METRA/IC Electric: Washington Park Service and 1926 MU cars

Everyone: I have two questions on the ME/IC Electric service: I recall there was a spur to Washington Park Race Track between Harvey and Homewood. I have a copy from 1977 of the Standard Oil Chicago Street Map-in my opinion one of the best street maps of Chicago available for that time period. This spur went around Markham Yard and crossed over the IC main line at grade I believe. It was also the electrified entrance to the Woodcrest Shops. With the Dan Ryan reconstruction this could be a potentially good park and ride location-I-80/294 Halsted Street exit is nearby. What is the state of the racetrack and is the high-level platform for it still usable? I am not a horse-racing fan myself so I do not know. The second question I have is how far into the 70s did the IC keep some 1926 MU cars running? I recall some painted with the hot orange front ends-which were a good idea for the Highliners - When were the last ones retired? MACTRAXX

According to the Train Watcher's Guide to Chicago the horsetrack burned down sometime in the late 70's and was not rebuilt. As a result the branch was abandoned though I hear parts of the right-of-way can still be seen.

JLJ: Was the land developed for another use and is the rail line still intact? If it was indeed abandoned it would be too costly to restore especially if there is conflict between ME and CN/IC. MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:The second question I have is how far into the 70s did the IC keep some 1926 MU cars running? I recall some painted with the hot orange front ends-which were a good idea for the Highliners - When were the last ones retired?

The last of the old MU cars ran in 1979. The orange paint on the ends was applied after the infamous 1972 collision between a train of heavyweight cars and a train of Highliners.

MACTRAXX wrote:JLJ: Was the land developed for another use and is the rail line still intact? If it was indeed abandoned it would be too costly to restore especially if there is conflict between ME and CN/IC. MACTRAXX

The land where the racetrack was is now a strip mall (I think there's a Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in it). I read somewhere that bits and pieces of the line existed, although only on portions where the trackage was shared with freight routes that are still in use. Not much was left though - mainly little things involving the catenary. Pretty sure the rest of the line (passenger-only) was torn up.

Mike and Byte: Thanks for the info! I can now say that the Washington Park Spur is officially abandoned. Was WP a thoroughbred or trotter horse track? Does ME maintain the MUs at Woodcrest shops or at another location? I now recall the add-on order of 1979 of 30 Highliners from Bombardier - Is that what finally finished off the 1926 MUs? How many were left at the end? Thanks in advance-MACTRAXX

Metra maintains the Highliners at Kensington Yard. If the proposed extension to Peotone ever comes to fruition, a new facility will be built there to replace Kensington. Woodcrest these days is a diesel-only shop owned by Canadian National.

The 1978-1979 order of Highliners from Bombardier allowed the last of the heavyweights to be retired. I don't know how many were still running then.

At least 24 sets, as I remember seeing a photo in a 1979 Trains magazine of 24 trailers being carted south to a scrapper in birmingham behind an ICG Paducah geep - this tells me there was likely 48 cars in service, because each trailer had a power mate. I was always surprised they didn't mate the power cars together and scrap the trailers in 1971, during the initial H1 order, for reliability protection on the old cars.

The Old Race track foot print is framed in this image. An abandoned spur heads east out of the IC yard east, then south and follows the border of the old race track. This spur continues into the Quarry to the east. This is the only abandoned spur that I can find.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... &encType=1

ExEMDLOCOTester wrote:The Old Race track foot print is framed in this image. An abandoned spur heads east out of the IC yard east, then south and follows the border of the old race track. This spur continues into the Quarry to the east. This is the only abandoned spur that I can find.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... &encType=1

The abandoned rail paralleled Center Ave. In the USGS mapping (at this resolution) the abandoned line is visible. The toll road (294) crossing above Center is unusually wide as shown in the Satellite view.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.56871,-87 ... Crest%20IL

Daves Railpix (www.davesrailpix.com) has updated their IC section, and includes pics inside of woodcrest when MU's were still serviced there, as well as a few Washington Park shots.

I visited the area this morning and found the rail bed alongside Center Ave, but did not find any evidence of a cantenary.

Does anyone know if IC operated Washington Park service directly from Randolph St., or was it a shuttle operation; like perhaps from Kensington?