AAR Radio Channel 52 - 160.890 (Chicago-CY)
AAR Radio Channel 62 - 161.040 (CY-Harvard/McHenry)
This former Chicago and North Western line is the busiest UP commuter line. Crystal Lake historically was, and still is the primary terminal of the commuter rail service. Harvard was a secondary terminal, and intercity passenger service beyond Harvard to Janesville and Madison, was discontinued in 1965. The route is shared with the Union Pacific North Line as far as Clybourn, and this line has 3 tracks between Clybourn and Barrington. The Kennedy Expressway parallels this line through much of Chicago's northwest side, and a portion of the expressway median strip is used by CTA's Blue Line to O'Hare Airport. Many local stops existed in Chicago until 1958, when they were discontinued as part of a streamlining of the commuter service. The Jefferson Park station is part of a complex also used by CTA trains and buses. Outside Chicago, Park Ridge is the first suburb. Beyond Park Ridge are several other large suburbs including Arlington Heights, home of the Arlington Park Race Track. This is also Metra's longest line, extending 63 miles to Harvard. For many trains, especially on weekdays, Crystal Lake is the end of the line. Weekends are good days to ride the entire main line, with the $5 weekend pass offering considerable savings over the $8.05 one way weekday fare to Harvard. The outer end of that line is in McHenry County, which is still quite rural, offering a pleasant escape from the city. Woodstock is the county seat. Freight traffic along the line is rather light, continuing beyond Harvard to Janesville, Wisconsin. The branch line to McHenry has rush hour service only. This branch once continued further north to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, but commuter service was gradually cut back to McHenry. Unless one makes other arrangements in McHenry, the only time railfans can make a round trip on this line is very early in the morning.
Direction is northward from Chicago to Harvard
0.0 CHICAGO
0.1 Lake Street (tower)
0.3 Clinton Street
2.7 CY (tower/junction)
2.8 CLYBOURN
4.5 Maplewood
5.4 Avondale
6.2 Parkview
6.7 IRVING PARK
7.2 Kostner Avenue
7.6 Mayfair (CP crossing/remote-CY)
8.7 JEFFERSON PARK
9.7 GLADSTONE PARK
11.1 NORWOOD PARK
12.3 EDISON PARK
13.1 PARK RIDGE
14.6 DEE ROAD
16.7 DES PLAINES
17.3 Deval (UP/CN crossing/remote-CY)
18.2 CUMBERLAND
18.5 Seeger (junction-UP/remote-CY)
19.6 MT. PROSPECT
22.4 ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
24.2 ARLINGTON PARK
26.5 PALATINE
31.0 End Three Tracks (remote-dispatcher-Omaha)
31.5 BARRINGTON
31.9 EJ&E Crossing (tower)
37.0 FOX RIVER GROVE
38.3 CARY
41.7 PINGREE ROAD
42.5 Crystal Lake Jct. (junction-UP)
42.9 CRYSTAL LAKE
45.7 Ridgefield
51.3 WOODSTOCK
55.7 Hartland
62.8 HARVARD
58.2 Crystal Lake Jct. (junction-UP)
58.6 West Wye Switch
61.3 Terra Cotta
65.8 MCHENRY
69.2 Ringwood
4 tracks from Clinton Street to CY, Controlled Block System in use.
3 tracks from CY to Mayfair, signalled for both directions with a Controlled Block System.
3 tracks from Mayfair to Barrington signalled for normal left hand operation, center track signalled for both directions with a Controlled Block System.
2 tracks from Barrington to Harvard, signalled for normal left hand operation.
1 track from Crystal Lake Jct. to McHenry, Track Warrant Control in use. Mileposts are measured via West Chicago and Elgin.
Automatic Train Stop in use between Clinton Street and Harvard.
Speed Limit: 70 mph
Chicago-Clybourn: 35 mph
Crystal Lake Jct.-McHenry: 59 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.
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.
