Railfanning West Chicago, IL, on 08/31/2025

Описание: After an unsuccessful attempt at railfanning the CN Waukesha Sub in Lake Villa, we debated on going to Rondout and the CPKC C&M Sub before settling on West Chicago, where the lack of CN action would follow us, with none of the seventeen trains we caught - six Metra and eleven UP - being CN. While nothing particularly "highlight of the day" worthy would come through, we received a hornshow/wave from nearly three-quarters of the UP trains, which definitely made up for the lack of interesting power. We also saw the headlights of what I believe was a westbound coal train, but we left before we were able to record it. Enjoy!

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Recorded on 08/31/2025 in West Chicago, IL

1. Outbound Metra
METX 111 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built October 1977 as an F40PH)

2. Westbound UP manifest
UP 5428 (AC45CCTE built March 2005)
UP 6524 (AC44CW built 2000)
UP 5448 (AC45CCTE built April 2005) (mid DPU)

3. Inbound Metra
METX 111 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built October 1977 as an F40PH)

4. Westbound UP z-train
UP 5935 (AC44CM built March 2003 as an AC44CWCTE)
UP 7030 (AC44CM built December 1995 as an AC6000CW)
UP 8737 (SD70ACe built 2012)
UP 5588 (AC44CWCTE built August 2004) (rear DPU)
UP 8152 (ES44AH built May 2014) (rear DPU)

5. Eastbound UP manifest
UP 5745 (AC44CM built February 2001 as an AC44CWCTE)
UP 6774 (AC44CW built May 1996)
UP 6831 (AC44CW built June 1996)
UP 6234 (AC44CW built May 1995 as SP 179)
UP 7014 (AC44CM built 1996 as UP 7057, an AC6000CW) (mid DPU)
NS 4355 (AC44C6M built February 1997 as NS 9028, a C40-9W) (rear DPU)

6. and 7. Eastbound UP coal train meets Westbound UP intermodal

6. Eastbound UP coal train
UP 7082 (AC44CM built October 1997 as an AC44CW)
UP 5307 (AC45CCTE built May 2006)
UP 8004 (AC45CCTE built June 2012) (rear DPU)

7. Westbound UP intermodal
UP 9029 (SD70AH built 2016)

8. Outbound Metra
METX 135 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built December 1979 as an F40PH)

9. Eastbound UP tanker train
UP 2632 (ET44AH built 2015)
NS 4667 (AC44C6M built April 2000 as NS 9485, a C40-9W)

10. Inbound Metra
METX 135 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built December 1979 as an F40PH)

11. Westbound UP manifest
UP 5980 (AC44CWCTE built May 2003)
UP 7080 (AC44CW built October 1997)
UP 7963 (AC45CCTE built April 2012) (mid DPU)

12. Eastbound UP z-train
UP 5841 (AC44CM built March 2002 as an AC44CWCTE)
UP 5766 (AC44CM built 2001 as an AC44CWCTE)
UP 7803 (AC45CCTE built 2008)
UP 6485 (AC44CW built June 2000)
UP 7185 (AC44CM built May 1999 as an AC44CW) (mid DPU)
UP 6286 (AC44CM built June 1995 as SP 236, an AC44CW) (mid DPU)
UP 6567 (AC44CW built March 1997) (mid DPU)

13. Eastbound UP power move
UP 8631 (SD70ACe built June 2008)
UP 7848 (AC45CCTE built 2008)
UP 2686 (ET44AH built August 2016)
UP 6771 (AC44CW built May 1996)

14. Outbound Metra
METX 111 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built October 1977 as an F40PH)

15. Eastbound UP coal train
UP 7242 (AC44CM built August 1999 as an AC44CW)
UP 5357 (AC45CCTE built January 2005)
UP 2643 (ET44AH built 2015) (rear DPU)

16. Westbound UP intermodal
UP 6968 (AC44CM built December 2000 as UP 7579, an AC6000CW)
UP 7888 (AC45CCTE built 2008)

17. Inbound Metra
METX 111 (ex-RTA F40PH-3 built October 1977 as an F40PH)