Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

Here we see a unit coal train in the NS Forest Yard along Southern Ave. in Memphis on 6/5/08.

After having lunch with a former student, I was driving east along Poplar Ave. in east Memphis when I discovered this traveling exhibit. I turned around and caught it parked. I first saw this on a trip to the University of Tennessee-Martin in April. I was not the only person to stop and take pictures. The crew likes to eat. The previous time that I saw this, they stopped for breakfast at the same Mc Donald's where we were eating. This time they stopped for lunch, appropriately in the "Depot" parking lot near several places for lunch.

This UP run-through to the CSX is stopped at the former Lenox suburban station of the NC&StL on June 6, 2008. The track on the left belongs to the UP, former Union Railway of Memphis trackage. The UP track does not get heavy useage.

The south end of the Metra electric line at University Park as seen, at speed, from my window in the Room H of the superliner sleeper, June 8, 2008.

Another couple of shots from the window of my compartment as we sped past the maintenance facility for the electric equipment south of the Kensington Station and connection with the South Shore, June 8, 2008.

At the Amtrak yard in Chicago I shot through a very dirty window these two images. The Wheel of Fortune car will later appear in consist for my ride from Milwaukee on #334. The Amtrak #500 was far more attractive in its delivered scheme. Upon seeing one in 1994, I went back into Union Station and bought the T-Shirt at McDonald's.

As we left Milwaukee, I shot back down the train towards the Wheel of Fortune and power, June 14, 2008.

On the ride west to Riverside, we had to stop and wait in the curve under St. Charles Air Line because of a maintenance window reducing the line to a single track. Here we see the inbound train meeting our train, June 14, 2008.

As I get off the train at Riverside, I noted that we were meeting an EB BNSF coal train. The rear of the Metra just clears as the power of the coal train comes into view, June 14, 2008.

This ice cream shoppe is very popular with the locals. It also provided me with a much needed bottle of ice cold water in downtown Riverside, June 14, 2008.

The next westbound is an intermodal train. Note the heat waves coming off the engine, Riverside, June 14, 2008. As you can see in the following sets of images, I love to frame my shots with signal bridges.

Amtrak train #7, the westbound Empire Builder, is charging through Riverside, IL on its detour due to flooding (3 ft. over the rails) on the Canadian Pacific in the marshland around Reeseville, WI, June 14, 2008.

Next came the westbound 2:58pm Metra, Riverside, IL, June 14, 2008.

The next train was the eastbound 3:10 Metra at Riverside, June 14, 2008.

At 3:32pm Amtrak train #3, the Southwest Limited, appeared and passed Riverside at speed, June 14, 2008.

Soon after Amtrak #3, this westbound unit coal train appeared with CSX power appeared on this hot June day in Riverside, IL, June 14, 2008. Note all of the convection currents from the heat of the engine and the heating of the rails.

At 4:01pm this westbound Metra train appears in Riverside, June 14, 2008. My telephoto lens has really shortened the distance in the last image. That is a two lane street with sidewalks on each side that the people are using to cross the tracks.

The last westbound was this Metra that appeared aqt 4:54pm at Riverside, June 14, 2008.

My ride back to Union Station was running over 10 minutes late. We got to Cicero and had to wait for an outbound Metra through the single track.

Looking west on Broadway in Memphis, 6:01am on June 15, 2008. At this point we are on the CSX controlled section and are crawling. Speed picked back up after we left Aulon. The same was true on the trip north.

This series of shots show the engine house, then the roundhouse, and finally the car shops at Johnston Yard, all to be replaced with the current rennovation, June 15, 2008.

Finally we get to the parking lot to unload. They first unload the coaches and fuel the engine before they back up and let the sleeping car passengers off. By the time I get off, the coach passengers bus is already gone. Before we can head for Central Station, they have to pull the train forward to clear the crossing. The final view is from the bus as we are leaving for Central Station.