September 2, 2018 – A CTA Blue line train arrives at the Damen Street Station on its way to O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois as it moves through the Damen Interlocking. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #commutertrains
September 13, 2018 – Day 318 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Socks – My cat Socks prepares to jump down from the exam table at the vets this morning as we wait to see the vet for a checkup. He’s been fighting some type of infection and his white cell count was 49,000 two weeks ago, which is very high! With the help of antibiotics, it was back down to normal today and he seems to be feeling much better.
September 12, 2018 – CSX Q501-12 passes through Hybird after leaving Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana NREX 122, 123, 124 & 125 trailing behind CSXT 3076 and 536 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. I’m told they are Export SD40-3 rebuilds for Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée, The Republic of Guinea. A joint Rio Tinto/Alcoa operation. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
September 1, 2018 – St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad steam locomotive 1630 approaches the Seeman Road Crossing, outside the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois as the last light of day begins to fade from the sky. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #steamtrains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #illinoisrailwaymuseum #steamtrain
September 12, 2018 – Day 317 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Shapes and Patterns – Shapes, patterns and designs in building can make for some really nice and interesting photographs, such as this one in downtown Evansville, Indiana. Keep your eyes open to the world around you!!
September 2, 2018 – A Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train to Forrest Park arrives at the California Street station as it makes it’s way toward downtown Chicago, Illinois. #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #commutertrains
September 11, 2018 – Day 316 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – New Book – The first thing my niece Elaina said as she got in my car after school was, “Uncle Jimmy, I’ve got a new book!!” I love that she and all my other nieces and nephews get excited over getting a new book!
September 2, 2018 – A Chicago Transit Authority Rapid transit “L” train passes through the tower 18 interlocking in downtown Chicago, Illinois. For decades, the Tower 18 junction at Lake & Wells has been billed as one of the busiest railroad junctions in the world. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #commutertrains
September 10, 2018 – Day 315 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Looking Up – When out looking or searching for pictures don’t forget to look up! You never know what you’ll find that is worthy of a picture such as this little tree growing out of the side of a building in downtown Madisonville, Ky.
September 1, 2018 – All’s quiet around Engine Barn #9 at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, as The Nebraska Zephyr, Burlington Northern 5883 and near as I can tell as there’s no markings on it, Rock Island 938 sit, waiting for visitors to make their way by on the evening event Labor Day weekend. #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #steamtrains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #illinoisrailwaymuseum #steamtrain
September 9, 2018 – Day 314 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Tired Tires – I’m always looking for things that I feel will make a good black and white photo and these used oversize tires fit the bill perfectly this afternoon!
September 2, 2018 – A CTA Blue Line train tops a hill as it approaches the Western Station on its way to O’Hare airport from downtown Chicago, Illinois. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #thechicagol #chicago
September 8, 2018 – Day 313 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Buddy! – We’re dog sitting my niece Jeanne and nephew David’s dog buddy for a few days and try as I may to sneak up on him to get a picture, he always knows I’m doing it! LOL When photographing your pets and even children, you’ll get stronger pictures if you get down on their level!
September 2, 2018 – A CTA pink line train takes a right at Tower 12 as another train rounds a curve heading into the interlocking in downtown Chicago, Illinois. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #thechicagol #chicago
During my recent trip to Chicago to photograph trains I caught this light painter at work along the shoreline as I was shooting the Chicago Skyline at night. Hope everyone enjoys something a little different!
September 2, 2018 – A Chicago Transit Authority Pink line train makes its way through the tall buildings in downtown Chicago as it makes its way through the “L” loop. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #thechicagol #chicago
September 7, 2018 – Day 312 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Joys of Childhood – We can all remember the joys of childhood such as running full blast while being chased by a friend or in this case Damion’s cousin Jayden during the free play time before the karate class this afternoon. Today I did a little panning as you can see! Many of the techniques you use with your larger digital camera can be applied when using your iPhone!
September 2, 2018 – A CTA train picks up and drops off passengers at the Washington/Walbash Street Station, as it makes its way through the canyons of downtown Chicago, Illinois, with Trump Tower at the end of the street. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #thechicagol #chicago
September 6, 2018 – Day 311 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Two Ballerinas – My nieces Journey and Elaina make their way up the ramp outside their dance school, heading home after their class this afternoon.
September 1, 2018 – St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad steam locomotive 1630 sits in the station at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, waiting for it’s 8pm run, as the last light of day begins to fade from the sky.
According to Wikipedia, the locomotive was built in 1918 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for use in Russia as a class Ye locomotive. However, it, along with approximately 200 other locomotives, remained in the United States, due to the inability of the Bolshevik government to pay for them, following the Russian Revolution.
1630 was converted from 5 ft (1,524 mm) Russian track gauge to 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge. After being re-gauged, #1630 was sold to the USRA and was numbered 1147. Shortly after, 1147 was briefly leased for use on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
In 1920, the locomotive was sold to the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway, where it was used as a mixed traffic engine. In 1951, the locomotive was sold to Eagle-Picher, who used it to haul lead ore from a mine to their smelter.
In 1967, the locomotive was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum, in Union, Illinois, where they began restoring it in 1972, it returned to operating condition in 1974 and made its first revenue run. Sometime after arriving at the museum, 1630 was restored from her Eagle Picher appearance back to her Frisco appearance. 1630 was taken out of service in 2004, and after more than six years undergoing repairs and a federally mandated rebuild, it was returned to operational condition on October 30, 2013.
On Memorial Day weekend 2014, the locomotive returned to excursion service. In 2016, the locomotive received a cylinder overhaul, which according to Steam department curator, Nigel Bennett, made the locomotive, “probably more powerful than she has been since her [sic] first arrival at IRM in the 1970s.” The locomotive, during Memorial Day weekend 2016, pulled 137 empty coal cars in storage at the museum as what was considered to be one of the longest revenue freight trains powered by a steam locomotive in at least 25 years as said by IRM’s Steam department curator. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #steamtrains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #illinoisrailwaymuseum #steamtrain
September 5, 2018 – Day 310 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Ferrell’s Fire – Today’s photo is the interior of our Iconic local diner called Ferrell’s, located in downtown Madisonville, Ky. About 3am this morning (it’s open 24 hrs a day) the grill caught fire and while the employees attempted to put the fire out, they had to flee the scene as the smoke got too heavy. The fire department (only about two blocks away) arrived a short time later and got it out. There is extensive damage, but according to the owners, they will reopen. I can recall eating here as a kid some 50 plus years ago and still do from time to time.