In response to the question of why did they change:ĭavid Jordan Amtrak would have had to maintain otherwise unused ex-AT&SF trackage beyond Corwith. The next day it was routed via the Mendota Sub of the BNSF. The last run of Number 3 The Southwest Chief, calls its last stop at Joliet on July 31, 1996. BNSF would have to stop their hot Z intermodal trains while Amtrak trains were stopped at the depot. This shows why BNSF wanted the Amtrak trains and their platforms moved to the other (east) side. The front wheels of the lead unit would be pounding the Rock Island diamonds.Īmtrak in the late 1970's as captured from the Joliet UD Tower. Note that there are enough semaphores in this photo that you can see all three positions. I'm also reminded that Santa Fe used semaphores until 1990. And of course there are no guard rails on the edge of the platform. This photo shows the wide passenger loading platform that used to exist between the two BNSF/Santa Fe tracks. Three Burlington Northern "U-boats" of Northern Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy heritage were leading a unit coal train southbound on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio tracks past UD Tower in Joliet on a sunny afternoon in April of 1971 when this photograph was taken. BNSF runs their hot intermodal trains to the southern California ports on this route and that is one reason they wanted commuter and Amtrak trains out of the way of their tracks. This is back when the Rock Island commuters crossed the diamonds and competed with GM&O and Santa Fe traffic and when GM&O and Sante Fe passenger trains competed with Santa Fe freight trains. The loop departed Springfield to Chicago mid afternoon with the same train set that came in to Springfield from Chicago. And the Texas Eagle departed in the evening from Chicago. The State House departed Chicago mid afternoon. The Ann Rutledge was late morning from Chicago. Steven Gray: So did this run at the same time as two trains a day service from STL to Chicago with the Eagle and the Ann Rutledge?Ĭale Muzzarelli: Steven Gray The loop was a morning departure from Chicago. Also operated with a engine on both ends at times. Then had some of these ex metroliner cab cars. It operated at the start with most the ex CNW bi levels with a cab car. The Loop lasted for just over ten years eventually succumbing to budget woes between Amtrak and the State of Illinois, the last train ran in June of 1996.Ĭale Muzzarelli: It was the loop operated as a push pull train from Chicago to Springfield IL. Looking south from the Joliet Union Station platform, this Amtrak train #312 was known as The Loop - a state-supported train that operated from Chicago to Springfield in the morning and from Springfield to Chicago in the afternoon, with the locomotive leading southbound and the cab-car leading northbound (except Sunday). It is an "event center." The building across the tracks is the UD Tower.īy the time I got my camera in 2014, I could not get the following view of the old platform because the fence along the platform had been installed. Note the iron fence because Union Depot is no longer a train station. This view is looking south (timecard west) along the BNSF/Santa Fe tracks.
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