Iowa Pacific Pullman Rail Journeys excursion departs Chicago on 8/22/14
On Friday August 22nd, 2014, a Pullman Rail Journeys Excursion to Madison, WI using Iowa Pacific equipment set off on its journey from Chicago Union Station, I was downtown and around to catch all the action and capture the train leaving. Many other railfans came see the train leave, however most everyone waited at the Pennsylvania signal bridge at Racine Ave. grade crossing for it.
So here's the rundown of what happened. The passenger cars for the excursion were already at the Amtrak Chicago yards, and were positioned to the North concourse on track 19, right next to the Chicago river.
Iowa Pacific 515 and 518, Ex CNW 5029B and 5030A EMD E8s were moved into Union Station just around 5pm during rush hour to couple on, and reposition the train for loading passengers. So they pulled out just past Canal St. grade crossing, and pushed back in switching over all the way to track 1, the farthest track away from the Chicago river in the North concourse. This happened when it was still light out, surprisingly me and one other railfan friend were the only two people at Canal St. to get shots and all. I did tell a bunch of people to come because I had a feeling it would be too dark when it finally departed. (It was planned to, and did depart trailing behind Amtrak 341 a Northbound Hiawatha)
So basically since I knew the engineer for the station track move, he gave me a decent amount of horn at Canal st. grade crossing, and yes it sure did echo off the buildings! Then as they backed up, I moved over to the other side knowing the angle I wanted and the Ponchartrain club (the end car) blowing its wimpy horn for Canal st. grade crossing lead in. Just as the E8s were passing an inbound Metra was coming in hot too, it didn't have clearance and eventually stopped, but it really gave a cool effect as to what was happening. Basically older commuter engines pushing their train in, and a current commuter train also pushing in right near each other. I had two camcorders going for that, the other clip which I set my older camcorder on the ground for was not used in this video because it would have made the video 2 minutes longer than it is. That clip I used in my 500 subscriber special, its sped up but it still is another angle of what happened if you want to see.
The angle I went for when the excursion was pushing back was right under Wm J. Cassidy Tire Co, a building that goes back to the 1950s at least I'm sure. Iowa Pacific 515 and 518 being Ex CNW commuter E8s are real close to home there, as the tracks they originally traveled on were just over the tracks they were on in the video. (The tracks to Ogilvie Transportation Center, or to the Northwestern station originally)
Also making an unexpected appearance when first getting to Union Station in the beginning was Amtrak 66 the Phase 2 heritage unit, which is common as heck for Chicago but was a nice surprise. Honestly though I've seen and caught the Amtrak heritage units a ton, I think I've caught 66 at least 10 different times lol.
Here's a list of the railfans who I was there with for the evening:
Trainandhawksfan17-
Sethamtrak-
bnsfwarbonnet-
MrTrain513-
Taylorveldman3832-
and others who don't have Youtubes, but you know who you are. ;)
Thanks for watching!
Pullman rail cars: A detour back through time
While most journeys merely take you from Point A to Point B, one special form of train travel involves a detour back through time. Dean Reynolds takes a closer look at the famous sleeper cars in which generations past rode on trips across the country. All aboard!
Pullman Rail Journeys - Launch Speech
This speech was given by Iowa Pacific Holdings (Pullman's parent company) President Mr. Ed Ellis during the Pullman Rail Journeys launch event at Union Station in Chicago on November 2, 2012.
Pullman Rail Journeys/Iowa Pacific Varsity Special Leaving Madison 10/5/2014
On the first two weekends of October, 2014, Pullman Rail Journeys, Iowa Pacific Holdings and the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad re-created the Milwaukee Road's Varsity passenger service between Chicago and Madison. The train was fronted by the two Iowa Pacific/SLRG ex-C&NW E8s, 515 and 518. Here it crosses Monona Bay shortly after its Sunday morning departure from Madison, and throttles up as it exits yard limits.
Obama Calls Chicago's Pullman District a 'Milestone' in US Journey
President Barack Obama and others are trying to preserve U.S. historic sites and ecologically important areas so the lessons of the past can inform future generations. This week, he gave national monument status to the Pullman Historic District in Chicago, where Pullman luxury rail cars were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports.
Originally published at -
Chicago train & bus trips 1991
A trip on a Metra train from the north into Ogilvie station, downtown Chicago, followed by @ 3:48 a bus ride to the beach, and finally at O'Hare Airport
Pullman Historic District Chicago
Pullman Historic District Chicago, Illinois.
Panasonic Lumix GH3, Peleng Fisheye 8mm f3.5 The Pullman District was the first model, planned industrial community in the United States. Pullman was the scene of the violent 1894 Pullman strike. It was built for George Pullman in an area that was then beyond the City of Chicago, Illinois city limits as a place to produce the famous Pullman sleeping car.
Trains of Chicago - August 13 1993 part 2
In the evening we headed to the Illinois Central in Suburban Homewood and then stopped in downtown Chicago.
In the summer of '93 Metra was replacing the platforms at Homewood, so the station was a bit of a mess.
1. Southbound and northbound Metra Electric trains meet at Homewood.
2. A CNW freight backs north into IC's Markham yard.
3. A southbound Metra stops at the temporary platform exit.
4. A northbound train with Santa Fe & IC power heads towards the yard.
5. A northbound Metra makes a station stop.
6. A set of CNW power comes out of the yard and then heads north to Chicago.
7. Amtrak #59, the southbound City of New Orleans arrives at Homewood.
8. A southbound Metra passes and then Amtrak departs.
9. A CNW geep pulls a Bilevel train out of Madison st station and over the viaduct at Clinton st.
10. A northbound Metra departs from Madison st station.
11. An inbound Metra on the Milwaukee Road crosses Clinton st and a westbound Lake st L trains departs.
12. 2 more outbound Metra trains pull out of Madison st.
13. An outbound Milwaukee Metra crosses Clinton st.
Pullman Porters Ride Again
Pullman Porters were African American men who worked the sleeping cars and dining cars in rail's heyday. A few that remain returned to Oakland, Calif. Feb. 10, 2009 to be honored. Story link:
Iowa Pacific's Varsity departs Chicago & stops in Morton Grove, IL on 10/4/14
On 10/4/14, the first weekend of Iowa Pacific's Varsity train with two round trips from Chicago, IL to Madison, WI, I set out to catch a little bit of the action. I headed down to Chicago Union Station, Iowa Pacific 515 and 518 EMD E8s were on Track 1 North Concourse were idling with the train. Passengers for the next trip would board in a few hours. I got to meet some awesome people too, I got a tour of the cars and have lunch on board one of the dome cars with them, however I was not allowed to film. I did however get to take my time getting footage and pictures of them sitting, it was quite nice.
Shortly after I departed on an outbound that would be ahead of the Varsity, traveling to Morton Grove Metra Station on the Milwaukee District North line, or C&M subdivision. An inbound passed between the time the excursion came, as seen in the video. This certain trip of the Varsity was scheduled to stop in Morton Grove, rather than just fly by.
There was a motor coach bus that came from Evanston area for people to connect to the train, and what's funny is literally right before the gates went down North of the station, the bus went past pulled into the parking lot to unload, had he been only 1 minute later, the gates would have stopped the bus and he wouldn't have gotten onto the right side of the station to unload the people. As seen in the video, right when the Varsity crossed over to the opposite main, that's when the coach bus just crossed over the grade crossing, just perfect timing.
A little history on the Iowa Pacific 515 and 518! They were built as Chicago & NorthWestern 5029B & 5030A EMD E8s. Each one has two 12 cylinder 567C diesel engines, so a total of 4 prime moves for the pair. Each prime move generates 1,125 horsepower, for a total of 2,250 hp per E8.
Thanks for watching!
Explore CHICAGO 'The Windy City with Amtrak Vacations!
Join us for this exciting Webinar as we explore Chicago in depth. We'll talk about the best things to do and see in the city during your visit. Learn about our most popular Chicago packages, including our single city rail getaways and some of our multi-city rail trips which include other popular cities like Memphis, New York, the National Parks and MORE! As Amtrak's main hub for the long distance trains it's one of the most popular destinations by rail! We will show everyone how easy it is to book Rail, Hotel, Meals, Sightseeing and more with Amtrak Vacations or through your local Travel Agent.
Rise from the Rails: The Story of the Pullman Porter --DemocracyNow!
Rise from the Rails: The Story of the Pullman Porter. DemocracyNow! Original broadcast May 9, 2009. Closed captions added.
Source:
The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Original content of this work attributed to democracynow.org.
Chicago Terminal Series, South Side Rehab- Pullman Junction, Chicago, IL. 4-6-10.
A far cry from the rural landscape along the UP Troy Grove Subdivision where I last visited, this junction on the far South Side of Chicago is another new junction that I'm adding to the Terminal series. Pullman Junction located in the high-crime Pullman neighborhood in Chicago (95th St and Stony Island) has been around for years and is a great example of how railroads change. Up until the 1980's, the Chicago & Western Indiana had a main line running from the Southeast part of the junction through here, carrying Erie, C&O, and Monon trains from the East into the city. The C&WI is no more and the NS currently owns the line. The old Nickel Plate Road feeds into the C&WI just at the Southeast corner and further South of that is current NS Calumet Yard. Running North from the former NKP and C&WI over all the tracks is the former NKP passenger route that ran to Englewood years ago. The line is completely torn up a mile or so North of here and is only used today as a long lead track. North of the NS/C&WI/NKP is former Rock Island trackage that serves industries all along the South Side ultimately ending at the NS/NYC Chicago Line East of here. The line is currently owned by the Chicago Rail Link and usually sees trains from a host of different railroads using it to connect with other rail lines. West of here the line joins with Metra's Rock Island Line. The NS/C&WI/NKP, connects with it at the junction. Running Southwest off the CRL is the Pullman District Industrial Branch serving several industries South of here. NS operates the trackage currently but occasionally the CRL will run a job. At the Northernmost part of the junction is the BRC main leading to the NS Chicago Line East of here. NS trains commonly usually use this line to get to Clearing or Landers yard. There is a connector between the NS and BRC.
The description or even the video will not bogart how confusing this junction is laid out or where the tracks go so here's a couple links to look at. For this video series, I was standing on the North side of the tracks.
7:28AM-
A manifest with older power leading moves East on the Belt to the NS Chicago Line.
NS C40-8W #8440
NS SD70 #2576
8:40AM-
UP light power took the CRL until it reached the BRC. This power is probably headed back to Clearing Yard.
UP AC4400CW #6043
UP AC4400CW #5804
UP AC4400CW #5758
9:24AM-
An NS manifest exersises trackage rights on the CRL after hopping off the Chicago Line further East. This train was taken down the Pullman Industrial Branch.
NS C40-9W #9289
NS C40-9W #9915
9:40AM-
Seen a few mileposts East of Pullman Junction is this Eastbound manifest headed to the NS via the Belt. The train is passing through Commercial Ave Yard.
10:38AM-
Seeing BRC power is pretty rare around here even though their main runs through here. A lone unit leads a MOW train East to meet up with some tampers.
BRC GP38-2 #586
11:24AM-
On the old NKP/C&WI, a Triple Crown train rolls West.
NS C40-9W #9665
NS C40-9W #9224
11:51AM-
Off the Pullman Industrial Lead came a short transfer led by hi-hood power. This train is bound for Cal Yard.
NS GP38-2 #5227
12:23PM-
Now with the BNSF SD75I's back in service, they are everywhere once again including leading Triple Crown trains on the NS.
BNSF SD75I #8240
NS C40-9W #9516
12:33PM-
Light power bound for Clearing crosses over to the BRC whistling for the MOW crew.
NS C40-9W #9167
1:05PM-
Standard cab power leads a container intermodal through Pullman Junction most likely bound for Landers.
NS C40-9 #8871
NS SD70 #2535
1:26PM-
A transfer that was waiting for a new crew on the CRL East of Pullman finally starts moving again with NS SD60 #6660 leading solo.
(c) 9th Street Productions.
Amtrak Empire Builder Lake City, MN Heritage locomotive NX track Pullman
9/27/19
Indy Union Station Pullman Car hotel rooms
Indianapolis Union Station (oldest in the world) includes a hotel with 26 rooms in Pullman train cars on tracks.
Riding the Iowa Pacific's Varsity from Chicago, IL to Madison, WI
In September of 2014, it was announced that Pullman Rail Journeys, a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings, would be operating excursion trains between Chicago, IL and Madison, WI, in October of that year, and I had the privilege of riding on the October 11th excursion. The train, leaving Chicago at 6:40 am & arriving into Madison just before 11, operated under the name the “Varsity” which was the name of a train that operated over the same route by the Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee & Pacific Railroad (aka the “Milwaukee Road”), a train that, like many others, failed to survive into the Amtrak era.
The route of the train went out of Chicago on Metra’s Milwaukee District-North Line to Fox Lake (the tracks were operated by Metra between Chicago & Glenview, IL, the Canadian Pacific between Glenview & Rondout Junction, and then Metra again from Rondout Junction to Fox Lake), at which point, the tracks came under the ownership of the Wisconsin Southern Railroad, with the exception of a section of about five miles between Janesville and Anderson, WI, operated by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard from Cicero Avenue
Metra Heritage Corridor Cabride, Summit-Chicago
Footage from the cab car vestibule on the final stretch of the Heritage Corridor line from Summit to Chicago Union Station with everything covered in snow. Note at least one of the recently rebuilt F40PHM-2s and Siemens Charger locomotives upon arriving at Union Station. Enjoy!
HUD Secretary visits historic Pullman housing redevelopment in Chicago
(April 17, 2012) U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan today visited Chicago and toured the historic Pullman Wheelworks, a newly purchased 210-unit affordable housing building on Chicago's south side. Mercy Housing Lakefront and National Housing Trust/Enterprise Preservation Corporation (NHT/E) hosted the tour to highlight the latest preservation strategies they are employing together to address the region's affordable housing crisis.
Pullman Wheelworks is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is being redeveloped and preserved as part of an overall neighborhood revitalization plan, led by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI). The plan also includes the rehabilitation of some of Pullman's historic and unique row homes through HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
Residents of the newly rehabbed building, scheduled for completion in about 18 months, will enjoy new and expanded community rooms, new management offices, newly developed and more secure entrances, more laundry rooms and a new computer room for training classes and general use. The apartments will also receive major renovations to kitchens, bathrooms, and balconies in addition to new windows throughout the building.
People eat and drink aboard the new Mercury luxury train in Chicago, Illinois. HD Stock Footage
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People eat and drink aboard a new streamlined luxury train in Chicago, Illinois.
The New York Central Mercury locomotive and train designed by Henry Dreyfuss is seen in Chicago, Illinois. The futuristic-looking, modern Mercury luxury train moves down a railroad track. Interior view of the rear observation car. White passengers on board the Mercury train read newspapers while they are served by African American waiters. A man smoking a cigar on the train. An African American bar tender shakes a flask to prepare cocktails at the bar. Location: Chicago Illinois. Date: July 6, 1936.
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