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I'm thinking about making a trip. I want to go from Syracuse, NY to Toronto, ON to Windsor, ON/Detroit, MI to Chicago, IL, and then back to Syracuse via the LSL.
What are some good railroad-related things to do in Chicago? I like to take pictures. Is Roosevelt Road still one of the big hot spots? What are some other good train photo spots? Are there any commuter train runs that make for interesting rides? What's the big model train store? And will the Illinois Railway Museum be open? Can you get there by train?
Dave S.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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You have to drive to the Illinois Railway Museum. Was I you I'd go to the Museum of Science and Industry and see its humongous model railroad.
Don't know about model train stores -- haven't been in the hobby for a decade now.
mgt Member # 5479
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I second Mr Kisor's suggestion, the model railroad is really well worth a look. Even more exciting is the original Burlington Zephyr 9900 in the basement. I have the impression it has been restored really well, both externally and internally. Compared with today's rolling-stock it is very compact. There are guided tours about every 30 minutes. The design is very much of the 1930s and it is easy to understand the impact it made in 1934. There is an exhibition of related aretefacts beside the train. The museum can be reached from central Chicago on the "Metra Electric" line from Randolph Street or Van Buren Street stations getting off at 55th-56th-57th street station. From the amount of cleared space trackside there has been considerable rationalisation recently. One of the entrances to Van Buren Street is in the style of a Paris Metro entrance. Enjoy your trip.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Of course Mr. Sommer, you might wish to check out a little "jam session" @ 220 S. Michigan; Thu through Sun - now through next May.
Sorry you weren't around yesterday for the 'freebie"; Macy's, in their "great wisdom" when killing the Field's brand name, has chosen to continue sponsorship of this annual event.
dnsommer Member # 2825
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Is 220 South Michigan some kind of famous blues venue?
Is Joliet a good place to watch trains? From what I've read it was a hot spot in earlier times.
-Dave S
chrisg Member # 2488
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If you there on a weekend get a Metra $5 weekend pass and ride the Metra trains. It is good for both days and most routes have weekend service.
I liked out to Fox Lake and the IC Electric Line with the Homewood Platform is interesting.
You could also ride the South Shore but you would have to pay for that.
Chris
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Mr. Sommer, this is what you need to know about 220 S. Michigan:
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Having spent five years in Chicago as a college student and graduate student (even though that was many years ago now), I still do remember some great trainwatching spots.
Riverside on BNSF is a nice little town with a park by the tracks and lots of trains -- freight, Amtrak, Metra. It's reachable from the Loop by Metra commuter train.
Joliet is a good spot as well, and Metra's Rock Island District will get you there.
Ride a Metra train on the UP West Line out to the vicinity of Proviso Yard and you'll be treated to lots of freight trains. Or just take the El to Oak Park, take a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, and the return on the El, which is adjacent to the UP line, and you'll see lots of freight.
A round trip on the South Shore to South Bend is a good day trip.
Most of the really interesting junctions and interlockings are on the south and southwest sides, and are really only accessible by car, unfortunately. Try to get hold of "A Train Watcher's Guide to Chicago" before you go, though, and you'll find some interesting info.
sojourner Member # 3134
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What about a tour of the Pullman Historical District, might that be interesting to you? I've never been myself but it's on my list of future things to do in Chicago. The visitor's center is 11141 S Cottage Grove Av, 773-785-8901, 773-660-2341 (closed Mondays?); they have a brochures with a self-guided tour but also guided tours by appointment and special events like an October house tour, I believe. There's something called the Hotel Florence also open to the public? Anyway, I believe you can access the district by Metra's Electric Line to Pullman Station & 111th St (or by bus). Don't know what the neighborhood is like.
Weather permitting, I do strongly recommend the Chicago Architecture Foundation's boat tour. The foundation is 224 S Michigan Av at Jackson, in the Santa Fe Building, across from the Chicago Art Instiute (the main art museum), 312-922-3432, www.architecture.org. The tours themselves start from the lower level of the SE corner of Michigan and Wacker. I think they cost $25 but your hotel may offer them at a discount, and they also may have a Triple A discount. Don't know if they run in winter, or which days. . . . I really enjoyed seeing the city from this unusual perspective, including the glimpse of the train lines and lower levels of Union Station; it made me feel that Chicago was like Venice with skyscrapers!
You also may be interested in the Museum of Science & Industry, 57th & S Lakeshore Dr in Jackson Park, 773-684-1414. msichicago.org, open daily I think, fee used to be $9. Sites to see here include a Pioneer Zephyr locomotive. You can get here by Metra or (even closer) the #6 bus from Downtown. It's not too far from the University of Chicago campus (which is the oher side of the Metra line), which also has a very fine "Oriental" Museum (Oriental here means mideastern antiquities), if you like archaeology; and Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House is also around here. We visited the Orietnal Museum and U of Chicago campus last October and enjoyed it. We also ate lunch in a Noodles Etc on 57th, which was fine and inexpensive (I think we shared a plate of Singapore noodles, but we may have had 2, and had Thai iced tea).
Re eating near Union Station, I recommend Greektown (where restaurants are open most of the time, including Sundays, which many other places in this area are not). I usually go to the quieter Rodity for moussaka (they also have good taramosalata, if you like that, and probably spinach pie, though I haven't tried that there), 222 S Halsted (between Adams and Jackson), 312-454-0800. To get to Greektown from Union Station, go west on Adams or Jackson & over the parkway; S Halsted is soon after that. It's a 5-10 minute walk.
To get to Michigan Avenue from Union Station, go in the other direction (east) on Adams or Jackson; you can see the Art Institute at the foot of Adams & Michigan, which will help orient you. This walk is further, maybe 15 minutes.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: What about a tour of the Pullman Historical District, might that be interesting to you? I've never been myself but it's on my list of future things to do in Chicago. The visitor's center is 11141 S Cottage Grove Av, 773-785-8901, 773-660-2341 (closed Mondays?); they have a brochures with a self-guided tour but also guided tours by appointment and special events like an October house tour, I believe. There's something called the Hotel Florence also open to the public? Anyway, I believe you can access the district by Metra's Electric Line to Pullman Station & 111th St (or by bus). Don't know what the neighborhood is like.
.....Re eating near Union Station, I recommend Greektown (where restaurants are open most of the time, including Sundays, which many other places in this area are not). I usually go to the quieter Rodity for moussaka (they also have good taramosalata, if you like that, and probably spinach pie, though I haven't tried that there), 222 S Halsted (between Adams and Jackson), 312-454-0800. To get to Greektown from Union Station, go west on Adams or Jackson & over the parkway (Dan Ryan Expressway); S Halsted is soon after that. It's a 5-10 minute walk.
To get to Michigan Avenue from Union Station, go in the other direction (east) on Adams or Jackson; you can see the Art Institute at the foot of Adams & Michigan, which will help orient you. This walk is further, maybe 15 minutes.
Ms. Sojourner, I simply DO NOT recommend walking anywhere, day or night, around the Pullman district. When I last went to the Hotel Florence for their Brunch maybe twenty year ago, that was by auto and we parked in daylight in sight of the building.
Mr. Sommer, if you accept Ms. Sojourner's Greek cuisine recommendation and you walk West on Jackson St. to get there, you might get derailed at Lou Mitchells. The quantity (and quality) of their omelette's will be enough chow to keep you stuffed for the duration of your Chicago visit.
Near the Art Institute, I've always liked Miller's Pub Adams and Wabash; so do Miss Vickie and Mr. Art. While their steaks are "not quite" same as at Riva, they are darned good. I was there with "concert companion" last Saturday after a Symphony matinee.
A bit more upscale in that area of the Loop is Rhapsody (within Orchestra Hall Adams St address); We'll be going there for next Symphony subscription next month.
Finally again in that same area, I consider with GREAT reservation, The Berghoff (17 W Adams). While not for one moment can I envision that "The Berghoff is back", it appears that, when walking by it after the performance and Miller's Pub Dinner, there appeared to be a full menu posted in the window without any reference to "17 West at The Berghoff". All I know is that two Fridays ago, I had Lunch at O'Hare at the Berghoff Cafe (United terminal - past Security). $15 for a dried out ham sandwich and a glass of "house Chardonnay' was "a bit much", but then, the lunch stands past security (as distinct from before security) know they gotcha.
MetSox Member # 6035
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When I visit Chicago I like to ride around on the El. For openers, the Loop is a great way to see the downtown area. The overhead walkways at the Adams and Madison stations on Wabash are good places to photograph the trains but I take no resposibility if you get arrested for being a terrorist. Also check out the Quincy station, which has been restored to its original appearance.
Another interesting photo spot for the morning rush is Wacker Dr. at the juction of the river. From there you can see the Metra UP trains on the upper level and Milwaukee District and Amtrak Hiawathas on the lower.
There are a few "circle" trips, i.e. riding one line going and another returning, you can take. Take the Metra UP line to Davis St. in Evanston and return on the El. If you head back around 3pm, you can catch the Evanston Express (purple) before rush hour starts. You might also want to get off at Howard St. and ride the Skokie Swift (yellow) before heading south. If you'd like to see the Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park, you can go one way on the UP West and the other on the green line.
For two different commuter experiences, a trip to Blue Island will allow you to ride the Rock Island District one way and the Metra Electric the other.
The blue line to O'Hare airport has great variety. You ride in an old subway tunnel, a short streatch of classic El, a modern subway and a highway median. The station at O'Hare is quite impressive and you can also ride the free rail shuttle between terminals.
Have a great trip!
RRRICH Member # 1418
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My standard for Chicago layovers has always been the Field Museum. You can walk to it from Union Station in about 20-30 minutes, or you can take a 5-minute taxicab ride. In my opinion, the Field Museum is (and always has been, ever since I was a kid in the Chicago suburbs) one of the finest natural history museums anywhere.
dnsommer Member # 2825
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Thanks for all the info. I will definitely hit the museums and take a couple of loop trips. On a different note, has anyone made the trip from Windsor VIA to Detroit Amtrak? Will a taxi do it? I imagine it would cost a lot. Does it take a long time because of customs? Are there any bus services? I think in real distance the two stations are not even a mile apart.
-Dave S
mgt Member # 5479
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MetSox is right about the Loop and Blue Line to O'Hare. We are quite happy to stay at the airport La Quinta because of the train trips into town. Also there is a great old shuttle driver from the hotel to O'Hare,Al, who is one of the most helpful people we have met in the US. I was surprised to see on one of the overhead bridges over the Blue Line a presumably orignal round Great Northern Railway sign.I doubt whether such a relic from past days would have survived the trophy hunters in the UK, despite being located in such a busy spot. I am also surprised at how decrepit much of the concrete along that route appears to be. But that can also be said of elsewhere in the US; also the apparent state of many steel structures, particularly bridges. Much of the old British infrastructure was destroyed in WW2.
rresor Member # 128
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Off subject from the original post, but regarding Detroit:
From the Amtrak Woodward Ave. station, take a cab to the Detroit tunnel bus terminal. Ride the bus through the tunnel to Windsor (they're cheap and frequent), then get a Windsor city bus out to the VIA station in Walkerville. I did it some years ago, and everything worked very well.
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