Travelogue of Michael Hansen's Trips on Metra
http://www.trainweb.com/travelogues/mhansen/2003e26a.html

Its about 11:50 AM, on Monday, May twenty sixth, 2003, and I've just arived at the Bartlot station, ware I will be boarding Metra train number 2714, to chicago, ware I will be connecting with Metra train number 2121, to Grazelake, to visit my family. We went to sit in the covered area ware you can wait for you're train. Just before 12:00 PM, Mom decided to get a scedual for this train. It was a nice day outside, so the wait at Bartlot was very nice. Just after 12:00 PM, we went outside to wait for the train. At 12:05, our train pulled in. We boarded the train, and went to the left, and walked through 1 car, and took seets in the first avalible seets in the next car. I then took out my computer, and when the conductor came by I inquired about the engine number. Todays train number 2714 is pushed by F40C engine number 603.

We continued on twards Chicago, and we kept up a 1 minute delay up until we reached Chicago, ariving at 1:09. Mom said about 8 tracks to our left was an Amtrak train. At first, we thought it was the hiawatha, but that was not the case, as it turns out, the train was the northbound Empire builder.

We got off the train, and I took a tape of our train engine. We walked into the station, and found a seet for Grandpa in the north lounge, wile we explored the station.

This first part of the trip was very fun, and I was able t o for the first time get a tape of an F40C engine. I'm looking forward to what we might do at Union station durring our hour stay, and am really looking forward to the next part of this trip!

Its about 2:05 PM, on Monday, May twenty sixth,2003, and I'm sitting in the north boarding lounge ware I am awating the departure of our train, number 2121, to Grazelake. I was listening to the tapes of my trip. We arived just as the Empire Builder was boarding, for departure at 2:10 PM, and I said I wanted to go out on to the platform to get a tape of the trains departure. We walked on to the platform, and we walked up to a place ware we could hear the train engine. At 2:10 PM, the Empire Builder was still sitting in the station, apairantly waiting for something.

Mom said that a Metra train was coming, and I thought that it would interfear with my taping the Empire Builder. I thought that it would be good to get the Metra train on tape if I couldn't get the Empire Builder. As the Empire Builder departed, the metra train arived.

We went into the station to get Grandpa, and he wanted something to drink, so we went upstairs to get that and something to eat. We then returned to Grandpa, and then we went out to board the train.

Todays 2:35 PM train is pulled by F40C engine number 601. Only 3 cars were usable for passengers, so it didn't look like I'd be sitting near the engine. But as I later found out, it was plenty close. Power was turned off at 2:31, and at that time the engine revved up. We started moving at 2:35, and were not delayed for the whole trip. We left the last cupple stops before Grazelake early, and arived at Grazelake 2 minutes early.

We got off the train at Grazelake, and went into the station. Its interesting that they don't aircondition some stations, as passengers will be waiting in there for there trains.

My trip on Metra was a good one, I got to see the Empire Builder depart, which I had never planned to do, but it was a nice add on to the trip! I'm looking forward to my trip to San Antonio Texas and back to Chicago on the Texas Eagle, trains number 21 and 22!