Chicago Rail Locations
A set of overlays I created for Google Earth that show current and abandoned mainline trackage of railroads in the Chicago and northwest Indiana areas, separated by ownership, subdivision, and showing major yards, junctions, and interchange points.
Indiana Harbor Belt
Another mapping project. My map of the modern-day IHB railroad appears in the book Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad in Color, published by Morning Sun Books in 2011. The book can be purchased here.
Essays
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Why Watch Trains?
The question has often been asked of me, "Why do you watch trains?" Curious people have inquired why I might spend my vacation chasing mile-long coal trains across central Nebraska instead of catching a plane to some warm, humid paradise.
Photo Essays
I'm not much into doing photo essays at the moment, but
figured I would leave these three originals as they are. You
can find better photos at most of these locations by just
doing a quick web search... but if nothing else, they give a
taste of mainline railroading in the West, and I guess that
was more-or-less their purpose in the first place.
Photo Essay 3
Moffat Road, Granby to Bond
Photo Essay 2
Union Pacific's Overland Route in Nebraska
Photo Essay 1
Powder River Basin, eastern Wyoming
Railroad Interests
I am interested in many facets of railroading, including:
- history,
- photography,
- signaling and interlocking towers,
- operating practices.
Chicago area interlocking towers are of special interest, since I have been fortunate enough to observe operations inside several of the remaining nineteenth century interlocking towers that protect Chicago's numerous junctions and crossings. See the links below for several excellent sites describing the towers of our nation's past.