And Chicago

My original plan for going to Chicago was to catch the Nickel Plate 765 as it left Union Station.  I thought that I would have some fairly unique pictures since that doesn't happen all that often.  On Thursday I decided to check the Nickel Plate app to see where the train was and it was then that I found out they cancelled the trip.  Apparently there weren't enough people interested in riding the train.  I will admit, it was a pretty expensive trip to take and I can certainly appreciate people not wanting to plunk down that kind of cash.  However, I'm wondering if there are too many groups restoring steam engines.  It seems like every time I turn around, there is another group restoring one.  If there are too many, then rides on one stop being special.  Hopefully, the Nickel Plate will do the Cuyahoga Valley again...I will ride it then.

 If I ever needed a picture to sum up what it's like to drive to Chicago, this would be it.

 I still decided to get some train pictures outside of Union Station.  As I was planning for the Nickel Plate, I saw that Roosevelt Avenue crosses right over the tracks leading out of Union Station and I figured that would give me a good vantage point.

 And I think I was right.

 I guess depending on which way it came out, I could have gotten some good shots.  And I think they would have been better than this one because it was earlier in the day.

 An Amtrak train leaving.

 If you look in the upper right hand corner, there is a Southwest 737 (what else?) in the sky.  So I guess this makes for a bifecta.

 Another shot of that engine.

 I guess I'll have to imagine the Metra Train is the Nickel Plate and I would have gotten a pretty good shot.

And one more before heading home.

Even though I didn't get to realize all of my plans, I had a pretty fun weekend.  I hope that my dad did too.