Just shy of the midnight hour, 16th Street Relief operator Madelyn Gonzalez jots down the passage of Metra Rock Island District's last train into LaSalle Street for the night, as its' MP36 locomotive fades into the surrounding urban darkness. Metra's "operating museum" at 16th Street has it all - from more contemporary push-button N/X interlocking controls on the top box, to the older GRS "Model 2" pistol grips that date back to the early years of the 1900's, this place has a lot of character and amazingly still reliably serves the traveling public 24/7/365 by the men and women of Metra's Rock Island District.
Photo albums dedicated to the Men, and Women that keep the Railroad running around the clock 365 days a year. From Dispatcher to Track Gangs, these are the people that make the railroad moves!
...Rock Island....Erie Lackawanna....even some UP....some other stuff....that I remember even if I didnt' see them in the locales that some of these photos were taken at.....
