BNSF's Metra Racetrack: A Railroad Superhighway

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - 10 DEC 2021
Chicagoland is no stranger to the term "superhighway", whether it be in reference to the Interstate Highway system or its predecessor on rails. With dozens of lines radiating out of the city-on-the-lake, Chicago is the most important railway hub in the world!
While Chicago holds this title largely thanks to the huge volumes of freight traffic being moved into, out of and through the city, it also remains a passenger rail hub, including most of Amtrak's long-distance intercity services and the commuter network known as Metra.
Heading west out of the dense urban core, BNSF's Chicago Subdivision has no fewer than three tracks all the way to the distant suburb of Aurora. With 97 Metra trains on the pre-pandemic timetable, plus dozens of repositioning moves and plenty of BNSF freight traffic mixed in, this stretch of railroad has long been known as the "Racetrack" for its ability to run train after train, often side-by-side.
In this edition of the Thornapple River Rail Series, we'll document this incredible railroad as it has never been done before, including scenes from all 26 stations, along with many more points in between. We'll cover the timetable, track diagrams (see link nearby) and history while enjoying over 250 freight and passenger trains, representing all kinds of different operations on this stretch of railroad.
This is BNSF's Metra Racetrack, a Railroad Superhighway, presented by the Thornapple River Rail Series.
LOCATIONS/CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
4:51 Big Rock
7:01 Somonauk
7:58 Sandwich
10:17 Plano
12:50 Bristol
14:46 Sugar Grove
15:49 Aurora, Downtown
16:38 CB&Q and Metra History
20:02 Aurora, Hill Yard
26:54 Eola
30:08 Route 59
34:00 Naperville
45:05 Lisle
49:11 Belmont
53:18 Downers Grove
58:47 Fairview Ave
1:02:52 Westmont
1:11:10 Clarendon Hills
1:18:31 West Hinsdale
1:22:58 Hinsdale
1:27:42 Highlands
1:29:19 Western Springs
1:35:05 Stone Ave
1:38:48 LaGrange
1:45:24 Congress Park
1:50:53 Brookfield
1:57:39 Hollywood
2:02:48 Riverside
2:05:52 Harlem Ave
2:10:02 Berwyn
2:15:14 LaVergne
2:23:29 Cicero
2:30:30 Western Ave
2:33:23 Halsted St
2:37:55 Canal St Wye
2:45:53 Roosevelt Road
2:59:15 Polk Street
3:10:12 Union Station
TIMETABLES
Pre-Pandemic: flic.kr/p/2mRvcVG
Pandemic: flic.kr/p/2mRt9wF
TRACK DIAGRAM - for all of the trackage seen in this documentary, I have created a companion diagram with all of the signals and switches shown, including all of Union Station.
Direct-download the full-size graphic at this link: live.staticflickr.com/65535/5...
Or, view on Flickr here: flic.kr/p/2mRsXpF
Thanks for watching! Make sure to leave a like and subscribe, for more from the Thornapple River Rail Series! Your support keeps this channel rolling - don’t forget to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
Also like TRRS on Facebook! / thornappleriverproduct...
Videography Equipment:
- Primary: Sony FDR-AX53 4K Camcorder
- Radio Scanner: Uniden Bearcat BC125AT
- Edited with: Cyberlink PowerDirector 16
Created by Alex Christmas. Copyright 2021, as the Thornapple River Rail Series, All Rights Reserved

[@bnsf7562]

"Restricted speed, roughly summarized, is 'don't hit anything!' Best explanation I've ever heard!

[@irwandbudi9962]

😅😅

[@FrankFleming-pw9du]

Nice video I Live in Lisle right near the racetrack!

[@qjtvaddict]

Better to elevate the tracks to 2 levels 3 tracks upper level freight and HSR(intercity) lower level extended CTA L for the section with many stops not whole way at least to Belmont

[@Khris618]

Proceed with caution not exceeding 15mph

[@jeffkuipers1030]

i can't imagine the stress the dispatchers have to do to make sure there is no head on collision or the train doesn't get on the wrong track. HATS OFF TO EVERYONE IN THE DISPATCH OFFICE.

[@JL-yl8gd]

Can’t believe how long this is, thanks so much for all your hard work. Very detailed and informative, you rock!

[@claimedmedia6167]

couldnt agree more!

[@jeromedavis7920]

I love the train 🤗🤗🤗

[@arnonthanyakit2403]

Aaaqà

[@tyhik9338]

This is nice, the BNSF line puts on a heck of a show during the rush hour

[@JR-playlists]

4:32 Notice the roundhouse in this shot. It is the actual roundhouse of the Burlington Shops, a predecessor of BNSF. You can drink 2 Brothers beer & whiskey there now!

[@RyanFRails]

5:05 Gotta love them golden hour gevos, us midsouth railfans can never get enough of them. Narration on point as always, very well done 👍🏻

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

Chicago is a railfanning paradise. Tons of diamonds, crossovers, every class I and a bunch of class II, and III railroads, diesel, electric, freight, passenger, steam engine museums, and railyards galore. All with the added (not) benefit of getting stuck by trains 30x a day all over the metro area. By far my favorite places to railfan are at the Rochelle Rail Park or along the UP-W line in DuPage County (otherwise known as the Geneva sub) as it passes by my dad's farm, whom he inherited form his grandpa, who bought it from C&NW after he retired from working as a stationmaster on the Galena line. I like to think I was always destined to become a railfan because of this. There are TONS of great spots to railfan in the area of course, but these are the places I frequent the most as I grew up in that part of the metro region.

[@brandonkoole655]

Thank you dedicating this video to my grandfather, Alex. Great video!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Hi Brandon - Al was instrumental in providing material for the creation of an accurate track diagram to go with this documentary. I - along with many others - also enjoyed his company at railroad events and especially getting ice cream at Tippy Cow. He is sorely missed by all and I thought what better way to always remember him by. You had an awesome grandfather!

[@trainlover123trainsrock]

@@ThornappleRiverRailSeriesahhh I can’t escape this video! It has been in my suggested for a year now

[@user-ij9sh1tf9d]

I live a block away from "the racetrack" in Berwyn. Honestly speaking, while I'm sure it's fascinating to watch as a non-local railfan, these tracks are an utter headache to deal with when you're a local. The sheer frequency of trains that run on these tracks means that essentially every town/village that these tracks run through is semi-permanently divided between north and south. This is especially true when you're in Cicero or Berwyn, since the proximity of the railyard results in many BNSF freight trains either moving at a snails pace or being completely stopped for sometimes as much as an hour, thus blocking every crossing that the trains are sitting on. Beyond that, the novelty of railfanning on these tracks wears off after you've seen the exact same Metra commuter train and BNSF intermodel train 75,000 times.

[@BenWillKing]

It took me 3 weeks to finish this video 😆. I’m blown away at the details you provided. This wasn’t just a 3 hr video of trains rolling by, this was a narration of literally every train that rolled by, and intricate details surrounding it. It’s clear that you did a ton of research for this video, and were well organized keeping it all together. Your use of Google maps was also perfectly incorporated. I learned a ton, and thoroughly enjoyed watching every minute. Job well done, looking forward to many more videos.

[@victoriacyunczyk]

I railfan the Racetrack all the time, never lost that excitement from the first time.

[@ricknoble1954]

I grew up in Downers Grove and I remember taking the "The Burlington" (Chicago Burlington and Quincy) into downtown Chicago. It was pulled by those classic silver streamliner engines. When the merger happened forming the Burlington Northern the engines were painted green. I know that I have really dated myself here reminiscing about the 1960's and 1970's predating Metra. I moved away from the Midwest many years ago. It was very enjoyable for me to view this video and recall these stations along the trip into the city. Especially fun to see Union Station again. Good work with the incredible level of detail with this video!

[@lcdabest]

so dope must’ve been a wayyy different time

[@tobyradabaugh5033]

iv seen the 9911a a e5a streamliner

[@mrmultimediaman]

My dad started out with the CB&Q and was good hearing you mention the line. He retired as a conductor from the BN. Growing up, he took me to the Cicero Yards and watch them "hump" the cars, then go to the round house and see them overhauling the engines. Even went on a couple jobs from Cicero to Gary, Indiana, getting back home at 3am, which was so cool! I never stayed up so late. We lived along the BN line near the Western Ave yards. He hated Sante Fe and would be turning over in his grave knowing the BN and SF merged! We left the city and moved out to Downers Grove when I was 15. Took the train into the city many times from the Fairview Ave station. Now living in San Diego, I worked contract in San Luis Obispo at the Diablo Nuclear Power plant and took Amtrak to San Diego to spend time with my family. Loved riding the train...bringing back great memories with my Dad. All in all, great piece and enjoyed every minute of it!!! Nice seeing my old stomping grounds (Downers Grove, Westmont)! Sorry for the long post...

[@dixieboy5689]

I love trains.

[@sector5514]

So do I trains are the best

[@moosemanmagee4495]

How can you not love a train?

[@utubefordgm]

I explored Aurora in the mid-seventies when the old station was still in use. I have always wanted to revisit the racetrack but age and covid have made that very unlikely. Your video shows me in great detail what I'll miss but also shows me much more than I could ever see for myself. Thx very much for that.

[@youminholastransit3218]

There is so much intersectionality and multipurpose in America’s rail system. Freight, commuter, and intercity rail all on one corridor!

[@xray606]

Great job. I grew up watching the line as a kid in the 70-80s. We lived next to the EJ&E and would walk down to Eola and sit on the bridge buttress. Also watched from route 59 and it was just a big open corn field. In fact, that entire area was. Eola Rd. was a sleepy farm road, no bridge. And you could sit in the Denny's at Fox Valley and see the trains from there. So many more trees on the RoW now too.

[@placeholderGER]

What an Incredible Documentary you have produced about one of the coolest stretches of Railroad in the World. As an Engineer who works in Germany on Passenger Trains but also has a History with Freight seeing the plethora of Trains literally "Racing" by was so cool to watch, especially with all your Narration around and about the Line and the Trains itself. Seeing the GE's haul the Manifest into the Sunset at the beginning, makes me want to Visit the Racetrack myself one Day. Thank you very much for this superb Documentary and the Joy of watching it on a Day Off and making me feel im right at the Heart of the Action myself. Best Regards from Germany to all fellow American Train Fans !

[@coolkirk1701]

I dont have time to watch this whole thing but i have to leave a comment here. I havent seen train documentaries this good on youtube other than pirated documentaries made by professional studios. This is very high quality and you should be immensely proud.

[@modelrailpreservation]

I never get tired of seeing the old Budd bilevel cars that have had their Burlington nameplates re-attached, or newer 'BNSF Railway' nameplates. It's the sort of thing that really says those old cars are being cared for and looked after.

[@ivanw3656]

This was genius how you provided us with a 3 hour video and no commercial interruptions, superbly done!

[@joekmoch978]

Thanks for the memories - as a grade schooler and highschooler in the early to mid 60s, I used to sit at the Berwyn station doing my homework on the weekends watching and photographing the many trains on the racetrack!

[@indycar101]

The narrative part of the documentary was the best ever, supper informative full of timetable info, and a lot to see you'll never see anywhere else. There is something here for anyone! Take any opportunity to watch! Retired, Amtrak & Fright Engineer!

[@cptlatency428]

This documentary is a masterpiece of the likes I have never seen, I usually get bored of watching these trains go by after so long (even though it is very interesting) but I find that I keep coming back to continue watching. Thanks for uploading this

[@user-gi3gq9kb2r]

Sir I am from Pakistan and I love your train videos,I also like train and journey on train God bless you and give you healthy and happy long life ameen

[@sandiegodreamhome]

You are a very articulate young man. I commend your dedication! I very much enjoyed your documentary.

[@matthewm6466]

Lives near the racetrack my entire life. I grew watching trains pass on the racetrack as a kid

[@oldtown6240]

Exquisite! It is obvious that much time and effort went into making this documentary - thank you.

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

Thank you so much for this! I'm modelling this in N scale (Chicago to Aurora), so this is perfect research for me...especially as I'm based in the UK and only come over to the US once a year...!

[@wolfj2]

This was the most amazing rail documentary I've ever seen. So thorough and well narrated. Enter this in a contest and get recognition. Make sure Metra knows the effort you put in to show off their operations. So awesome!!!

[@IPA0718]

Awesome video. I was the BNSF Union Ave train (Union Ave to Cicero) dispatcher for a while in 2021 before bidding off to another territory. The Union Ave desk was one of my favorite territories to work.

[@gunnersteve13]

I took a few photos of it when it was in McKees Rocks, in 1998. I had just moved to Pittsburgh. Was walking around the city to the Rocks, couldn’t believe someone was storing a steam locomotive there. Later I met Glenn Campbell when he was moving his blue Baldwin SW1500. Then I took a photo of the front end when it was behind the fence close to the P&LE main. Someone told me he put about $100,000 into storing and restoring it. Great video, thanks for posting.

[@austins.571]

Definitely doesn't feel as long as it is, I just finished binge-watching the last hour and a half. Great editing and commentary!

[@VictorKidd53]

The rail system in the US is overlooked too often. Thank you for this great video! It really helped me revitalize my appreciation in this industry!

[@seanromeo7916]

Took the CA Zephyr in July and as we were rolling out of Chicago area I was basically quoting alot of this video to my family giving them the history of the area! Truly a spectacular documentary. Well done!

[@notthatdonald1385]

Sitting at home just out of the hospital, and I appreciate your videos TRRS.

[@notthatdonald1385]

With CC besides!!

[@marks6406]

Absolutely amazingly video, I was born and raised in Springfield, my Dads from Quincy and I went to High School in Rantoul. Trains and the sound of them are the sound tracks to my life. I live in California now and I love it when hear the trains and train horns. Not only did I get a free trip home but details on the lines that I never knew. Great job, we appreciate your work and this video will be a documentary of the times for Illinois train lines.

[@ericsundell9978]

Western springs looks a hell of a lot better/different now than it did when I was a kid in the late 80's/ early 90's, heck I still remember the E-units on metra trains!. Used to watch trains there for hours on the depot platform as a kid. Good memories.

[@donlipsky2696]

Well done. I spent my first 20 years as an Engineer working between Galesburg and Cicero. So much has changed and yet remains the same. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on eastbound freights trains waiting (being held out) on the Dinky’s Rush (suburban commuter trains). The Eastend, or as you called it ‘the Race Track’ has always been the Pride of the CB&Q, the BN, and the BNSF.

[@krspeedometer]

Man! The ending felt like I was finishing a favorite book series. Excellent video. Hats off to all the hard work that went into making this.

[@usedtobeblue2]

I can't help it. I'm train obsessed. NEW SUBSCRIBER. STAY ENCOURAGED.

[@ronritter4813]

I get on / off at the Aurora Station,,, can never miss your stop!,,,, this is an amazingly well done documentary

[@poroto126]

Absolutely outstanding, as always. Thanks so much for your hard work.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Great Video, all the best for 2022. Thank you.

[@turkfiles]

Thank you. I was born and raised in Chicago close to the C&NW Northwest line. Crossed over the tracks everyday on my way to and from school. That’s where my love of trains began. Great camera work and narration. Learned quite a bit. Thanks again!

[@danielrappoport1445]

Amazing video, thank you for all your work to make this happen!

[@theabrahamherrera]

2 minutes in, I had no idea the BNSF is such a big deal! Going to make some popcorn to get through this. BNSF Squad Rise Up!

[@Guy_de_Loimbard]

Illinois has more miles of rail track than any other state. If you ever look at a map of rail lines in the U.S. there are like a million spokes radiating out of Chicago. People who don't live here seem to greatly underestimate Chicago's prominence as a logistics hub. Between O'Hare, the rail lines, seven interstates either passing through or originating/terminating here, and the canal linking the Great Lakes to the inland waterway, this is a busy place for stuff on the move.

[@Dannamal-hc8pu]

Man, all the memories of the Metra Rail come flooding in anytime I look at those blue, red roofed locomotives and sliver cars. Living in Crystal Lake, IL (northwest suburbs) I remember all the train rides to Chicago. Whether it be Cubs games, a tour of a the Feild Museum or Navy Peir, so many memories of city and the Metra Rail.

[@klugermann5806]

Thank you so much for sharing this video. I went to Chicago on vacation just to ride the Metra and the EL back in ~ 2005. I just purchased an HO scale Push/pull Metra commuter train set.

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

Come visit again in the future! Both Metra and the CTA L system have changed quite a bit!

[@scottsmith7051]

Absolutely incredible work. Masterful.

[@jbrat4313]

This documentary was top notch. I learned so much. Thank you.

[@RemiCardona]

Your videos are far and few between, but boy are they worth the wait! Outstanding video, well worth the "documentary" title! Awesome job on maps, voice overdubs, and editing to give us crystal-clear context of what the camera is showing, and not just a dump of raw footage off of your camera's flash card.

[@jmano33]

This is extremely well put together, and very interesting! You can tell a ton of hard work went into this. Loved all three hours!

[@AntiSocialCritic]

I took the Rt.59 train every day for 2 years in college! I have nostalgic memories of riding the train (most of the time, when it wasn’t freezing or delayed)

[@Neillan]

Wow, have to say you outdid yourself so much with this Alex. I'd consider this the definitive documentary on the racetrack and one of the best covering Metra as a whole. Would love for you to give the Electric District this treatment someday!

[@philipnations4791]

Enjoyed it I rode this route the whole way back in 2014 from Aurora to Union station to visit downtown Chicago then Labor Day weekend and it was busy for sure then.

[@juliancolesmusic]

Bravo, well done! Impressive work. Thank you

[@iusetano]

The very best video of this section of railroading that I've ever seen. Excellent as always. Thank you Alex.

[@brettchenier1010]

Thank you so much for making this video! I was raised in downers Grove back in the 70s and spent 16 years around the then Chicago Burlington and Quincy. It is so good to be able to show my children what kind of training activity there wise when I was young and I really enjoyed this video. Especially from downers Grove into Chicago. Thanks again

[@christiansklodowski7802]

Amazing video, really enjoyed it!! Can't wait to see more from you!!

[@lukepeita1420]

I love these documentaries very informative and relaxing thanks sir 😁👍

[@bennettnield9456]

Amazing Video! Very well put together and all the information is unmatched!

[@JesseTorres305]

Wow, such effort on your side. Thank you

[@hikingmansteve]

This is outstanding. Thanks for posting it. SR

[@twofoottaylor1]

This is one of the best and most detailed videos I've ever seen and extremely educational too and so well put together. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into making this video. Although I have traveled from Chicago to New Orleans by train and live outside the US, I found this extremely interesting. Great work!

[@mattgamble9907]

Wow, what a great video sir. The quality, the detail, the history, the schedules, just an absolutely brilliant piece of videography. You should offer this BNSF, but at a cost for sure. Wow!! Just Wow!!

[@youngwarrior2]

I sat on the old wooden road bridge at Highlands for an hour back in 1990. Was the engineer for a TV production crew at the nearby Hinsdale Seventh-day Adventist Church.

[@XmalD73]

Fantastic video!! I watched this over a week or so, and it's one of the best videos on KZbin. I have grown up using the BNSF from Downers Grove, Naperville, and Aurora - this was so detailed and well put together. Thank you for your hard work!!

[@metrabnsfrails3641]

Great video that you made about everything throughout the BNSF Racetrack

[@Wigster44]

Great idea to make a great overview on such a well known system. Well done!

[@RC944jim]

Not sure how I have missed this but glad I found it now, thanks great job!!!

[@tonyhedrick237]

Great job!! Hopefully, I'll be going to the Chicagoland area this year. I've watched this several times already. Keep it up.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Extremely well done. Most professional and comprehensive.

[@savethechs]

Excellent work on this documentary

[@Ralph2]

Very broad and interesting documentary, covering not only technical and operational aspects but also historical and social. A lot of work and beautifully filmed, edited and presented. Thank you!

[@ChicagoWesternRailfan]

Even you know this stream was recorded months ago I thought it was the best stream about this rail line, And also I wasn’t subbed to this channel before and now I’m subbed, Thank You for this stream.

[@J3scribe]

Excellent presentation Alex. This is the most comprehensive look at this stretch of railroad produced to date. Very detailed, lots of action. And the track diagram was an unexpected bonus. Great work!

[@pauld7106]

great video, your time and efforts are appreciated.

[@edwardbass]

Wow!! I used the BNSF-West for many years commuting to and from work and just train watching from Berwyn and many other stops to the west. You've captured the feel of the line amazingly well. This video is fantastic!

[@LyfovRyan51]

Thank you for the inclusion of the maps and narration. Watching in New Zealand.

[@bboomer1948]

FP-40 @ 1:12:16 dressed up like Silverstreak. Such a neat and informative video, thanks for posting . The container train @ 1:13 was massive.

[@spartan246]

This is some GREAT work! Thanks!

[@veheeo720]

Hello and Happy New Year ! WoW awestruck finding this, Thank You ! 🥨🎩💎

[@jacksonhaskellmaine]

This is GREAT! Watched the whole thing. Well produced and put together, well thought out. A great video!

[@mr.goldenrod291]

Another fantastic production!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perfectly recorded, narrated, and edited.

[@rrelectric5159]

Very long presentation but great detail, good photography and interesting train action. I took several sessions to watch it all but definitely worthwhile. Thanks for the great effort!

[@joedavis6069]

It's going to take me three one hour days to watch this, but I love it.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

This video was/is amazingly well done! 👏🏾 Chicagoland's commuter & freight rail network severely underrated for how well maintained & organized everything is.

[@matthewconley7381]

You did an excellent job on this video! I live in Dallas and we don't have nothing compared to you all in Chicagoland. Again, great video and can't wait to see more!

[@rwsaleh]

This is a great video. It is very well done and very informative as to what the Superhighway is really like. It seems impossible that many trains can go in and out every day just like clockwork. Thanks for posting and I look forward to many more.

[@royrcampbelljr8923]

It was definitely 3 plus hours well spent! A lot of detailed information was provided indicating that a lot of dedicated work was put into this. Being a relatively new railfan, I had never heard of those engines that move railroad cars around referred to as "yard goats". Cool! I subscribed to this channel because of this video presentation. Keep up the good work.

[@benkohlmann3473]

Similar to the trucking industry where they have small tractors to move trailers around facilities. Sometimes also called yard goats :)

[@richardclarke376]

As a former Metra commuter I salute the huge amount of work that went into making this video - well done

[@coreyohlis2262]

Excellent presentation. I was a long-time resident of Naperville; I enjoyed seeing the Racetrack and nearby station stops.

[@mrwhoopee66]

I grew up along the "racetrack" in Riverside, back when we could play alongside the tracks without being hassled. The Burlington right of way was always overgrown, and made a great place for forts that we would play in all day. Riverside used to have a roundhouse for steam engines, on the site of the current Metra parking lot, and the Riverside Swim Club. It was before my time, but in 1938 aerial photo's you can barely pick out remnants of it. A coal yard was located adjacent to it. There was also a siding there in the 60's and there was an old rail coach car parked on it, with a "train museum" inside. I don't remember who ran it or sponsored it, but it didn't last long. They tore out the siding when they expanded the Metra parking lot. I still live within site of the racetrack, in Brookfield, Il. I'm surprised there aren't any "virtual" camera locations alongside the racetrack, considering the amount of train activity. Merry Christmas!

[@rrrrrrtt1]

Wonderful video. Thank you very much!!

[@MidnightAspec]

Great presentation. I’ve been riding NYC area commuter rail (NJT, LIRR and MNRR) for decades. I rode on Metra for the first time a few years ago and never realized how extensive this system is.

[@jermainewyatt1995]

Love your videos always make my day

[@jeffthanson]

Wow, thank you for putting this together, I learned a lot!

[@mrollivetti]

Just great. Thank you and warm greetings from Germany!