AAR Radio Channel 94 - 161.520 (Tower A-5-Elgin)
Tower A-5 is the junction between the Milwaukee District north and west lines. Although this former Milwaukee Road line is now owned by Metra, the line is controlled by CP Rail/Soo Line. The west line passes mostly industrial areas between Chicago and Bensenville. Trains stop at Mars during rush hours only, and serve the Mars/M&M candy plant. Bensenville is the location of CP Rail's main freight yard in the area. Between Franklin Park and Bensenville, the line passes south of O'Hare Airport. West of Bensenville is a mixture of industrial, newer suburban residential, and undeveloped areas. Tower B-12 is the crossing with the CN/Wisconsin Central line, and where Metra's new North Central Service trains turn north towards Antioch. Service ends in Elgin, where Metra has three stations. In Elgin across the Fox River from the National Street stop is the Grand Victoria casino boat. Freight traffic is moderate over the entire route, and west of Elgin is provided by Iowa Chicago & Eastern over former Milwaukee Road trackage. Iowa Chicago & Eastern was formed in 1997 as I&M Rail Link, acquiring the former Milwaukee Road trackage west to Savanna and Kansas City. Sold to Dakota Minnesota & Eastern in 2002, subsidiary railroad renamed Iowa Chicago & Eastern. Weekday Metra trains operate 3 miles beyond the original Elgin station to the new Big Timber Road stop, while weekend service continues to terminate at the original Elgin station.
Direction is westward from Chicago to Elgin
0.0 CHICAGO UNION STATION
0.5 Lake Street (tower)
1.2 Morgan Street (interlocking-remote-Lake St.)
2.9 Tower A-2 (UP crossing)
2.9 WESTERN AVENUE
3.2 Tower A-3 (remote-Tower A-2/east end coach yard)
4.1 Tower A-4 (remote-Tower A-5/west end coach yard)
5.4 Tower A-5 (junction-Metra/CP crossing)
5.9 Hermosa
6.4 Cragin Jct. (remote-Tower A-5)
6.5 GRAND/CICERO
7.0 Cragin
7.7 HANSON PARK
8.6 GALEWOOD
9.1 MARS
9.5 MONT CLARE
10.2 ELMWOOD PARK
11.4 RIVER GROVE
12.7 Tower B-12 (CN crossing/east end Bensenville Yard)
13.2 FRANKLIN PARK
14.0 MANNHEIM
15.5 Bensenville Yard
17.0 Tower B-17 (junction-CP/west end Bensenville Yard)
17.2 BENSENVILLE
18.4 Wood Dale East
19.1 WOOD DALE
20.1 Itasca East
21.0 ITASCA
22.5 Itasca Park
23.0 MEDINAH
23.9 ROSELLE
24.0 Roselle East
25.0 Roselle West
25.5 Schaumburg Park
26.5 SCHAUMBURG
28.4 HANOVER PARK
29.3 Bartlett East
30.1 BARTLETT
32.7 Spaulding (EJ&E crossing)
35.2 Tower B-35
36.0 NATIONAL STREET
36.1 National Street West
36.4 Elgin East
36.6 ELGIN
39.7 Almora
39.8 BIG TIMBER ROAD
40.3 Randall Road
3 tracks from Chicago to Tower B-12. CTC in use, controlled from Tower A-5 and by Metra Southwest Dispatcher. Tower B-12 interlocking controlled from Metra's Consolidated Control Facility, by Southwest Dispatcher.
2 tracks from Tower B-12 to Randall Road. CTC in use, controlled from Tower B-17. Single track bridge over Fox River at Tower B-35.
Speed Limit: 70 mph
Chicago-Tower A-5: 60 mph
All main tracks are shown, along with most switches within interlockings, and other tracks used by main line Metra and freight trains. Not shown are hand operated industrial switches.
Information is subject to change, and is based on observations, along with information from employee timetables and from the CORA (Chicago Operating Rules Association) guide dated 2001, and Google satellite imagery.
The following colors are used to indicate types of operation:
BLUE - manual interlocking
RED - centralized traffic control (CTC) or bidirectional signals
GREEN - automatic block signals (single direction, current of traffic)
BLACK - unsignaled
Thin lines across tracks indicate signals. In CTC or bidirectional signal territory, signals usually exist for both directions at all locations, except at interlockings where the signals usually are only in the direction entering the interlocking.