If you're wondering why there's a bridge permanently in the up position with no tracks... Prior to the Amtrak take over, there was a station on the east side of the river called B&O Grand Central. With most of the passenger rail now centralized in Union Station, they tore down the B&O station and ripped up the tracks. But it and the still active bridge were built as a pair in 1930. The abandoned bridge's weight is necessary to support the active bridge (the St Charles Air Line) now mostly controlled by Canadian National

from the perspective of the drone this looks like a very detailed model railroad 😄 excellent video !!

As a Chicagoan, Union Station when it was build was not a stub-end station. To this day is still not one. they just use the station that way for 90% of the time. there are still 4 tracks that run continuously under the station and all the buildings on the east side of the station to the north and connect to the UP and CP tracks. they use it from time to time and the private railroads still use it at night to move freight between railroads.

Love this location. You can see the entire fleet that Amtrak owns in one area

Union Pacific Railroad back in early 40's and 50's was operated passenger as well freight service like San Fe passenger service an including their freight

just before the trains enter the tunnels, there is an large office building to the left. i used to work there. on the 3rd floor overlooking the tracks there is a large patio/outdoor space adjacent to the cafeteria. it was a great space to lean over and watch the trains.

LOL you sped up the footage. At first, I wondered if these Amtrak trains were actually traveling that fast through the yard, then the "L" train sped by. At that point, I knew the footage had been sped up. I greatly enjoyed this Thanks!

Never realized that Amtrak had such a Large Presence in the Windy City but did know there are a Large Number of Trains Arriving and Departing from Union Station.

I like to joke that you can’t go 90 minutes without seeing a train in Ashland, but here, I don’t think you can go 90 seconds without at least 1 train showing up.

6:05 Looks like the Illinois Service/Missouri River Runner from CHI to Kansas City via St. Louis consist. Amtrak Train #319.

There are at least two tracks on the east end of Amtrak's concourses that go through northsouth. They handle the Empire Builder and other Superliner type trains plus they provide access for all Hiawatha etc trains to get to the coach yards on the south side.

What a great video, I can watch it over and over again. Aside from the new midwest trains, I have models of most of the Amtrak trains on the video. Someone said, from the bird's eye view perspective it's like a super detailed model railroad.

Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

This is exquisite footage! Way to go, keep it coming!

Beautiful. Brutal. Nice video

Awesome opening scene man!!! Great footage!!!

i truly appreciate this video it gives me many so references i can model my n scale train from great video

I really enjoyed your video. As a model railroader, rail fan and Chicagoan, it was very nice to see the operations in the Amtrak yard. I enjoyed seeing them make up long distance trains and using the "Y". Great video. I wish I could have seen some more of the North operations but overall it was great to see this place from all of your different perspectives.

A lot of action and hazards flying there, sweet video

All your videos are outstanding!!!

Love Seeing the Good ol' Cardinal Pulling into Chicago! Keep Up the Great Work Man! 👍👍👍 Love Watching Your Videos!

This is absolutely one of the best videos i have ever watched. Thank you so much for your hard work.

Really cool! I have been through there a couple of times on Amtrak!😀

Excellent job with this Video. Impressive coverage at the Action Packed Amtrak Yard in Chicago. Keep up the Strong Efforts because it ‘s Appreciated. 👍🙏

Another great video Christian. Hope you had a good time in Chicago

I just saw this from the river and it was amazing to see this yard up close

The two lift bridges served the Harrison Street station, origin for the AT&SF, Chicago & Eastern Illinois RR, Soo Line, B&O, Rock Island RR, and at least two other rail lines. The station is still there, but all of the rail has been removed.

Great vid but there's nothing better than seeing the variety of rail cars in a freight yard. Great vid as usual!

I used to live near Midway Airports and I've always wondered about that crazy bridge that always seemed to be in the raised position. I took the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited to Massachusetts in the late 90s and had a great time.

Nice video. The train around the 5:30 mark with the mulititude of baggage cars is the Missouri River Runner. It has them to meet the 32 axle count the host railroad (either CN or CP) requires for railroad crossings

Those beef sandwiches are LIFE CHANGING lol loved the trains too. but that pizza and beef sandwich I would go back just for that

Great drone shots

Love it!!!

Just about the lift bridges, you are correct about the Dearborn -& Harrison station, those bridges also served the 12th Street station, end of the line for the Illinois Central R.R. Those two left bridges plus the C&NW at Kenzie, and the Milwaukee Road bridge at North Ave at Halsted are just some of the reasons why Chicago was at one time the GREATEST rail road cities in the U.S.

Great content!

great train video bro

Magnificent catches of the train coming by and pass, I like it 5 stars, keep up the great work, my friend, liked and subscribed, Greetings from Portugal to the USA.

Awesome video!

there are 2 thru tracks at CUS. love the video. yes it is a double stub end terminal with 2 thru tracks at the far right side :) remember the Empire Builder and Hiawatha go out the other end of Union Station.

That 🚆 backing into Union @ 2:13 is probably City of 🆕 Orleans 58

Nice work Christian

I like the speeding up effect. There are private rail cars there making trips out with regular trains.

Damn EXCELLENT informative Video 🤞🏾

Wow beautiful Amtrak 🚆 Midwest red white and blue 💙 car

Great video. The Amtrak train around the 10-minute mark with the double header looks like train 48. The lake shore Limited.

I WORKED for the chicago and western indiana railroad which controlled the rail junction at 21 street , a tower next to the lift bridge, this 1980 when i was there and it was the busiest junction poin in chicago

Great camera on the drone

Didn’t think freight trains passed through here. Excellent camera work by the way!

1:15 If this was filmed around the end of the morning rush, the Superliner could be the City of New Orleans backing into the station. Because it runs on Illinois Central tracks (next to Metra Electric/South Shore Line) it has to back into/out of Union Station when arriving/departing.

Also as someone who grew up amtraks old arrow logo (and still have my blanket from the coast starlight my grandma got me from that train). Sure it’s a wool blanket and it’s a bitch a scratchy but I love the logo and it’s held up over the last 25 years

I was there in the 80's, and filmed Ex BN E8's pulling in, and out of Union Station, with trains.

The drone footage makes the yard look like it’s out of a model railroad layout somewhere

I saw that central pacific on one of the cab rides I took to the city a month or 2 ago. They might have put it on the end of the California Zephyr at one point and held it in the yard.

An observation.. In the 1950-60-70s Emory gulash filmed in Chicago,have all the green 🐸 videos he shot in Chicago thee r.r.capial of USA for 70 yrs...👍👋

You Railfan where I love to Railfan....Right at C.P. Lumber Street!

awesome drone shots! I bet you'd love the rail corridor leading into Munich Central Station in Germany, often with a dozen passenger trains coming by within 5 minutes, with anything from commuter trains and regional trains, to regional express trains, InterCity and InterCityExpress high speed trains, and some of them are even international trains as well (both regional express and long distance high speed trains)

epic

The sped-up video footage with regular speed audio is such a great format for showing terminal operations where the trains are traveling at slow speed! Keeps the video moving rather than the usual skipping through or turning up video speed in youtube settings that then garbles the audio. Keep up the great work!

Gee, will we ever see any of the newer Amtrak engines and cars here in South Carolina? I feel like a stepchild!😄😄

Great video! By the way, locomotives pull but don't "Back up, or push." They either proceed and pull cars or shove them. If you say "The locomotive (not an engine) shoves" then assume the locomotive is shoving the cars with the locomotive at the tail end.

That's pretty complete coverage, especially the way you switch to the view at the wye! Did the drone battery have to be replaced at some point? Your video really drives home the fact of the multiple switching moves involved with daily operation of Chicago Union Station!

2 good luck

👍

If only they went that fast to the actual station

At 5:06, you notice how the train is pulling into Union station and another is backing out and going around the curve. Union station is the only place where the locomotive is inside along with the passengers. Most everywhere else they pull trains into stations so passenger can’t see or hear the engines of the train, or breath in pollutants from exhaust. The train that was reversing south out of union station going around the curve heading west only goes down a little ways, then they stop, hit the switches so the engines are forward and pulling the passenger cars and they pull back out to head south. Essentially turning the train around.

with no car...for long distance travel.... I DEPEND on Amtrak....and am a very satisfied customer...live in central PA. my Amtrak of choice..... the Pennsylvanian(#42,43)

1:21 the train right here is either The City of New Orleans or the Illini (Chicago-Carbondale)

Doing my best to identify all Amtrak consists, I'm not from the Midwest but many of the trains, especially long-distance trains, are pretty easily recognizable given timing and equipment. 1:15 that's the Northbound City of New Orleans #58 doing its famous reverse-move into Union Station 3:11 Cardinal #51 as stated in the video 4:58 Capitol Limited #29 wying and will head into the yard 5:28 Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner through train #319, easily recognizable by its Venture cars and multiple baggage cars out front to meet the axle requirements when he hits Missouri 6:39 Given timing and routing, I'd guess that this is Lincoln Service #300 8:44 #29 completing its wye manuver 9:55 Amtrak Lake Shore Limited #449/#49, recognizable by the 11-car consist bookended by Viewliners with Amfleets in the middle, and an ACSES-equipped P42 leader #106 suitable for service on the Northeast (#105 is ACSES-equipped as well), which is required for running into Albany and Boston 10:54 #29 again 13:41 given the timing of everything else, this should be Wolverine #351, express from Kalamazoo to Chicago 14:55 Amtrak crew qualification train? 16:16 dinky venture set could be #380 the eastbound Illinois Zephyr. not as confident with the midwest trains since they don't run through my area 25:20 #58 wying and heading into the yard 34:37 another shot in the dark with a midwest train but could be #302 Lincoln Service 36:42 #390 northbound Saluki, the Illini/Saluki, as well as the City of New Orleans reverse in/out of Union Station to head onto the IC and use Superliners as mandated by CN 38:03 #449/#49 taking the wye 38:30 #51 taking the wye 40:12 #300 taking the wye

The Amtrak consist at the beginning was the Capital Limited. I've never seen it going that fast while backwards.

9:55 Lake Shore Limited. Boston section in the front, NY section on the rear

Anybody know when the chargers are going to fully replace the p40,p32 and p42 units? Plus those passenger cars look nice. Cant wait to see them on the east coast sometime.

In February of 2023, I rode the Lakeshore Limited from Syracuse to Chicago Union Station. The train originates in New York Penn Station and picks up a consist from Boston at Renssalaer Station, NY. I departed Syracuse around 21:10. The trackage to Cleveland is CSX. From Cleveland, to Chicago is all Norfolk Southern main. We ran all night and arrived in Chicago around 10:00. I was very impressed with the entire round trip which cost me $75 each way. I had a digital scanner with me so I could listen to all the rail communications and defect reports. The staff was very friendly and helpful of which I was completely appreciative of. As a retired 43 year OTR trucker, I've made that trip many times via roadways. The perspective from the rails is different and I buzzed through crossings that I had to stop the truck and wait in the past. I'd personally like to see Amtrak increase their services nationwide, but before that happens, the 4 class 1 railroads (UP, BNSF, CSX and N&S)are going to have to get their acts together or there's going to be increasing problems. Heres my plan: Since I despise government subsidsing private industry because that picks winners and losers instead of the free market, I propose a percentage tax cut for a targeted industry rather than a certain company. In my opinion, the govrtnment is siphoning off too much money forcing railroads to make longer trains (which ARE far more fuel efficient due to increased payloads per gallon of fuel). There is also a problem with tracks and rolling stock which is not being maintained as well as it should be. I'd much rather see the railroads pay less taxes so they can make enough to satisfy the investor AND maintain and upgrade the infrastructure and equipment. Our government, which is supposed to foster a positive business climate, is instead predatorily taxing them and making it much more difficult than it needs to be! The government is the the REAL participant of organized crime!

I don't know how they keep track of the track they are suppose to be on.

That private railroad car “charter club“ is owned by the charter manufacturing company. Some companies buy business chats, Charter, buys passenger cars.

Chicago union station does have a through track that goes from one side to the other how do u think the empire builder gets to the yard for servicing it does have a through track

10:22 this train is the Lakeshore Limited

of course you came to the yard when I wasnt there, one of these days ill see myself in one of these videos. promontory point is stored in the chicago yard, its a private car, heres a link with several other links to more photos of it. seems to be for hire. or at least at one time was. not sure if the nxtrack car is still in the yard, its coupled just north of the promontory point car in the video. it doesnt really stand out from the air though. that is a track geometry car. what date and approximate time was this recorded? the yard actually looks emptier than usual.

You wonder looking at all that equipment how much of it never moves or has not moved in years.

do you know the online scanner app you use for that?

That's a Union Pacific passenger car

where are you filming from ? you mentione the sandwiche and fires?

I thought there were a few tracks that ran through the station

What streets were you on to get these viewpoints?

Pax Rail in the UK has had secure digital radio between Signalman (dispatcher) & Driver (Engineer) for decades..... Why is US rail so backwards with CB open type radio.?

By the way, the Autotrain is the longest passenger train in the world.

13:05 how do they run that train backwards? that's not a cab car is it?

Do you need to inform Amtrak or anybody else about using a drone over the tracks & yard?

Where did the beef sandwich come from?

I hope you weren't alone in that area It is not a friendly neighborhood

What is the abandoned rail line that passes over the yard at 4:43?

how do you get that amtrak scanner online?

A great video spoiled by speeding it up with trains running at unrealistic speeds. Makes me want to record it and edit it to run at the correct speed.

Makieta xd albo transport fiver 2

What is the average salary of a locomotive engineer?

💢🌀🚇⚽🛑

Amtrak = Slow, old and Dirty Trains. Amtrak = 3rd World Railway Company. Wolfgang Hamburg Germany

Damn. Those Genesis locomotives have got to be the ugliest locomotives on the planet. Unbelievable. So glad that they are being replaced. ! ! ! 🙈😷

American passenger railroads are shame. We're behind Europe, Japan and the rest of the civilization by probably 75 years and chances for future and grim. Chicago is pitiful scene for whole public transportation. Yes, there are cities with much less availability of public transportation, but.... Just visit the Union Station....... Every time I'm there, under the buildings passing by working diesel locomotive surrounded by dirt, fumes and crazy noise I turn around to see if there will be steam locomotive coming behind me. I've been to the 3rd world countries with much better transportation. What a shame

Viewing from 🇦🇺🦘, as I watch 370/371 through Bangor with fun chat & live stream

I wish the footage wasn't sped up, it feels a bit awkward!