Illinois 7200 route miles are serverd by seven Class I railroads today. The state has more classification yards than any other state, with seven automated hump yards, including four Chicago area yards. Commuter service includes Amtrak service out of the Chicago Union Station hub, the Metra and the South Shore line, MetroLink light rail and the CTA.
The first railroad opened in 1848, the Galena & Chicago Union, which later became the Chicago & North Western.Chicago was once the home of ten Class I railroad headquarters, however none are located there anymore. The historic Pullman company carbuilding plant was located in South Chicago. Electo-Motive Division's La Grange plant opened in 1936 and rolled out it's last locomotive in 1993.
Rochelle is one of the premier spots for train watching. Locomotive cab rides and instuctions are available at the Monticello Railway Museum.Train rides can be found on the Silver Creek & Stevenson RR, the Little Toot RR, and at the Illinois Railway Museum.
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Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has many interactive displays. Take a 20-minute guided tour, of the baggage, smoking, passenger and observation compartments of the Pioneer Zephyr. You can also view the engineer’s cab, supplemented by a computer interactive that allows you to "drive" the Pioneer Zephyr. The exhibit also features newsreel footage that will take you back to 1934. HO train layout featuring 3500 feet of track, 30 trains creating a cross country layout from Chicago to Seattle.
The Little Toot Railroad Company features a 15" miniature steam locomotive that travels through a scenic Charlie Brown Park. Nostalgic train ride is a thrill for adults as well as a fun educational experience for the young. Children under 12 ride free. Groups and parties welcomed.
Silver Creek & Stephenson RR offers a 2 mile train ride from Memorial Day until the end of October featuring a 1912 geared Heisler steam engine. Depot contains museum with railroad displays.
The Galesburg Railroad Museum is home to a 1930 Baldwin Locomotive Works CB&Q engine #3006, and a Hudson S-4, 4-6-4 locomotive. It is one of 12 built by Baldwin for the CB&Q. Rolling stock on display. Model train display. Weekends only from mid-April to May, mid-October to mid-November. Closed Mondays.
1870's Victorian style railway depothouse local area railway artifacts. HO scale model railroad shows vignettes from the major periods of American Railroading (1840s through the 1950s).
Monticello Railway Museum offers one of the best collections of rolling stock as well as weekend and holiday train rides from May through October. Train travels over former Illinois Central and Illinois Terminal right-of-ways. Museum also includes one of the Midwest's premier diesel locomotive collections. MRM Throttle Time sessions are conducted each Summer and Fall. For a $100.00 donation to the Museum, a participant has the opportunity to spend 30 minutes observing and learning the operation of one of the Museum's diesel locomotives and spends the following 30 minutes running the locomotive under the supervision of one of the Museum's engineers.Directions.
The story of railroads in Rochelle begins in 1854 when the Air Line Railroad was completed between Chicago and the town of Lane (Lane was the first name of Rochelle). The railroad later became the Chicago and North Western and today is owned by the Union Pacific (UP). Rochelle is a "hot spot" for train watching, drawing visitors from every state in the nation and world wide. Because of the number of visitors Rochelle acquired the land in 1995 and constructed a park just for train watching. Directions.
The Fox River Line is a monument to the Fox Valley's history that has roots 113 years old. In full flower, it was a 40-mile railroad that was built over a seven-year period by three different companies, linked Carpentersville with Yorkville, including a direct link between Elgin and Aurora. It opened the Fox Valley to public transportation. Service began between Elgin and Geneva, including the stretch preserved today, on June 30, 1896. The museum operates a variety of antique trolleys, many from lines long vanished, over trackage that once connected Carpentersville, Elgin, Aurora, and Yorkville.Directions.
Advertised as "America's Largest Railway Museum" the Illinois Railway Museum is located about 90 miles from downtown Chicago. This is an operating museum, with train rides that include Chicago street cars. Over the past 49 years, the Illinois Railway Museum has acquired over 375 pieces of equipment. Day Out With Thomas events scheduled for August, 2009. Admission includes unlimited rides. Directions.
