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Program 109
Trackside Hot Spots Volume One

A compilation of Trackside's first four Hot Spot segments: Hammond, Indiana; Elmhurst, Illinois; Blue Island, Illinois; and Joliet, Illinois.

Hard again the southern shores of Lake Michigan, the Amtrak station at Hammond, Indiana sees a lot of rail traffic pass by throughout the course of a day. This feature, originally videotaped in 1995, first aired with our program "Moving The 2903"

Today, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad is slowing disappearing under a coat of Armour Yellow paint as it is slowly absorbed by the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1995, on the last weekend of C&NW's existence, we visited Elmhurst, Illinois, a focal point for the railroad's operations in and out of Chicago. This segment was first aired in conjunction with our story about Galesburg, Illinois's Railroad Days celebration.

One of the busiest junctions in the Chicago area is located in the southern suburb of Blue Island, Illinois. This is a crossroads for several Chicago railroads and all of them move a lot of trains through Blue Island. This segment aired in with the feature story, "Alcos on the Belt Railway".

Well known to many both inside and outside of Chicagoland, Joliet Union Station at the south end of downtown Joliet has been a popular gathering spot for trainwatchers for many years. Although there aren't as many rail lines through the junction as there used to be, you usually don't have to wait to long for something to happen. The Joliet Hot Spot first aired with our story about the Fox River Trolley Museum.

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This eastbound Amtrak train was departing Hammond for Michigan.

A couple of miles south of the Amtrak station, a Norfolk Southern local worked eastbound through a residential area on a line paralleling the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend. A short distance to the west is State Line Crossing, on the Illinois-Indiana border.

A fast-moving SD50 led one of many trains through our Elmhurst, Illinois, Hot Spot.

CNW used SD38-2's to handle the switching chores at Proviso Yard. The yard is located just east of Elmhurst.

Metra's Ex-Rock Island main to Joliet defines the southern border of the crossing. This Metra train is heading southbound.

Indiana Harbor Belt also accesses the line for local switching movements.

The Chicago Central and Pacific operated a unit coal train over the Illinois Central's ex-Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio trackage through Joliet. Illinois Central acquired the CC&P in 1996.

The Santa Fe sends the most trains through Joliet. Here one of many intermodal trains heads north (eastbound) through the station, overtaking the CC&P coal train in the process.

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