I feel a deep sense of loss when I see the ridiculous amount of variety we used to have in the Chicago area. I have a similar video from the bridge in 1990 but I can't post it because it's nearly unwatchable with the camera shake and poor framing. My dad took me when I was 14 and I sucked at using the camcorder. lol
I can relate to the shaky videos. My early stuff was pretty bad without the tripod. I too miss the variety on the railroads these days, but sometimes you do still get a train with some cool old cars on it.
I lived in La Grange in the 1960's and spent lots of after school hours along the IHB tracks, mostly at the CBQ overpass. My feelings are the same. Back in the late 60's we saw all kinds of stuff coming through on the IHB - mix of wood-sheathed and all steel freight cars, locos and cabooses from different roads, plus all the trade-in locos heading to EMD plant and the newly built locos being shipped out of EMD. And then there were the sidings on the IHB, just outside of the EMD plant where we'd go exploring all the dead locos awaiting their fate at Pielets scrap yard. We could climb up in the cabs of the trade-ins, including sitting in the cab of a Santa Fe Alco PA parked on the siding adjacent to the IHB mainline and watch the IHB trains pass by. On top of all that, there were all the E8/9 powered commuter trains, freight trains and Zephyrs on the CBQ constantly passing by at the overpass. What a great place to enjoy train watching. Hard to believe it was 50 years ago now.
Excellent Catches and video!
I feel a deep sense of loss when I see the ridiculous amount of variety we used to have in the Chicago area. I have a similar video from the bridge in 1990 but I can't post it because it's nearly unwatchable with the camera shake and poor framing. My dad took me when I was 14 and I sucked at using the camcorder. lol
I can relate to the shaky videos. My early stuff was pretty bad without the tripod. I too miss the variety on the railroads these days, but sometimes you do still get a train with some cool old cars on it.
I lived in La Grange in the 1960's and spent lots of after school hours along the IHB tracks, mostly at the CBQ overpass. My feelings are the same. Back in the late 60's we saw all kinds of stuff coming through on the IHB - mix of wood-sheathed and all steel freight cars, locos and cabooses from different roads, plus all the trade-in locos heading to EMD plant and the newly built locos being shipped out of EMD. And then there were the sidings on the IHB, just outside of the EMD plant where we'd go exploring all the dead locos awaiting their fate at Pielets scrap yard. We could climb up in the cabs of the trade-ins, including sitting in the cab of a Santa Fe Alco PA parked on the siding adjacent to the IHB mainline and watch the IHB trains pass by. On top of all that, there were all the E8/9 powered commuter trains, freight trains and Zephyrs on the CBQ constantly passing by at the overpass. What a great place to enjoy train watching. Hard to believe it was 50 years ago now.