After spending the New Year's Eve morning at Franklin Park, I moved further down the Metra Milwaukee District- West Line to its terminal in Elgin (on weekends, no trains go to Big Timber Road). My goal was to catch Canadian Pacific's train 272, the Nahant (Iowa) - Chicago (Bensenville Yard) manifest, and its westbound cousin, train 273. These freights were formerly run by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern, and with a lot of IC&E / DM&E power running these trains most days, you'd never know the line is back in CP ownership. Also seen here is the building that used to be the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban's Elgin Substation, the Metra MD-W Line, and Metra F40C #611! Train descriptions follow: Train 1: Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern SD40-2 #6364, the "City of Sleepy Eye", and CEFX SD40M-2 #3121 (a rebuilt SD45- note the original Flexicoil trucks) lead Canadian Pacific's eastbound train 272 toward Bensenville. The signals in the distance control the single-track segment over the Fox River Bridge. Looks like the train almost nailed a couple people crossing the tracks! I guess they just couldn't wait.... Train 2: A 7-car Metra MD-W Line train, led by cabcar #8514 and with MP36PH-3S #426 on the rear, passes another train tied up in the Elgin Yard, and makes its first inbound stop at National Street. This station used to serve the Elgin National Watch Co. across the river from here- the site is now a casino. Train 3: Out of the fog, the CP 273 train heads west over the Fox River and <b>...</b>
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