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| Chicago's Iconic Willis Tower and Union Station in Background as I overlook Amtrak's work yard |
Union Station's Metropolitan Lounge, Rail Trip to Galesburg, IL, and Rail Fanning back in Chicago
Another day possibly overdoing it. If you can identify with "bone tired" then you know how I feel tonight. If you get this update then you know I did not fall asleep while posting it. Nevertheless, it was a great day and probably can be divided into three parts.
Union Station's Metropolitan Lounge - I was up early 5 am again today to get ready and go to Union Station for my 7:35 am departure to Galesburg. Since I was traveling business class, I got to do my first visit to the new Metropolitan Lounge for sleeping car and business class passengers. Being early there was only two of us at the lounge this early and the hostess was very friendly and explained to us all the new features and processes for priority boarding the trains from this relocated lounge. One interesting fact I learned for all my fellow Amtrak traveling followers - Amtrak employees only manage the reception area. Everything else including the free snack bars and keeping the new lounge clean including operating the TV's, etc. is contracted out to non Amtrak employees. The Amtrak hosts and hostesses are not allowed to restock or do mechanical maintenance as they did in the old lounge. Here are a few photos from the lounge.
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| Entrance to Metropolitan Lounge off the Great Hall |
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| A view inside the lounge |
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| There is even a children's lounge area |
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| Lots of different room in the new lounge |
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| The self serve snack bar area of the new lounge |
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| Another lounge area on second floor of the lounge |
Rail Trip to Galesburg, IL, on the Carl Sandburg and return on the Southwest Chief - Travel on the Carl Sandburg train to Galesburg to visit my friend Maury. While there he took me on a car tour of the BNSF(Burlington Northern Santa Fe) freight shops and staging area for freight trains. From Galesburg these trains can head out in eight different directions. While I was there we saw quite a few oil tank cars from North Dakota which had to be inspected, etc. before they could go back to North Dakota. I arrived in Galesburg about 10:10 am and the Southwest Chief arrived about 12:45 pm to take me back to Chicago. It was almost 5 pm before we arrived back in Chicago. Here a a few photos covering this part of the trip. Maury said he was not really suppose to be driving on the BNSF property so I did not take any photos while we visited there.
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| Arriving Galesburg on the Carl Sandburg |
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| Arriving Galesburg on the Carl Sandburg |
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| Maury and I back at the station and Railroad Museum in Galesburg |
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| Amtrak's Southwest Chief in Galesburg to take me back to Chicago |
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Amtrak's Southwest Chief in Galesburg to take me back to Chicago
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| On the Southwest Chief departing Galesburg |
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| On the Southwest Chief in the Sightseer Lounge |
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| On the Southwest Chief in the Sightseer Lounge |
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| An Amtrak and a Metra train waiting to depart Chicago's Union Station as we arrive |
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| That the lead engine on our Southwest Chief |
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| Track Ramps Lead into Union Station |
Rail-fanning Back in Chicago - Why I am bone tired? After arriving back in Chicago after a fairly long full day from 6 am to 5 pm, I decided to walk about 5 very long blocks south on Canal Street to Roosevelt Ave bridge that is a favorite of rail fanners to watch Amtrak and Metra trains departing Union Station. I did include a stop at Panera Bread for Chicken and Rice soup. After taking a few photos I walked the five blocks back to catch the Blue Line train at Clinton Ave. back to near my hotel. Now that I am back in the hotel, I am settled in and will be going "nighty night" soon after I finish this update. Here are a couple rail fanning photos taking from the Roosevelt Ave. bridge. The lead photo above was also taken from this bridge.
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| An Amtrak train departing. |
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| A very long Metra commuter train departing |
So this conclude my very full and very long day riding the rails. Tomorrow things actually slow down a little. I'll make my way mid morning back over to Union Station and the Metropolitan Lounge where they serve a light lunch at 12:30 pm and then I board the California Zephyr for 2 pm departure. So I'll be "cruising" on Amtrak Wednesday, Thursday, and most of the day Friday on the way to Emeryville(San Francisco), CA. Not a promise, but I will try to do a post from my Iphone during the day Thursday. My next official update will be after checking in to the Hyatt House Hotel in Emeryville Friday night. While traveling on the train, I pack my laptop away and don't use it on the train.
Thanks for keeping up with me.
You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo.
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