I keep coming back to this video. It gives what I think is the best representation of a rush hour on the racetrack!

DAMN 3 Metra trains and that freight train is still going by!

Yes they are. Depending on the number of station stops each train makes, about 15-30 minutes.

Wow i remember that crossing from when i was kid in the 80's, my Dad would take me here to watch the trains go by, we also went on top of parking garage at MacNeal to watch them too.

Plus, this is ONE of the many rail lines that converge at Chicago, at the same time! The closer to the downtown depots, the more congested rail traffic becomes. Steamers were still running when I was a kid.

I grew up at that location......Cant imangine how many pennies we smashed on a Sat.afternoon back in those days when the LaVergne station still had a stove to keep us warm waiting for trains....

That explains the strange small window in the upper rear part of the last coach. Thank you for the information.

Amazing that all of this action is being dispatched from Ft. worth Texas!

The bridge still carries trains. Many years ago, it used to be owned by the Chicago Central. Illinois Central took over the line later on and because of the merger, CN operates the line to this day.

Awesome,,miss train and locomotivess,,,my gramps built a bunch working in LaGrange at EMD

The BN Es were owned by the West Suburban Mass Transit District and leased to the BN to use on the BN line. They never ventured over other lines.

The best Metra collection I've seen by far!

Frank I love your metra video

I can tell that most of these eastbounds are X-trains because I was looking in the Metra's BNSF timetable and I only seen three express trains. Plus the eastbound X-trains run in the evening rush

Love seeing the full Metra rush including the loopback trains!

8:20 nice horn on that train

I figured out all the trains 1245 (Local Skip) F40PHM-2 193 1270 (Local Skip) F40PHM-2 199 1247 (Express) F40PHM-2 194 (That train made all stops before this and is going all the way out to Downers Grove) 1272 (Express) F40PHM-2 190 (That train makes almost all stops up to La Grange and goes straight to Chicago) I assume the freight is why it’s on the middle track 1249 (Express) F40PHM-2 196 (This train goes straight to downtown Berwyn since 1247 made most of the other previous stops before) 1251 (Express) F40PHM-2 195 (Onto the long middle track express trains, going from the city all the way west to Downers Grove) 1274 (Local skip) F40PHM-2 200 1253 (Local Stop) F40PHM-2 214 “Operation Lifesaver” (Hey a freight, good you were on that side of the tracks but you missed middle track express 1255 heading to La Grange) 1257 (Express) MP36PH-3S 405 (The big 11 car train heading way out to Naperville, and yeah the BNSF had MP36’s back in 2009) 1276 (Express) F40PH-2 183 (This also goes nonstop from La Grange to Chicago) 1259 (Express) F40PHM-2 192 (Another Downers Grove express & 193 from the beginning pushing a deadhead back east.) 1261 (Express) F40PHM-2 199 (Already saw this equipment, now heading to Hinsdale and congrats on getting that horn) 1280 (Express) F40PHM-2 205 (That train had been nonstop since Downers Grove’s Belmont station and is heading straight to Chicago) 1263 (Local stop) F40PHM-2 190 (Now this train again making a stop) 1265 (Express) F40PH-2 184 (There goes the horn as the train heads to Congress Park) 1267 (Express) F40PHM-2 213 (Another 11 car Naperville express and this is that last filmed source where I see CB&Q cab car) 1269 (Express) F40PHM-2 197 (So many expresses way to to Downers Grove) 1271 (Express) MP36PH-3S 402 “State of Illinois” (And off to Hinsdale with a horn) 1273 (Local stop) F40PHM-2 200 196 from earlier pushing a Dead-ahead East 1275 (Express) F40PH-3 183 (Another Congress Park express & BNSF engines) 1277 (Express) F40PHM-2 189 & MP36PH-3S 404 (Yes 2 locomotives with 10 cars going out to Naperville) 1279 (Express) F40PHM-2 193 (3rd time this video, now going to Downers Grove) You also missed 190’s dead-ahead 1281 (Local stop) F40PHM-2 205 (RIP) Highlight: F40PH-2 184 pushes dead-ahead East on middle track while local 1288 with F40PHM-2 188 on the inbound track) 1283 (Express) F40PHM-2 196 (Naperville express soon changing tracks) 1373 (Express) F40PHM-2 198 (Downers Grove express also soon changing tracks) 1285 (Local skip) F40PHM-2 190 F40PH-2 183 pushes last dead-ahead east 1287 (Express) F40PH-2 184 (Last express to Downers Grove passing a freight) 1289 (Local stop) 189 (Freight in it) Finally 1292 (Local skip) F40PHM-2 Operation Lifesaver Those were the trains

Awesome video! Wow, you guys get 34 trains out there! I thought our 16 was a lot!

Great footage! I also like the sound of wheels on the jointed track

majestic

I've been there as well and it gets pretty busy in the morning and evening rush.

@ 4:07, bad Nathan horns sounds like a damaged diaphragm air leak

4:07 and 8:20 (A twin has arrived)

I started clapping when the F40PH passed the BNSF lashup at 5:59

hi, the movies is excellent, thanks ★★★★★

and that's just commuters. it's called the racetrack for a reason. also, amtrak has (i think) 4 trains a day over the line, to.

there is absolutely no way those containers are making it under that bridge at 2:14

it cool how at 7:08 the other inbound come from behind the engine! great video!

Great to see a few of these trains up and really moving! Are they always this clean? Everything looks freshly-washed!

nice video Frank

@moonoink Yes it is. But it is shared jointly with the NCTD/South Shore Line Railway.

@gibb1991 i know that but when i said kensington i was referring about between kensington and university park it's all metra

Awesome vids man I approve of this.

Great shots!

The metra does no need to look at any signs really. It is a commuter train, which means there are all kinds of signals in the cap, send by computers. The Junctions re also switched by computers. All it needs is power on power off

the cars look really neat and like the 2nt car at 5:42

7:07 is my favorite part of this video but is this line the most busiest line on METRA and GREAT VIDEO?

The engineer operates the locomotive from the front coach which doubles as a cab control car.

3:18 I made this into a game called "Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019" its private, there is this thing called the dls (download station) would it be ok if i were tow upload it their so people can put it on a metra f40phm-2 loco? its fine if you say no, if you do ill just keep it to myself, just wondering before i upload it without permission. oh and btw ill credit you and leave a link to this video if i were to upload it.

@gibb1991 And The Rock Island and Electric Routes are completely owned by Metra

@moonoink According the the NICDT/South Shore Line webpage, they serve all the way to Millenium Terminal.

@mkopp88 Longer than we run Metrolink. Thanks for the info.

@TheRealSAVAGEuno BNSF contributes to Metra's passenger operations. As does, Union Pacific, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific. It's not uncommon to see those company logos on the side of certain Metra route trains as well.

I wouldn't necessarily say "rare", it's one of Metra's regular cab cars with a big decal.

Some of these F40PH-2's and F40PHM-2's need their horns looked at

@ziggypwner they are normally between 6 and 11 cars

Very hard to do, since Metra uses freight lines that wouldn't be able to clear high level platforms, and gauntlet tracks would be too impractical, especially on the Racetrack.

And what about Metra going backwards?

Awesome! I have not seen so much Metra action in a single footage. What kind of bridge is it over the rails? Its good times are history long ago. And just one more question. When Metra goes backwards how does the engineer look after the signals and all that lies in front of the train?

4:50 Mp36 Metra

How long do they run Metras? (From a curious Southern Californian)

how long did it take you to compile this video?

@moonoink On the Electric Line, that is.

@ 5:54 did anyone else notice that Santa Fe warbonet?

Im still waiting for that old Ill central bridge now owned by CN to come crumbling down,especially when they park a freight on it.Its just a matter of time.

@ziggypwner its runs from 5 am to about 1230 am

Awesome video!!

Awesome!

I had a question why do the passenger cars have BNSF printed on them? We're those passenger cars originally owned by bn/BNSF then bought by metra? I do see the old metra cars over here bought by Marc which is awesome. Thanks.

Welcome, if you want any more info you can contact me on Facebook, at the Bellingham(WA) Railway Museum. I am the moderator, also I grew up watching these engines growing up in La Grange IL, 5 Miles west of the location of the video.

Way Cool ;D Do the bi-levels have the BNSF logo? I think i see in the video. How fast do trains go?

Awesome catch, is it just me or did some of the metra cars have the BNSF swoosh logo in small lettering next to the door?

@mkopp88 Oh. How many cars do they run them?

I have a question. Why do Metra coaches have BNSF patches on them? Is Metra Owned by BNSF? God bless!

Is that the same train the entire video

@gibb1991 But after kensington it's all metra

dude how many metras go by in a day cause it looks like a lot!

2:13 Did that train fit under the tunnel?

how much time was inbetween each train during rush hour?

You uploaded this on my girlfriends birthday aug 23

Why would a mp36ph metra loco running on the BNSF line?

why do some of the cars say BNSF on them

#184's horn needs tuning

@akrudolphy like the one at 8:12

This vid is shot nicely and sharp detail but, just lacks that certain character the BN E8's have. The E8's would roar when they came to town. The F40's just whine.That bridge might tumble under CN's watch. They might have bit off more than they can chew trying to control so much rail in the states.

I go there almost every day

What Is The Exact Height Of One Of Those Beasts? From Wheel To Roof.

0:18

@celica825 i mean 8:18

it was late thats why its ging so fast

Those MP36s were all banned from the BNSF because of mechanical problems.

If anyone can see this, it's dead wrong for Metra to be run by politicians. Politics and railroads DO NOT MIX! It's exactly like texting and driving - they also DO NOT MIX! See what happened to Penn Central? Milwaukee Road? Rock Island? All three went bankrupt and eventually went out of business. Rock Island was forced to shut down because of POLITICS. Milwaukee Road almost went under because of POLITICS. And Penn Central almost went down because of POLITICS.

When i s rush hour?

dear god, the horn at 3:18 made me cringe.

Frank changed his name to boxcar frank

Berwyn Daylesford Paoli

Who CARES?!?!

0:19