Railfanning on the North Side of Chicago: Milwaukee Road Heritage

Metra's Milwaukee District North line utilizes former Milwaukee Road tracks that head north out of downtown Chicago (Chicago Union Station), meander west a bit toward Rockwell Junction, and then very gently curve back to the northwest toward Chicago's north side and northern suburbs. Being named a "Milwaukee line" by owner Metra pays homage to its history as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the Milwaukee Road).

Metra purchased this line from Canadian Pacific in 1987, and CPKC still utilizes it as their "C&M" (Chicago and Milwaukee) subdivision. In fact, from Pacific Junction (where the Milwaukee West District line branches off at Tower A5 on the west side of the city, CPKC still dispatches the line. Metra dispatches from this junction eastward to Chicago Union Station. The line dates back to the 1870's.

I was fortunate to catch Metra's Milwaukee Road heritage locomotive (METX #405) at the start of the day's trainspotting journey. I also shot some video just west on Devon Avenue at the Union Pacific Northwest line (for Metra, Harvard Sub for UP).

The day ended in the western suburbs on the BNSF Racetrack, where I caught a train with celebratory lighting on it (the City of Aurora's Lumenaura Festival).

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