(Update: Kevin Piper posted a history and some images concerning this junction.)
I don't normally do railfan videos, but I have studied satellite images for several years looking for a legal way to get closer photos of the lift bridge. I'm going to settle for this video that was made before 9/11. As he indicates, even before 9/11, such obvious trespassing was gutsy. The other reason I use this railfan video is because of his extensive comments. I annotated them with some satellite links.
(new window) Kevin Piper shared
Gregg Wolfersheim About a year after this video was made, the Woodward avenue crossing depicted near the beginning was closed. Also, the overhead gantry signals south of the liftbridge were changed to mast type when the switch was moved south. Near the end is a set of UP light engines going to Romeoville branch to pickup an empty coal train.
East Bridge Junction is where the former EJ&E Western Sub (CN Leithien Sub) crosses the BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision via flyover. There is simply no way to go there without major trespassing, or a bike on the I&M trail near by. Bridge 198, the huge lift bridge you see in the video, carries the CN tracks across the river and is often seen as the gateway to East Joliet Yard. It still operates remotely by a dispatcher at Desk 11. There are a few other locations I went to before and after spending time at East Bridge, including CP Stateville, Woodruff Road, and Joliet Union Station. 7:09AM- [Satellite] At CP Stateville, along the CN/IC Joliet Subdivision, we see the last Heritage Corridor train of the morning pass by behind the Old Joliet Prison which is now a museum. F40PH-2 #121 7:13AM- [Satellite, the crossing was removed after this video was made] Next up at Woodruff Road, a long manifest arrives at East Joliet Yard. You can see Bridge 198 in the distance. CN C44-9W #2635 CN C44-9W #2599 BNSF ES44AC #6417 7:28AM- [Satellite, the view of the bridge at 1:49 shows that he is south of the tracks and west of the turnout.] I now started making my way up the embankment (trying hard to keep ballest out of my shoes) towards East Bridge when the former EJ&E job to Aux Sable passes by. I am the first railfan that I know of to catch this train here in recent years. EJ&E SD38-2 #670 7:36AM- [Satellite, this would be the power-line tower that is in his view.] I am now at East Bridge, standing on the edge of the CN/EJ&E tracks getting a new perspective of the BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision. You can also see BNSF's Joliet Yard, which is nearly impossible to get to (see a map). An Eastbound Z-train goes by in no time. BNSF C44-9W #4146 NS SD70M-2 #2742 BNSF C44-9W #5429 7:50AM- A huge 12 unit light engine consist of 11 orange units and a Warbonnet passes below. BNSF ES44DC #7785 BNSF C44-9W #690 (ex. ATSF) BNSF C44-9W #4924 BNSF C44-9W #5096 BNSF C44-9W #5338 BNSF ES44DC #7538 BNSF C44-9W #5389 BNSF C44-9W #4395 BNSF C44-9W #4089 BNSF C44-9W #4594 BNSF ES44DC #7432 BNSF ES44DC #7524 7:56AM- [4:12 is a view of the bridge and the top of its tower. He has moved to the north side of the tower.] Here's the shot everyone wanted. EJ&E power crossing bridge 198 in good light. I'm the only one with the balls to do it obviously. EJ&E SD38-2 #657 8:07AM- Back at my level, a BNSF coal train heads West up the CN Leithen Sub. That little girder bridge spans the I&M trail. [Satellite, actually, because of the canal, trail, and access road, the bridge is not that little. I wish he panned around and got the engines going over the bridge.] BNSF ES44AC #6321 BNSF SD70MAC #9854 8:35AM- [Satellite, It looks like a bunch of international (40' and 20') containers. Some are stuffed in domestic (53') wells.] Down on the BNSF level, we get an awesome perspective of the fly over with a BNSF stack train passing below. BNSF C44-9W #5235 BNSF C44-9W #4895 9:09AM- [7:25 + 7:43 after turning to see the other side of the lift bridge]
A Northbound CN manifest crawls through East Bridge Junction over the massive lift bridge. CN SD75I #5782 IC SD70 #1037
9:22AM- [8:02] There's now CN track workers on the bridge as a set of UP light units pass them slowly. Then a couple of workers spotted me down there and began pointing and talking on their radios. Screw this, Time to jet!!! UP AC4400CW #6081 UP AC6000 #7332 UP AC4400CW #7134 10:22AM- [Satellite, he is next to the turnout for the southeast quadrant connector. This location is also incredibly illegal.] Now far away from the East Bridge, I went to Joliet Union Station to see what I could. Amtrak Lincoln Service 302 arrives and departs when I got there. P42DC #28 10:27AM- [They built a new station east of the junction so that Metra trains now don't interfere with Amtrak, BNSF, and UP trains.] Metra 510 departs for Chicago when Amtrak clears.
I don't normally do railfan videos, but I have studied satellite images for several years looking for a legal way to get closer photos of the lift bridge. I'm going to settle for this video that was made before 9/11. As he indicates, even before 9/11, such obvious trespassing was gutsy. The other reason I use this railfan video is because of his extensive comments. I annotated them with some satellite links.
(new window) Kevin Piper shared
Gregg Wolfersheim About a year after this video was made, the Woodward avenue crossing depicted near the beginning was closed. Also, the overhead gantry signals south of the liftbridge were changed to mast type when the switch was moved south. Near the end is a set of UP light engines going to Romeoville branch to pickup an empty coal train.
East Bridge Junction is where the former EJ&E Western Sub (CN Leithien Sub) crosses the BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision via flyover. There is simply no way to go there without major trespassing, or a bike on the I&M trail near by. Bridge 198, the huge lift bridge you see in the video, carries the CN tracks across the river and is often seen as the gateway to East Joliet Yard. It still operates remotely by a dispatcher at Desk 11. There are a few other locations I went to before and after spending time at East Bridge, including CP Stateville, Woodruff Road, and Joliet Union Station. 7:09AM- [Satellite] At CP Stateville, along the CN/IC Joliet Subdivision, we see the last Heritage Corridor train of the morning pass by behind the Old Joliet Prison which is now a museum. F40PH-2 #121 7:13AM- [Satellite, the crossing was removed after this video was made] Next up at Woodruff Road, a long manifest arrives at East Joliet Yard. You can see Bridge 198 in the distance. CN C44-9W #2635 CN C44-9W #2599 BNSF ES44AC #6417 7:28AM- [Satellite, the view of the bridge at 1:49 shows that he is south of the tracks and west of the turnout.] I now started making my way up the embankment (trying hard to keep ballest out of my shoes) towards East Bridge when the former EJ&E job to Aux Sable passes by. I am the first railfan that I know of to catch this train here in recent years. EJ&E SD38-2 #670 7:36AM- [Satellite, this would be the power-line tower that is in his view.] I am now at East Bridge, standing on the edge of the CN/EJ&E tracks getting a new perspective of the BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision. You can also see BNSF's Joliet Yard, which is nearly impossible to get to (see a map). An Eastbound Z-train goes by in no time. BNSF C44-9W #4146 NS SD70M-2 #2742 BNSF C44-9W #5429 7:50AM- A huge 12 unit light engine consist of 11 orange units and a Warbonnet passes below. BNSF ES44DC #7785 BNSF C44-9W #690 (ex. ATSF) BNSF C44-9W #4924 BNSF C44-9W #5096 BNSF C44-9W #5338 BNSF ES44DC #7538 BNSF C44-9W #5389 BNSF C44-9W #4395 BNSF C44-9W #4089 BNSF C44-9W #4594 BNSF ES44DC #7432 BNSF ES44DC #7524 7:56AM- [4:12 is a view of the bridge and the top of its tower. He has moved to the north side of the tower.] Here's the shot everyone wanted. EJ&E power crossing bridge 198 in good light. I'm the only one with the balls to do it obviously. EJ&E SD38-2 #657 8:07AM- Back at my level, a BNSF coal train heads West up the CN Leithen Sub. That little girder bridge spans the I&M trail. [Satellite, actually, because of the canal, trail, and access road, the bridge is not that little. I wish he panned around and got the engines going over the bridge.] BNSF ES44AC #6321 BNSF SD70MAC #9854 8:35AM- [Satellite, It looks like a bunch of international (40' and 20') containers. Some are stuffed in domestic (53') wells.] Down on the BNSF level, we get an awesome perspective of the fly over with a BNSF stack train passing below. BNSF C44-9W #5235 BNSF C44-9W #4895 9:09AM- [7:25 + 7:43 after turning to see the other side of the lift bridge]
A Northbound CN manifest crawls through East Bridge Junction over the massive lift bridge. CN SD75I #5782 IC SD70 #1037
9:22AM- [8:02] There's now CN track workers on the bridge as a set of UP light units pass them slowly. Then a couple of workers spotted me down there and began pointing and talking on their radios. Screw this, Time to jet!!! UP AC4400CW #6081 UP AC6000 #7332 UP AC4400CW #7134 10:22AM- [Satellite, he is next to the turnout for the southeast quadrant connector. This location is also incredibly illegal.] Now far away from the East Bridge, I went to Joliet Union Station to see what I could. Amtrak Lincoln Service 302 arrives and departs when I got there. P42DC #28 10:27AM- [They built a new station east of the junction so that Metra trains now don't interfere with Amtrak, BNSF, and UP trains.] Metra 510 departs for Chicago when Amtrak clears.
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