Metra 101 shoves it's set northwards towards Chicago at 111th Street.
Day 4 : Tuesday 2nd May
Our second day in Chicago was again spent chasing down required locos on Metra. A search for the earliest numbered F40PH-2's took us to La Salle St station in the morning and a run down the Rock Island line towards Joliet.
| Loco(s) | Type | From - To |
| Metra 207 | F40PHM-2 | La Salle Street - Blue Island Vermont Street |
| Metra 101 | F40PH-2 | Blue Island Vermont Street - 111th Street |
| Metra 202 | F40PHM-2 | 111th Street - Gresham |
| Metra 410 + Metra 204 |
MP36PH-3S + F40PHM-2 |
Gresham - La Salle Street |
Metra 101 shoves it's set northwards towards Chicago at 111th Street.
Later body design (F40PHM-2) Metra 207 pauses at 111th Street.
With the morning rush over we split up and four of us ended up covering turns on the UP lines out of Chicago OTC;
| Loco(s) | Type | From - To |
| Metra 162 | F40PH-2 | Chicago OTC - Clybourn |
| Metra 130 | F40PH-2 | Clybourn - Rogers Park |
| Metra 169 | F40PH-2 | Rogers Park - Clybourn |
| Metra 145 | F40PH-2 | Clybourn - Jefferson Park |
| Metra 161 | F40PH-2 | Jefferson Park - Chicago OTC |
| Metra 158 | F40PH-2 | Chicago OTC - Berkeley |
As well as scooping the loco, the run to Berkeley on the Elburn line gave a photographic opportunity as the station is located right next to a UP stabling point. The presence of a westbound freight also added to the opportunity!
UP 5437, a GE C45AC-CTE leads CSX 7782 westbound at Berkeley.
UP 9096, a GE C41-8 ("Dash 8") is seen stabled at Berkeley.
UP 4828 - GM-EMD SD70M is proud to be American.
UP 8437, a GM-EMD SD70ACE, ugly cab or what?
The afternoon rush took us back to the corridor between Union and Western Avenue;
| Loco(s) | Type | From - To |
| Metra 138 | F40PH-2 | Berkeley - Chicago OTC |
| Metra 211 | F40PHM-2 | Chicago Union - Western Avenue |
| Metra 123 | F40PH-2 | Western Avenue - Chicago Union |
| Metra 423 + Metra 121 |
MP36PH-3S + F40PH-2 |
Chicago Union - Western Avenue |
| Metra 211 | F40PHM-2 | Western Avenue - Chicago Union |
At this point we retired to the bar on Union station for a bite to eat and a drink before our next adventure...
...23 hours on one train. We were headed for Washington DC on Amtraks "Cardinal", 19.45 from Union it was due into Washington at 19.45 the following evening (an hour "gained" due to a time-zone being crossed during the journey).
AMTK 57 was a winner for us. We left about 19.50 and had what was probably a typical stop-start run south out of Chicago as we were taking second place to the many freight trains on the route. About 15 miles out we were plunged into darkness as the HEP died (Head End Power - the US version of ETH). It soon came on again but about 5 miles later we pulled up at a red signal (at Thornton Jn no less!) when it died again...but this time stayed dead...
After a couple of minutes the PA burst into life and the Conductor informed us that the loco had blown it's head gasket and that more information would be given in due course. Hmmm... Bob wandered up to the front of the train and came back confirming there was a very strong smell of oil in the leading carriage. Top marks to the train crew, it soon got quite warm in the train so they allowed us out onto the track if we wanted. Stood on a piece of waste ground all we could hear was the almost deafening sound of the local bullfrog population "getting it on"!
Hopes of a freight-loco drag out of trouble were dashed when the Engineer (driver) managed to coax AMTK 57 back into life and it was "all aboard" for a short propelling move back to a track which put us out of harms way (though in the event during the whole period no other trains passed us!). The crew were taxied the 20 or so miles back to Chicago where they were to collect a new loco to enable our journey to proceed on its way.
Midnight came...
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