also from Chicago to Elgin. You may be thinking of the UP Milwaukee sub, which is why youd see more UP power, because its their line and most of the trains are UP trains using their locomotives. And there's no Metra on the UP Milwaukee sub either.

[@Millera99]

0:45 420 😂😂

[@wisconsinandnorthwesternra8381]

I saw that too lol

[@Noodle_Train]

Honestly, I don’t understand the need for metra to use mars light, if they have ditch lights too

[@Marko_Horvat]

Love your videos, but please consider buying a tripod for your camera...too much shaking going on....

[@Railroadfan5383]

+Marko Horvat Thanks! I have a tripod now, shortly after that day I went and got one, so most of my future videos will be much less shaky. (stuff from all summer is much more still)

[@franky2442]

whats that song called, here are the chords. D flat, E Flat, E

[@rockisland4506]

The ILSX used that like a runway

[@jackboerner1901]

At 2:08 I thought for a second, "Oh My God They Changed That F40 into an MP36! The Horror"!

[@amtrakp4260]

Witch was the loudest

[@EastTexasRailfan]

Ahh, 1:19, classic use of the late breaking technique...LOL

[@bnsfavardsubdivisionproduction]

That train was 420 blazin 🌿🚬🚬🚬

[@jenniferrobinson5255]

I’ll look for that train 420

[@leilaperez5093]

10:30 Thats a train you don't see everyday

[@rockisland4506]

METX 420 👍🍃🚬

[@DiegoHerrera-bs7em]

I live in Franklin park

[@AndrewCheetah]

More cowbell!

[@veronicareynoso9596]

Fax Csx

[@monicakurysz1649]

0:23

[@allanegleston4931]

@ 5:31 one of my pet peveeves . grrrr.

[@annadaisy5336]

Like

[@1000tCSX]

P5 horn at 0:01

[@Railroadfan5383]

No the cab car has a K3LA. A P5 would sound like the horn at 0:57

[@tbird2013]

Rxr

[@metrasnakieasaurus1066]

Great video! Great train action!!! My son would love some subscribers to his channel..#MetraSnakieAsaurus

[@nunstersplace]

Did you go call the cops on the joggers or go start yelling at them. Get over your self. You can see if a train is coming from a good distance away. Stop trying to make your self seem special.

[@Railroadfan5383]

No i didn't call the cops nor yell at them. All i did was point out that they trespassed. Not trying to make myself feel special.

[@sylviaolivo8415]

6:16