Re: [CBQ] Re: Suburban service west

[dhartman@mchsi.com]

I agree with Leo. Expansion is inevitable (see my previous post) but the local politics will be fun to watch (this being Illinois :)

Leo - I never pulled a Hill Yd switch off the list. When did light suburban engines stop using incline? Engineers used to sign in at roundhouse up into the 70's, no? Wasn't that part of the long tie-up/off duty time? I'd be interested in what "local agreemets" were done when the depot jobs actually started at the depot.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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From: Leo <qutlx1@aol.com>

Sender: CBQ@yahoogroups.com

Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 19:02:20 -0500

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com<CBQ@yahoogroups.com>

ReplyTo: CBQ@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Suburban service west

 

Let me see if I can clear up some cloudiness here.

 If my memory is correct(I was riding the dinkies at the time) the "Aurora Transportation center opened in 1989. There were two tracks west of the former back shop/air brake shop turned station that were platform trks. But this was definitely not in the 1970s. I worked the Aurora switch job in 1974 and pushed dinkies up the incline to the Aurora Depot on So Broadway via the mains. The trks I think you are referring to we're long round around trks in the Hill yard. One i distinctly recall being called the "long trk" . I worked the dinkies on and off from 1974 to 1979.

Believe me as I lived in Aurora from 1952-1988, worked on the BN in the 70s and have researched Aurora history for many years. See future BRHS Bulletins,including # 50 coming soon.

Prior to the elevation in the late teens the two mains were at street level but the Aurora depot was at New York st and moved to south broadway as part  of the elevation project.

Steve and Glen have it right, in order to go west the incline needs to go back in. Rest assured westward expansion is coming as more money was just appropriated to do engineering studies to Yorkville and Plano in Kendall county which is not part of the Metra/RTA Taxing district. That alone will be a major hurdle until Kendall becomes more suburban in nature. The farmers aren't going to vote for a tax to go to Chicago.

Leo Phillipp

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 17, 2013, at 4:57 PM, "Mike Schattl" <mike@schattl.com> wrote:

 

I have seen pictures taken in the 1970's on rrpicturearchives.net or railpictures.net of two tracks that ran west from the Aurora Transportation Center site (before it became the new Aurora station) alongside the viaduct to the then in service Aurora Station in downtown Aurora. The pics even showed an Amtrak Train powered by SDP40F's using these tracks. They were abandoned and the RoW was paved over for parking lot usage later on in the 1970's. This RoW can and should be used again for commuter service west of Aurora, IL. 

 

Mike Schattl

 

----- Original Message -----

From: cbq_9901

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 2:45 PM

Subject: [CBQ] Re: Suburban service west

 

--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Schattl" <mike@...> wrote:
>
> I still think the best way to extend commute service west of Aurora is to extend the platform tracks west along the viaduct to the old Aurora Station site where they can join the main. It was there in the 1970's. They should put it back.
>
> Mike Schattl

What *are* you talking about?

Michael Herren
Aurora

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