Google Maps and Amtrak

[Alice]

For following tracks including gps location, I use a free program called Rail Crossing Locator by the FRA. I have android, don't know if Apple has it, too, wouldn't surprise me. I got it for chasing but it works nicely on the train, too, and it is easier to maintain than the crossing POI files I used to download to my garmin.

 

[niemi24s]

Thank for the info Alice, but that's all way, way over my head. I'm like Fred Flintstone when it comes to that sort of thing.

 

[Metra Electric Guest]

I knew what you were meant, no train turns that sharply and nothing on wheels can jump like that. I mean, it is the basic route.. (for Illinois service - Illlini and Saluki - too) The one along the Stevenson, no idea.

 

[niemi24s]

I think the route along the Stevenson is the Texas Eagle, but it continues along in a sort of Southwesterly direction - doesn't head South at that point shown in Post #19. There's a possible connection to the North over the Sanitary Canal connecting up to the route for the California Zephyr/Southwest Chief, but that one never showed up on any of the three route maps. There certainly are a lot of ways for a train to get out of Chicago heading anywhere in the SW to SE quadrant.

Can Amtrak use any of the Metra routes?

 

[Eric S]

The Lincoln Service/Texas Eagle operate on the same tracks as Metra Heritage Corridor trains. The California Zephyr/Carl Sandburg/Illinois Zephyr/Southwest Chief operate on the same tracks as Metra BNSF trains.

The Empire Builder/Hiawatha Service operate on the same tracks as Metra Milwaukee District-North trains.

It's more complicated for the Amtrak routes heading south and southeast/east from Chicago.

 

[niemi24s]

It's more complicated for the Amtrak routes heading south and southeast/east from Chicago.

It certainly is! Spent several hours today comparing the different routes shown for the City Of New Orleans and Cardinal as well a looking for a solution to the puzzling route shown for the Cardinal in Post #19. Just as my vision started to blur, came to the conclusion that with all the different possibilities it would take more than a single problem to prevent any Southerly-heading train from getting out of Chicago.

What was really surprising was to see how many possible routes and connections are not longer there when looking at some of the USGS Topo maps - which tend to be many, many years old.