N1EY: I am N1EY. This is the webpage about the adventures through time and space of Bill O’Hara, N1EY. My email is n1ey@n1ey.com

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Sun
22
Nov '09

Ohio 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

Check out more pictures at the Ohio 2009 album.

Above is a picture of a RoadRailer train on the Norfolk Southern.  The Roadrailer trains are part of a network which runs primarily on Norfolk Southern trackage.  However, they do run on other railroads.  It is headed for Chicago.  The roadrailers probably have some LCL freight but many of the trailers are probably loaded with small autoparts.  It is passing the junction with the Mad River Museum in Belluve, Ohio.  During the summer of 2009 WA1NYC and I visited Ohio for some of the railroading action.  We looked over the remnants of the Nickel Plate on the Norfolk Southern and the parts of B&O on the CSX.  The ex-NYC lines are not quite the same, anymore.  They used to be part of a complete through line to Chicago, but they are now divided between CSX and NS.  We reviewed some portions of the ex New York Central mainline to Chicago west of Cleveland on now Norfolk Southern.  Also, Norfolk Southern has always worked on developing Triple Crown as its’ Roadrailer service.  Triple Crown often has its own unique routes which are different from the older and newer general freight patterns.  The train in the first picture has trailers with destinations unavailable in the network’s earlier years.  I also saw roadrailers in Illinois on the ex-Wabash line; this traffic pattern had been established for quite some time at this stage.
In this picture NS 2722 leads a coal train from southern Ohio to Lake Ontario for trans-loading to a vessel for delivery elsewhere. Norfolk Southern is a combination of lines heading in a variety of directions across Ohio.  CSX obtained the west/east ex-NYC line from Buffalo, NY to Cleveland since NS already had a similar line orginally owned by the Nickel Plate.  You can review a system map of the Nickel Plate at the historical society’s website.  2722 is heading north on ex-NP trackage which crosses junctions with the NS and CSX east/west tracks near Ashtabula, Ohio.

As you can see King Coal is definitely in charge here.  Coal continues to provide a major source of revenue for the railroads as the railroads clearly possess the most environmental-friendly and efficient method of transporting the coal.  Norfolk Southern can deliver coal from West Virginia and other locales on a relatively short-haul via the north/south line terminating in Ashtabula, OH.  In the above picture, a coal train’s contents are being slowly removed and carried to a waiting coal ship.
The B&O has always run through Ohio.  Little of the old B&O line through Ohio has changed through the years with CSX.  Now, traffic goes to the ex-NYC Avon yard in Indianapolis, IN or down the ex-pennsy line to Saint Louis for interchange to Kansas City.  While some routings outside of Ohio have changed, the trains still course through the B&O line of CSX.  The original B&O has a rich legacy as the second common carrier railroad in North America to initiate services.  It has a few choice venues with nice antique depots still remaining.  The line is still being expanded as it is still a vital artery.  In the picture above is the old B&O depot at North Baltimore.  This is not far from the crossing of the B&O, C&O, and Nickel Plate railroads in Fostoria, which is affectionately known by the locals as Fo City.
West of North Baltimore is another fine location at Deschler, OH of a crossing of B&O with the C&O’s north/south line which terminates in Cinncinatti, OH.  This is a wonderful location with a lot of activity.  You just might not see many trains west of Deschler, if they are heading south.  Trains come from the west to head to Cincinatti, as well.  There is a nice railfan park at this location as well.  ATCSMonitor is also useful for monitoring traffic patterns on the B&O line.
Another fine location in Ohio, but a challenging location for photography is Belluve, Ohio.  The Mad River museum is also worth visiting.  There are some exemplary pieces on display at the museum.  The museum also provides proper care for its’ static displays.  It has one of the best preserved interiors for any troop sleeper in the United States.  Below is another shot in Ohio of a Norfolk Southern train with mostly empty gondolas.  Notice the evergreens in the shot?
N1EY

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Railfanning

Part of webmaster's adventure in Site News

KB1PBT called me up.  He was going railfanning on the Norfolk Southern.  Oh, wait. I am sorry that is the old Pan Am Railways?
I just ordered a new Fuji Mountain cross-country Bike from Rockland Cycle in Rockland, MA for a great price.  I have been riding more than railfanning for the past two months.  We are still keeping up the pace on Sunday mornings.  We usually have a good turn-out for fall and winter riding.
I have updated some of the engines running on n1ey.com.  We utilize PHP programs.  The picture archive has been upgraded to a considerable newer and more stable engine.
N1EY

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Wed
11
Nov '09

Remants of a by-gone era.

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

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Sat
7
Nov '09

Homewood 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

Homewood has always been a great place to catch some of the action on the Illinois Central Railroad.  The local Village has worked diligently to promote railfanning in Homewood in a safe manner.  You rarely see such interest displayed by local government in New England communities or most midwestern locales.  Many other locations have fixtures created by local organizations.  The Village has errected a viewing stand for the public use. There is a nice set of benches under shelter from the sun available for train watching in the early mornings.

The activity along the IC, now CN railways, is more suitable for morning viewing.  Many of the trains roll right past the viewing stand.  There is no suitable vantage point to see any northbound trains which originate from Markham yard.  In the summer mornings you should be able to see at least two amtrak trains, two norfolk southern trains on trackage rights, the northbound intermodal, and a northbound manifest.  You should be able to see the Markham yard switcher, and the departure of the Homewood Roadswitcher.  Remember the switcher has the really neat power.  Most of the locomotives now feature yellow reflective safety stripe.  Only a few remain in unfettered original IC paint schemes.

Plus, you have the chance to see lots of commuter rail action.  All of this had been electrified originally by the Illinois Central. You’d better hurry as the older electric bi-level commuter stock is slowly being replaced.  Make sure that you do not park in any of the commuter lots.  The private lot always tows.  Remember to stop at the bakery to pick up some coffee.  This is a great spot to hang out with the others, smell the diesel, hear the brakes applied, and sip some nice coffee.

N1EY

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Tue
3
Nov '09

Spinning

Part of webmaster's adventure in Cycling

We are starting up winter spinning.  It is getting so dark, here.  It is hard to take pictures, either.
N1EY

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Sat
10
Oct '09

Effingham

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

Below is a picture of an extra coal movement which is heading for Decatur. These movements are part of the overall trend to have a lot of trains use only a portion of the IC mainline.  The IC has reduced the capital contribution required by each train by allowing other trains from foreign roads to offset some of the costs.  When you head to southern part of Illinois you can see BNSF run through trains and other things.  You just never know.  You might also see a coal train with empty cars riding on the back as it is almost a free ride for them.


Effingham is a nice city with a stop on Amtrak.  The City of New Orleans and two regional trains stop at the former Illinois Central station which is at the crossroads of the CN and CSX.  Several videos have been made by various persons. These videos have been for commercial sale.  One video features all of the trains at the location during 24 hours.  The CSX line has gained a considerable amount of business since the acquisition of Conrail.  Much of the old B&O traffic can come through Effingham on the former Pennsy mai

nline. The Conrail traffic from the pennsy and ex-nyc base had dwindled over the years prior to the sale of Conrail as Conrail only reached St. Louis.  In the days of the Pennsy and the New York Central Saint Louis was the second most important connection after Chicago.  These giants reached Saint Louis by crossing the Illinois Central at Effingham and Mattoon, respectively.  The New York Central line through Mattoon was shuttered as it was possible to connect traffic from the ex Big Four(New York Central) yard in Avon, IN with the Pennsy mainline.  All of this mattered little for Conrail in the end as they did not have an effective connection to Kansas City, which has become a very important connection for modern day mega-railroads.  In these days after Conrail traffic from all of sorts of CSX points has been funnelled over this line on the way to Saint Louis which has helped to improve the railfanning prospects.  Just do not visit on a Monday.  It seems like a slow day for CSX.

There is also a short line railroad which operates in the industrial park.  The Illinois Central Centennial Medallons are missing from the former IC station.  One of the buildings has windows which have been covered with plywood.  Still, it is a fun place to see some trains. 
You are more likely to catch a coal extra around here than in Champaign.  The coal comes from various places such as the PAL or BNSF.  Some coal might be going to the plant in Decatur.  So this coal is not going to head up the mainline, but head for Decatur via Mattoon, which is further to the north.  To the right is a picture of the principal locomotive power of the short line, Illinois Western,which as mentioned is located in town to the southwest of the at grade crossing of CN and CSX.
N1EY

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Lately

Part of webmaster's adventure in Cycling

I have been biking a little bit here and there.  The season is ending as the sun sets more rapidly by the day.

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Tue
6
Oct '09

Indianapolis Massachusetts Avenue Criterium 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Cycling

The above picture features several competitors from the 4/5 field.  Notice the mass quantities of spare wheels available for use in the event of a flat in the wheel pit.  Lot of people switch to their race wheels at the time of and an event and reserve their normal training wheels for emergency use at the race.  I just use the same wheels all of the time.  I also consider that I am out of contention if I have to stop for two laps to revert to my old wheels, so why bother?  You receive a free lap if you are in an accident, but I am not trying to participate in an accident.

I have a new wheelset on the way from LeTourneau Wheels.  You can custom order stiff and reliable wheels from LeTournea Wheelworks at Rockland Cycle in Rockland, MA.
I raced in the 4/5 field of the Mass Ave Criterium.  This event is always hosted in a semi-residential area adjacent to the downtown office area.  The race featured a three corner loop around the neighborhood.  In the middle of the loop was the Socialer Turnverein club, which is now situated in the Athenaeum building.  The club had constructed the Deutsche Haus in the 19th century.  The building had been completed in 1898.  The building represents an influence in German-American architectural design and cultural background.  The building is now called the Athenaeum. This building is the site of the original German American club as founded in Indianapolis, IN.  The building has a terrific heritage as one of the only remaining ethnic clubhouses in Indianapolis and the vicinity.  The restaurent and biergarten remind one of my own club.  The restaurant inside is called the Ratskeller and is the oldest operating restaurant in Indianapolis.  The restaurant is older than an overwhelming majority of the restaurants in BOSTON.  So which city is really the most provincial?
The race had been a lot of fun, too!  The race promoters had been very friendly and very social.  They even hired some British emcees.  One fellow had a style very similar to Phil from the CTC.  In the picture to the right you can see the bier garten as just opened.  The sun is starting to rise and fill light into the open space adjacent to the rear of the building.  The sponsors provided free fruit and juice for all of the racers.  A celebratory party had been held in this space after the races were completed.
A more experience field prepares for the start of the race in the above picture.  Check out the large 4/5 field in the picture below.

We had a very large field in the 4/5.  A lot of those guys did not finish 2 laps.
N1EY

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Sun
27
Sep '09

Indy 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Site News

I saw some neat stuff in Indy.  I managed to find a very cool Dunkin’ Donuts.  I also had a change to race around the streets of downtown Indy.  Indy is the site of one of the first velodromes to ever be constructed in the United States.  Eventually the impetus behind bicycling racing subsided.  It had been replaced by motorcar racing.  They also like their football.  The Colts have commanded a substantial fan base.  I was walking around the city prior to the commencement of a pre-season game.  There were tons of fans situated throughout the city.  A lot of code blue tailgate parties were under way.
The football fans walked all around the city.  Their vehicles were located in many of the different parking lots in the area.  It was hard to find any on-street parking.  There was capacity available in the vertical parking garages including the one by CSX dispatching.   Many fans had custom vehicle painting completed in order to show their devotion to the team.  I did not see many fans venture over to some of the coffee shops while waiting for the game to start.  I was wondering if a form of animosity had been demonstrated against the official coffee of the New England Patriots.  Yes.  I had spotted a very interesting Dunkin’ Donuts, which had very few Colts jerseys tricking through it.  This store features a revolving marquee sign above the roof.  This is something unique, which you do not happen to find installed at most DD franchies.
N1EY

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Sat
19
Sep '09

Bicycling in Chicagoland

Part of webmaster's adventure in Cycling

Welcome to another fine post by me.  I am starting to write more.  It is very interesting to compare the bicycling scene between Chicago and Boston. I have a lot more pictures to display.  I guess this is the impetus for more recent postings.  Check out the new light fixtures on the Roosevelt street Bridge.  In the background is the Printer’s Row neighborhood.  Everything by this area of Chicagoland is deluxe.  I remember when people used to be fraught with horror upon finding out that I was loitering around this area while I waited for the trains to roll past me.  Behind me is a Whole Foods supermarket.  The area has changed immensely.

Now, the area is relatively safe.  It is not like Drexler Blvd to the south.  Lots of people feel confident to ride their bicycles.  There was a constant stream of bicycles coming from work in the area southeast of the Loop.  Plus, there was a constant stream headed towards the Lake Shore Drive and all of the residential places tucked away to the east.  I was amazed to see Racers, Fast bikers, very slow bikers, cross bikes, cruisers, etc pass by me.  Everything went by me!

There definitely was a higher volume of bicycle traffic here than in places like Commonwealth Ave or Beacon St in Boston.  It was constant and unrelenting.  One thing to note was the absence of helmuts by many of these riders.  You would not see this in Boston.  We need someone like CTPS to count all of these Chicago bicyclers for us.
There is a hugely positive attitude towards bicycling.  Boston needs to copy more of it.  We have a bicycling czar and one upcoming biking race.  However, we are looking at implementing bicycling lanes on the left side of busy roads and messing with traffic signals.  They would take parking spots away from neighborhoods. Chicago is busy promoting bicycling with things such as the Bicycling Ambassadors.
Riders need education in regards how to properly ride in the streets.  This program helps people learn how to ride and shows them how to transport themselves and things to work.  Boston’s approach is to create new road technology instead of simply getting everyone familiar with bicycling.  How is someone going to use a bicycle lane when they do not know how to use it?  The priorities are different in Chicago.
I was very impressed with some of the railfans in Chicago.  Two fellows rode with their bikes to the bridge to catch a photograph of rare diesel engine making its way to Union station.  One biker dismounted his cross bicycle and hoped onto the pavement like he was at a cross race.  A bike race is being promoted at Solder’s Field every two weeks to draw people to the waterfront and encourage bicycling.  There is a lot of bicycle activity and positive vibe in Chicago.
N1EY

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Norfolk Southern trains on the IC

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading


There seems to be quite a bit of open access on the Illinois Central.  In the CN fashion other railroads are able to buy excess capacity on the IC.  Norfolk Southern has been running on the IC tracks prior to the CN purchase.  CN allows UP, shortlines, and others to run on the Iowa Division.  You can see a lot of UP trains on the IC in Iowa when a detour is required.  Norfolk Southern has abandoned some of its’ Wabash trackage.  Much of the trackage south of Manhattan, IL is gone.  A small segment, which starts at Risk,IL belongs to the Bloomer shortline; I have pictures of this line to post, soon!
The Bloomer uses the short piece of track from Gibson City north to Risk, IL where the Bloomer connects to ex-IC track.  The track north of Risk is out of service.  This track would have continued to Manhattan.
You might know that the IC runs to Gibson City via the connection at Gilman, IL.  The line is a secondary with a fair amount of traffic.
You are guaranteed very reliable early-morning traffic from the Norfolk Southern on every day of the week. I have a picture of the TPW intermodal train in Manteno, which came through Gilman.  I consider myself lucky to catch it.  You can catch early morning pictures in the fall and spring very easily as the northbound auto parts train comes off the NS in Gilman.  Eventually, the northbound connects to the IC mainline in Gilman.  You might have an opportunity to catch the northbound IC manifest, the City of New Orleans, and extra, and the Gilman road-switcher.  You should definitely be able to catch a train passing the Gilman coal towers.
In the first picture you can see the northbound autorack train pass the Markham switcher job in Homewood, IL.  I took this shot from the parking lot.  Do not park you car here.  Park your car by the Homewood railfan platform.  Make sure to buy some coffee from the local establishments to establish your bona-fides.  The second shot is taken from the street north of the Gilman station and diamond.  The NS northbound is on the connecting track.  The third track features the same train heading pass the the Gilman coal towers.  I took this shot from the cemetery.
The above shot features the southbound Norfolk Southern train.  It took the connection shortly after the northbound left Gilman.  This is southwest of Gilman.  I followed the train on a nice paralleling road to Gibson City.
N1EY

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Wed
9
Sep '09

IC 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

This is the Amtrak City of New Orleans traveling north through Kankakee, IL on the Illinois Central Mainline.
The Illinois Central Railroad seems to be fading into the distant past like a dream.  The days of CN have really arrived.  IC power is rapidly disappearing.  A whole number of units were found in the deadlines in Effingham. Pieces which ran past at one point are rapidly showing up as static display pieces. The village of Homewood has leased land from Metra in order to put on display, IC #8408.  This is a fabulous unit and indicative of the IC engine programs.  Some of the other units such as the 6000 series were actually ex-BN units.  Several IC units, when purchased new from the builder, still linger on the New England Central near me.
The Village of Homewood has also worked on improving railfan accessibility.  They have created a platform for railfans to sit and watch the trains.  This is definitely a good spot for some morning activity.  They also worked hard to have CN remove some of the bulky signaling line which obscured the mainline.  Here is #1002 pulling the morning intermodal train from New Orleans into Homewood.  Notice the safety green vest that the engineer is wearing.  This is definitely CN, now.  CN has the best safety record regardless of any notable accidents of late.  The intermodal train has started to obtain more international traffic and has a lot of double stacks. The train has set-outs and pick ups in Memphis.  I have fotos somewhere which show transfer of intermodal cars from KCS; I took those years, ago.  The #1002 was one of the first sets in the last two new engine orders that IC had made.  This is it.  CN has installed yellow striping around the sill plates, which really detract from the original paint scheme with the famous AT&T style logo.
I definitely spent more time shooting IC pictures during my trip then shooting BNSF or UP pictures.  The IC is were all of the fun can be had.  It is just my speed.  In the morning, if you start early, then you can the northern manifest, the intermodal, the City of New Orleans, and the Norfolk Southern northbound auto train. Plus, you can catch the switching of the yard as the locomotives pull past Homewood station.  In a little bit of time you might be able to catch the Homewood Road Switcher head south.  There are still road switchers stationed in Kanakakee and Gilman.  However, they often have different power than the nice IC units from the old days.  Effingham has an Elgin, Joliet & Eastern unit in the yard.  The Mattoon Champaign Turn has a EJE unit as well.  CN power abounds.  I try to take pictures in some of the more non-traditional spots.  It always seems that people like to shoot pictures of the old coaling towers in Gilman.
Yet, very few people show pictures downtown.  Don’t they like trees? CN 2575 leads a northbound manifest in this picture.  Radio traffic was heavy on one morning.  I could hear too much in my car.  I have noticed how easy it is to receive too much traffic on one main frequency.  Simulatenously, a MOW unit, Champaign yardmaster, Markham yard master, and the Dispatcher are trying to talk to trains.  With FM Quieting only the strongest survive.  It turns out that train crews were having as many issues as I.  I could hear the Amtrak crew and the MOW crew in Paxton with my handheld in Rantoul.  Try doing this somewhere on the CSX mainline in NY.
Here is a picture of the light engine movement often seen south of Champaign.
N1EY

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Fri
4
Sep '09

Chicago Soldier’s Field Criterium Series

Part of webmaster's adventure in Cycling

I have competed in a number of races this year.  I have raced in a number of states, too.  It is a lot of fun.  I was talking with Bob, whom rides with me a lot on Sundays.  He is a retired racer.  He has raced in an equal number of states.  He had a lot of fun on the road.  It is a great way to see new places.

While in Chicagoland I decided that I had to try a race.  I had thought about the practice racing for the South Chicago Wheelmen as it was not far from Homewood.  However, I wanted to try this new series by Soldier’s Field.  It is also pretty cool to say how many stadiums for which you have raced past or within.  They have been running the races every two weeks.  They had two Cat 4/5 fields. I only wished that I could had started the earlier field.  I was not able to get many pictures of the 1-2-3 race as it was dark.  They have to race underneath the lighting.  This is way to tough for me.  Plus, when I was taking photographs I did not want to use any FLASH units.  I figure that might even pose a danger.  It was a fun race.  The back stretch had me easily accelerating to 35 to stay with the pack.  There were a number of turns in which some of the cat 5’s could not handle.  It was definitely better to be in the middle of the pack towards the front.
One fellow that I met while railfanning earlier in the day had already raced in the series.  It is very popular.  Bicycling also seems more popular in the loop area of Chicagoland than in downtown Boston.
I met one girl whose boyfriend was in the cat 3 race.  They were from Florida.  Some people are just like me.  If you are in town and a race is in proximity to you, then why not roll out the bicycle.
N1EY

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Thu
3
Sep '09

Tolono, IL 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

Here are some truck frames heading east to an assembly plant.  They might have originated in the Ford plan in St. Louis.
I managed to stop at a few crossings along a trip following the Illinois Central mainline.  Tolono is south of Champaign.  It is not very far from Tuscola, either.  This can be a great spot to catch Norfolk Southern trains with autoparts on the move.  I have taken photos along this line in various spots to the west of Tolono including Bement.  Norfolk Southern crosses the IC on the old wabash Decatur mainline at Tolono.  There used to be a northeast connection track at the diamond, but it has been ripped.  The southeastern connection track is still there.  However, I do not believe any of the Geismar originated traffic still relies upon the NS wabash mainline.
N1EY

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Sat
29
Aug '09

Metra (Chicago Commuter Railroad System) 2009

Part of webmaster's adventure in Railroading

Railroading in Chicagoland and Illinois features a lot of commuter rail activity.  Some of the commuter trains have limited schedules.  Other trains feature enhanced schedule frequency, weekend service, and mid-day service.  Some of the commuter trains for METRA(Regional agency) run only as often as AMTRAK regional service down to Carbondale.  WA1NYC and I spent time along the Race-track of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.  This line runs west to some of the richer suburbs of Chicagoland.  Service is available through out the day.  We shot numerous pictures of modern METRA equipment and some of the old units.  There are new passenger cars and new engines.  We spent much of the time in Hinsdale, which is very nice.  The trains to Aurora run on
They also have a very nice bicycle shop in Hinsdale, but every bicycle seems to priced above $2,000.  The serious bicycles seem to be priced at $4,000 and above.  I would hesitate to even buy accessories.  However, it is nice to look at the bikes.
We also spent some time at Roosevelt Road in Chicago.  This is south of the loop which is just about the epicenter of Chicagoland.  People often say they are going towards the loop. On the BNSF line to Aurora the express trains often run in the middle track.  The westbounds often run in the northern track.  Eastbounds, which are heading towards the loop, run in the south track.  There are many stations along this line.  Most of these stations have large amounts of available parking in dedicated commuter parking lots and private lots.  The BNSF line has a high frequency of service, but many of these trains only stop at particular stations.  The stops on consecutive train runs are offset in order to cycle train boardings at all of the stations throughout the day.  WA1NYC and I shot METRA trains at two of the three main stations in the village of Hinsdale.
One of our favorite spots is located along the eastern side of the village.  The railroad comes through a fill to the station.  We often loiter around the single lane bridge, which crosses the tracks near the station.  This is near the hospital.  It provides great shots for the westbounds during the afternoons.  It is difficult to photograph eastbounds during the afternoon.   This bridge has a sidewalk which is really located on the wrong side for afternoon shooting.  There has been talk over the past ten years in regards to replacing this bridge.  It actually has a high vehicular volume and creates a north/south traffic blockage during hospital shift changes and rush hours.
It used to be a different style of living in the area adjacent to Roosevelt Road south of the loop in Chicago..  Now, it is very interesting.  People actually ride their bicycles around there area and walk to Whole Foods.  Printer Row is a deluxe set of town houses south of Roosevelt Road.  At least the trains are still there.  From Roosevelt Road you can see the yard throat to Union Station.  You can also see Sears Tower.  This is one of the best settings for commuter railroading.  This is definitely a midafternoon shooting location.  Some shots would work in the morning.  This site generally favors the late afternoon for the most of the best shots.  The Union station is used for all of the Amtrak trains.  It is also used for the METRA commuter trains.  Check out of the Metra website at http://www.metrarail.com/.   The system map is at this link of http://metrarail.com/System_map/index.html.  Many trains use Union Station.  However, a number use the station to the east.  You can walk along the street and see the yard throat to LaSalle Street.   You would have to take other streets to the north in order to view trains originating from the Oglivie Transportation Center.  The UP Northwest Line originates from the Transportation Center.   The Rock Island Line uses track adjacent to the original New York Central right of way to access the LaSalle Street Station. You can walk to the end of Roosevelt and catch Metra Electric trains along with the South Shore line!  I have included a picture of one older train set on the Metra Electric below.  New sets have been online for approximately 3 years.  Additional sets have been ordered.  These shall replace all of the older sets in the next five years.  #402 in the above picture is one of the new METRA engines, which have been service for approximately five years.  The MBTA shall probably be receiving a package very similar to these engines.  This would be the successor to the MBTA GP40MC-2 line.

The above picture was taken in Homewood along the eastern side of the right of way.  The Village of Homewood has worked with CN railroad, whose tracks are in the foreground, to eliminate overheard cable in this area in order to improve photography of the CN trains.  It just happens to help in taking shots of the Metra Electric by the station and looking towards Homewood Tower.
N1EY

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