Crazy Day on UP's Geneva Sub! C&NW Power, Cabcar Ride, Broken Knuckles, & More, 05.05.11

Train 1:
My outbound Metra train passes under the rarely-used former Soo Line route from the IHB at Franklin Park to CSX at Forest Park, as UP SD70Ms #4591 and 4255 wait at River Forest with a westbound manifest headed for Proviso Yard.
Train 2:
As the train arrives at Berkeley, on the west end of Proviso Yard, the very last two unpatched Chicago & North Western locomotives left, C44-9Ws #8646 and 8701, wait for assignment along with UP GP15 #Y546.
Train 3:
We are now at Villa Park, where Metra F40PH #148, the "Village of Fox Lake", is pushing a 6-car inbound train for Chicago, toward its next stop of Elmhurst.
Train 4:
Our train is now traversing the long curves between Glen Ellyn and Wheaton, and passes an eastbound coal drag, likely headed for Northwest Indiana. The DPU power on the end is seen, UP AC4400CW #6922.
The train departs Wheaton next, passing underneath the old Chicago, Aurora & Elgin bridge. The electric interurban folded in the mid-50s and its main line and four branches are now a very large trail system. Just past the CA&E bridge is a brand-new city street bridge over the tracks.
Train 5:
At Winfield, the next stop past Wheaton, an autorack train led by one SD70ACe creeps west on a restricting signal.
Our train next departs West Chicago, passes the original station, and crosses CN's ex-EJ&E at JB Tower, which is still staffed and still occasionally gives out train orders on hoops!
Train 6:
An empty westbound coal train creeps through West Chicago Yard, with AC4400CW #5709 on the point.
Train 7:
A manifest led by a rebuilt SD70M waits to head west out of the yard.
The train now crosses the idyllic Fox River, at Geneva. The lower level of this bridge is open to pedestrians.
Train 8:
The train I have been riding now departs Geneva, heading for its final, far-flung stops at La Fox and Elburn, Illinois.
Train 9:
The manifest seen waiting earlier in West Chicago Yard zips through Geneva. I was out getting lunch when I noticed the train coming- sorry for this grab shot. Power is two SD70Ms sandwiching a patched C&NW unit, C44-9W #9696! 9696 appears to have some fire damage.
Train 10:
UP SD70ACe #8597 blasts through Geneva with an autorack train- seen earlier at Winfield. SD90/43MAC #8220 is on DPU duty.
Train 11:
The same set of equipment making up the outbound Metra train I rode here has turned at Elburn and arrives as a Chicago-bound run at Geneva, led by cabcar #8408.
Train 12:
Crossing the Fox River again, shortly we encounter a westbound stack train with rebuilt SD70M #4651 leading SD70ACe #8420, SD70M #4549, and AC4400CW #7761. An industrial spur strikes off north, then the St Charles Branch (a former connection to the Chicago Great Western) comes in from the left.
Train 13:
A brief glimpse at another westbound intermodal, with a GEVO and SD70M, as it waits to leave West Chicago Yard.
Train 14:
What is most likely the power for today's UP Villa Grove Job- GP15 #Y701, GP60 #2097 and GP15 #Y709- have been working near the West Chicago Yard office, breaking up their train.
We head slowly through the yard and cross the EJ&E again at Tower JB. The next time I start recording is further down the line at Lombard. Now we have crossed over to the center main, which is quite unusual and has these weekend travelers pretty confused!
Train 15:
Just east of the Lombard station, light C&NW power heads to West Chicago Yard from Proviso Yard. These are the last two unpatched Chicago & North Western units left on the UP roster, seen earlier at Proviso- 8646 and 8701.
More commuter confusion as we arrive short of the platforms back at Villa Park. It is standard procedure when a train is operating on the center track, to allow passengers to board at the nearest grade crossing. The engineer was nice enough to hold for one "runner"!
Train 16:
Metra F40PH #148 and its six-car train, seen earlier at the same location, arrives at the fantastically ugly Villa Park station.
Train 17:
We are on the west side of Elmhurst, where the reason for our center-track running becomes apparent: an eastbound unit reefer train has broken a knuckle, and its rear third or so has separated from the rest of the train! SD70M #4014, SD70ACe #8450 and ES44AC #7858 were leading.
Train 18:
We are now on the east side of Elmhurst, at CP Park Junction, where the connection to the Wisconsin-bound "New Line" diverges, and part of the Proviso Yard throat opens up. SD90/43MAC #8083, an SD70M and a SD70ACe crawl onto the main out of the yard with a manifest.
Train 19:
I depart the Metra train here at Berkeley, where F40PH #157 is seen pushing to consist toward Chicago.
Train 20:
UP SD70Ms #4255 and 4591 bypass Proviso, headed west. They encounter the departing manifest from earlier on their way west, as GP38 #392 and a few other units sit in the yard.
Thanks for putting up with all this text, and thanks for watching!

[@rhino2960]

@Nachtwolf1 niceness, i used to be a bit of one, helped my dad build a model layout a few years back

[@Ischaue]

Super, Danke.

[@staintedcards]

nice job bro i used live in villa park back when it looked ghetto

[@ColinMucha]

I was there that day in Elmhurst. I was around after they put Z WASK back together. I still can't figure out how they broke apart there highest priority train, on a .1 grade.

[@chooch1995]

The highest priority train doesn't get the highest priority knuckles, Colin! They're all the same & all have a breaking point!

[@rhino2960]

r u an engineer synth? or just a trainz enthusiast? im curious

[@Nachtwolf1]

@rhino2960 Just an enthusiast. =P