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Joined
Feb 28, 2020
Messages
993
Location
Dwight, IL
My office in the building where I work (in Dwight, IL) has a window facing the train tracks, and we're just a block or two away from the local Amtrak station. I regularly see the Lincoln Service trains approaching or leaving the station. The Texas Eagle runs along the same track, but it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I finally saw the southbound Texas Eagle going past on its way to the next station stop (Pontiac, IL, about 20 miles SW of Dwight - and it was running approx. 15 minutes late). The Lincoln Service trains are all single-level cars, so when I spotted the double-level Superliner cars, I knew it had to be the Texas Eagle.
Does anyone else have a good view of Amtrak tracks from where you live or work, and which trains are you able to see going by?
 
I go past that building a lot. [emoji846] Usually on the first Lincoln service of the day northbound unless I'm connecting to the Capitol or SWC, then it's the second.

Usually the Eagle southbound.
 
Does anyone else have a good view of Amtrak tracks from where you live or work, and which trains are you able to see going by?
There are no trains where I work. At home the tracks are too far to see but close enough to hear. Since we switched to silent crossings horns are pretty rare these days. On those occasions when the horn does sound I'll stop whatever I'm doing and have a listen while I ponder the cause (track construction, erratic behavior, rogue engineer, etc).
 
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My work is directly next to the MDOT Michigan Line. While I can't see the tracks from my desk, if I pop out the front door I can watch the Wolverine zip passed. We even used to have a rail connection back in the day (you can still see the tracks in the parking lot out back.)

peter
 
I can hear (but not see) the Cascades and Coast Starlight from my house. Their horns are distinct from the UP freight locomotives that normally pass through, although knowing the Amtrak schedules also helps me differentiate. I'm about a mile (as the crow flies) from the nearest crossing.
 
I grew up hearing the old Jersey Central from about a half mile away in Elizabeth,NJ. In San Francisco I lived on the J Church trolley line and also on the California St cable car line. Now in Jersey City I can see and hear both Amtrak NEC and NJT from bedroom window. Same is true for CSX freight.
 
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I go past that building a lot. [emoji846] Usually on the first Lincoln service of the day northbound unless I'm connecting to the Capitol or SWC, then it's the second.

Usually the Eagle southbound.
The Eagle northbound usually goes by while I'm at lunch (unless it's REALLY late); haven't spotted it yet, though.
As to train horns, I seem to hear the horns of every freight and passenger train which goes through my town, no matter where I am. (It's a small town, so everywhere's within hearing distance of the tracks.) There are some of Amtrak's Midwest service trains which go through my town, but don't stop (have to look up which ones they are on the schedule); I keep better tabs on the ones which do stop in my town, though - because those were how my daughter used to go to & from grad school up in Chicago.
 
I live close enough to the tracks to hear the Silver Star, Silver Meteor, SunRail and freight trains. From my window, I cannot see the trains, but if I visit friends who live in higher floors than I do, I can see the tracks and trains.
 
From my house I can hear CSX freights when they go through just south of Waldo. Amtrak used to run on these tracks back in the 70's - but not these days. There are no tracks visible from my house.

The tracks Amtrak uses are between 30-40 miles as the crow flies from me so I cannot see or hear them :(
 
Living in Chicago's Bridgeport Neighborhood I get to see plenty of Amtrak trains on the daily (as well as Metra and Freight)

Just to count them off, there's the Lake Shore Limited, The Capitol Limited, The Cardinal, The Wolverine, The Blue Water, and The Pere Marquette.

It's pretty darn awesome
 
I live on a hill about 3 Miles from the Amtrak Station ( UP) and can hear the Freight Trains @ night but cant see them.

In regards to the 2 Daily Eagles, #21 is usually Late, ( after Dark)so I can hear its Whistle and Bell, but #22 I cant hear since it's a Morning Train and the Traffic Noise from I-35, Mopac and Downtown drown it out.
 
Where I worked was within sight of the New York Central main line going to/from Cincinnati. Often, I was able to see the Ohio State Limited going to/from the Queen City enroute to/from New York. That line is now part of the Norfolk Southern System. Lots of freight traffic; no Amtrak.
 
From my office window in Silver Spring MD, I'm treated to a daily display of the Capitol Limited, MARC commuter trains, and the Washington Metro. Unfortunately, in the next year or two, a campus-wide reorganization will mean I'll lose my window and my view.
 
In my old office I could view the Silver Meteor and Silver Star just north of West Palm Beach. Now I'm in a windowless shared office (yay innovation :(), but on a quiet day I can hear it rumble by.
 
The Cardinal passes a few hundred yards from my house. On Mon, Thu & Sat morning - it will pass by at 6:27am westbound. (when on time).

Eastbound (Tue, Thu, Sat) I can’t tell you the exact time - because I’m often asleep. It’s probably around 10:51pm.

I really miss the Hoosier State - not only because it made Amtrak connections in Chicago much more convenient- but because it made my 6:27am train watch a daily event.

Those who think that no train at all is better than an imperfect train don’t live in Indiana.
 
Back in the early '90s (was it really that long ago?) I worked in the former headquarters of Houston Lighting & Power (aka Houston Looting & Plunder...), a 27 story building on the northwest of downtown (and now home to the city's Public Works Department). I worked the night shifts, and from the roof I had an excellent view of the Sunset Limited and (briefly) the Houston section of the Texas Eagle as they arrived and departed. I would go up and watch them turn the Eagle about two or three in the mornings...they didn't bother with a wye; they just ran the train around some industrial trackage to the north to make a loop and then come back to the station. Very pleasant to watch on a clear night between making rounds of the building systems.
 
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By the way, the story is that during the early 1960s (King's Dinner era) the president of the Illinois Central, Wayne Johnston, had an office overlooking the tracks of Central Station in Chicago. If he could still see the Panama Limited parked at the platform at 5:01 p.m. (departure time was 5 sharp), he would immediately be on the phone with the station personnel asking for the reason for the delay....
 
Grew up in Chillum, MD one mile from the B&O mainline between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, MD. When sitting on our front porch, we could see and hear every train on these B&O tracks. Especially enjoyed seeing and hearing the evening fleet of westbound passenger trains climbing the 2% grade to Silver Spring, MD. Capitol Ltd, Columbian, Ambassador,
National Ltd, Diplomat, Cleveland Night Express, Shenandoah ...
 
So I can't exactly see the trains, but from where I live in Edgewater(Chicago neighborhood) between the L and Metra(Union Pacific North line to Waukegan/Kenosha), at times I can hear the sound of L(our subway system) or Metra trains passing by. Usually moreso late at night or early in the morning, when there's less traffic out.

Whenever I vacation to a lake close to Buchanan, MI(where my brother has a vacation home), as it is only located a mile or 2 north of the Wolverine/Blue Water Amtrak route, I can clearly hear the Amtrak horns of those trains passing by. It seems to be a little more noticeable at night, say around 8pmish when #354(last eastbound one serving the Detroit area) passes by. And ditto with #355(last westbound MI train to Chicago), just before 10pm.
 
I lived along the D&RGW mainline at Lamar Street in Arvada for several years in the ‘70’s. I picked an apartment that gave me a clear view of the RGZ, and Ski Trains. A bonus was the Coors beer trains on the parallel C&S line to Golden...

Now I live a few miles west of the ex SAL main in Okeechobee. Only when traffic is light on Highway 70, I can sometimes hear trains blowing for the crossings.
 
So I can't exactly see the trains, but from where I live in Edgewater(Chicago neighborhood) between the L and Metra(Union Pacific North line to Waukegan/Kenosha), at times I can hear the sound of L(our subway system) or Metra trains passing by. Usually moreso late at night or early in the morning, when there's less traffic out.

Whenever I vacation to a lake close to Buchanan, MI(where my brother has a vacation home), as it is only located a mile or 2 north of the Wolverine/Blue Water Amtrak route, I can clearly hear the Amtrak horns of those trains passing by. It seems to be a little more noticeable at night, say around 8pmish when #354(last eastbound one serving the Detroit area) passes by. And ditto with #355(last westbound MI train to Chicago), just before 10pm.
Does that Union Pacific North line to Waukegan/Kenosha go to Union Station now? When I was in grad school at UIUC (beginning of 1980s), I would take the Chicago Northwestern commuter train to its terminal in Chicago, then walk a few blocks to Union Station to catch one of the Illinois Service trains to Champaign (could have been either the Illini or the Saluki - it was a VERY long time ago). My mom (in her 80s now) has been asked to come visit my sister in Charleston, SC, and Metra Kenosha-Chicago would be more convenient for her than Amtrak Sturtevant, WI-Chicago - but only if she didn't have to navigate between two different train stations in Chicago. (And I'd certainly urge her to get help boarding/unboarding the train and bringing whatever luggage she had to her Roomette.)
 
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