Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge
On January 15 I decided to check out the new Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago Union Station, thanks to a free pass I received for renewing my Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card. An actual train ticket was unnecessary, although that would have made the visit a little sweeter. Nevertheless, this newly renovated space is the cleanest, newest, brightest, most relaxing atmosphere I’ve ever encountered in a train station.
First of all, there are windows! The new Metropolitan Lounge space includes the Pennsylvania Room at ground level above the main portion of the lounge, which is at track level. This is a welcome contrast to the old space’s lack of windows.
The highlights of the Pennsylvania Room are some PRR photographs adorning the walls.
More views of the Pennsylvania Room. Bright, modern, and plenty of space.
The main space (track level) has plenty of space and includes a children’s area.
The snack snack and beverage area is self serve and features a flat screen arrival and departure monitor. More snacks were brought out after this photo was taken – nuts and snack mix.
I’ll end this post with the most pleasant of surprises during my visit: a clean restroom! This is BY FAR the cleanest restroom I have EVER seen in a public train station. All in all, Amtrak’s new Metropolitan Lounge is well worth a visit whenever your sleeping car ticket finds you at Chicago Union Station. Check it out!
Sunrise Along The “Racetrack”
Today I was fortunate enough to have some extra time getting to work, so I stopped by the Western Springs Metra Station, milepost 16 on BNSF’s former CB&Q triple track “racetrack” between Chicago Union Station and Aurora. There’s nothing like the Land of the Burlingtons (as this route was coined in an early 1970s advertising poster series) during rush hour – I saw 6 trains in only 10 minutes! What a great early Christmas present to me! Time to share – enjoy!
It’s great to see stations decked in holiday gear:
Even better are the Burlington bilevel coaches (below)that have been relettered for their original owner. Some of these cars date back to 1950!
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Chicago Union Station Never Looked So Good
Last week I rode Metra’s Milwaukee District North Line (as it’s called now; those of us old enough to remember still call it “The Milwaukee Road”) from Deerfield to Chicago Union Station to attend a conference. Since my normal commute does not involve the flanged wheel, so this was a welcome diversion. I had read and heard Amtrak had been renovating and relocating some of its services at this grand facility they own, and having caught an earlier train than I’d expected, I decided to spend my extra time scouting it out.
First of all, I don’t recall the holiday decorations ever looking this good. I wonder if the average daily commuter even notices these festive additions on their hurried, get-out-of-my-way to work routine. There’s even an almost life size mock up of the Polar Express locomotive accompanying the Santa Claus display area. What kid wouldn’t want his photo taken with Santa at Union Station?
More impressive and important than the holiday decorations are the renovations and improvements of Amtrak’s services here. The last major renovation at CUS was in 1991, so this quarter-century makeover is quite welcomed. All Amtrak services have been moved to the Great Hall, including the ticket counter, information kiosk, Metropolitan Lounge, general waiting area (in the great hall itself), and the addition of the Legacy Club and Burlington Room for extra-fare passengers. Check back for a future post once I’ve sampled these amenities.
Another nice touch is the addition of some historical interpretive displays. CUS is a grand, old structure whose history should be celebrated and shared; this one below even showcases the worn, uneven marble stairs:
As for the mezzanine level (think food court and other retail services), renovation is still ongoing, but is manageable and not difficult to navigate. Check back for updates after my next visit!
DVD Review: Covered Wagons of the Cascade
“Covered Wagons of the Cascade”, by Pentrex. Copyright 2016. 48 minutes, color, stereo, narrated, maps, original sound. Retail $29.95. Item CWC-DVD.
I received this DVD in the mail yesterday, a Christmas present given to me from….me. This is the first DVD I’ve purchased in a long time, and it is quite an enjoyable program.
The DVD starts with vintage Amtrak “rainbow” era footage at Portland, OR Union Station and Chicago Union Station in 1971-72. This is a beautiful but brief look back at that colorful era before repainting into Amtrak coloring took place. This has personal significance to me (see my earlier post titled “It’s All My Dad’s Fault”). I’ve often wondered why certain Rail fan DVDs include material from outside the geographic area mentioned in the title – Portland, and especially Chicago, are definitely not in the Cascades. Perhaps this footage was included to round out the total length of the DVD with material from the same photographer. Whatever the reason, it’s a welcomed inclusion in this case.
The majority of this DVD consists of Burlington Northern F-units pulling manifest freights between Seattle and Sumas, Washington, on the Canadian border, from the mid-1970s through 1981. F3s, F7s, and other vintage power including ex-Northern Pacific GP9s with roof mounted torpedo tubes and bells are shown. Freight cars of the era make a strong appearance on trains traversing the beautiful Cascade region, including vintage BN cabooses from predecessor lines. The photographer shares a cab ride with us as well. A bonus toward the end of the program is a train being handed over at the Canadian Pacific interchange at Sumas, WA. Three CP GP9s, one still in maroon and gray, take over from there.
One feature I believe could definitely be improved is the maps that accompany some of the chapters. They include minimal detail and incorrect state boundaries and shapes, providing minimal reference more than the general filming locations.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable program worth owning, especially if you are a fan of EMD Covered wagons, early Amtrak, Burlington Northern and its predecessors, Washington State or 1970s railroading. Enjoy!
Wordless Wednesday
It’s All My Dad’s Fault
It’s all my Dad’s fault. See, when I was 3 years old, my Dad built me a layout for the Lionel trains of his childhood (a 2026 steam locomotive and set). It was 3 x 6 feet and had casters instead of table legs so I could store it under my bed. I can remember it quite clearly – the original plan was an up and over design from a Lionel track plan book, but the weight of the 2026 meant cranking up the speed to get it up the hill only to have said weight cause it to crash on the way down. So plan B was an inverted figure 8 with a 45 degree crossing and three sidings. This was 1972, and I was hooked.
I grew up in Glenview, Illinois, milepost 17 on the Milwaukee Road in North Suburban Chicagoland. My Dad enjoyed photographing and filming (Super 8) the rail action in Glenview. He compiled some footage and titled it “Trains out of Glenview”; don’t bother looking for it online or anywhere else – I have the only copy. He brought me to the depot with him on several occasions to watch the early Amtrak “rainbow”trains of the era come and go on their way to and from Milwaukee and beyond. I was amazed at these colorful trains, and Great Northern’s “Big Sky Blue” quickly became my favorite and has been to this day. And once again I was hooked.
By the time the above photo was taken on Halloween, 1973, it was too late – I was hooked for life. My Dad was a very interested man, and trains were just one of his many interests. It wasn’t his only interest that wore off on me, but it sure wore off the most.
This blog is a new adventure for me, and I will be covering all things flanged wheel from my perspective. I hope you enjoy it – feel free to let me know what you think. And I thought it fitting to open with this tribute to my Dad, because after all, it’s all his fault.
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