The, “It’s Interesting to Me File”: I’m surrouded by train tracks here but the line closest to were I live seems to have less traffic on it these days. I’m not sure if that is true for other lines.
Does train traffic seem lighter to anyone else?
Smokey Ardisson There’s a CSX line just over the hill a ways, but you have to be going that direction at the right hours of the day to be able to tell, which we are not :-(
Brad Enslen @smokey I think they (also CSX) might be working on the line in question. They may have simply rerouted traffic for awhile.
My initial worry was in remembering in 2009 - 2010 during the financial crisis, almost all the trains quit running. It was so quiet it was spooky. It was also unsettling to see the tangible impact of our economic condition.
All trains from Chicago to the East move through here on many different lines so we average about a train every 18 minutes normally.
Smokey Ardisson Wow, that is a lot of trains, and I can see how it would be spooky for them to almost stop! Here, they typically went through 3 or 4 times a day ± passing at the siding (which stretches west several miles from just west of our crossing).
We have, though, noticed other ominous signs: a boom in speculative construction, especially new retail space in places where existing retail space (mostly constructed just before the financial crisis, so not that old) is still, or has fallen to, half-empty… :-(
Matt Huyck We love trains in our family. I’ll be on the Père Marquette from Chicago to St. Joseph next week. Will we pass your house?
Brad Enslen @fgtech I think the Pere Marquette runs through Porter, Indiana which is the neighboring town so you will be close by. Sounds like fun.
The track I was referring to was the old Michigan Central (later NYCentral) branch that I believe went to Joliet, IL. It's not a main line but its the closest.
I enjoy trains too.
joe jenett Back in the 80s, my job took me to Chesterton once a month. You're close to there?
I seldom see trains on the tracks in our area (Oakland County, MI)
joe jenett There's a big train yard in Pontiac with some activity but we're 11 miles north of it. There's a station in Birmingham - Amtrak has a route to and from Chicago there (actually runs from Pontiac to Chicago).
Brad Enslen @joejenett I know the Amtrak Chicago to Detroit train runs through here and probably all the other Michigan trains too.
joe jenett Back then I lived in Chicago. I believe there's still commuter trains running between Chicago and South Bend.
Brad Enslen @joejenett There is, the South Shore Line Interurban runs from Chicago to South Bend.