Matteson, IL: Rail Park for CN's "Cloverleaf" Junction

Since CN bought both IC and EJ&E, they built connections in all four directions between the grade separated routes in Matteson, IL. The speed limit for the connection is 15mph.

Most railfans go to a rail park or junction to take pictures of trains. I go to take pictures of the park or junction so that I can better understand where other railfan have taken their pictures. If trains happen to arrive while I'm there, then I'll take pictures of trains also.

The first thing I discovered is that there is a lot of parking in the area, but it is all paid parking for commuters. That is my van that I ended up parking by the water tower. You can easily see the viewing pavilion beside the railroad embankment on the left and the static caboose display on the right. It is harder to see the wooden ramp up the hill in the middle of the photo.

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While I was taking a picture of the caboose, I heard diesel engines. It occurred to me I could get pictures of a static display later and I should get up to that viewing platform pronto. That is a rather long, steep ramp to try to hustle up. I grabbed the shot below at 4:08 while I was still going up the ramp. I at least documented that it was a westbound freight.

I was able to catch that it had two engines, but there is no way I can read the numbers from this distance even with 24 megapixels of resolution.

This rail park disappointed me even more than the one in Plant City, FL because you have very poor views of the EJ&E route, which had most of the freight action. Once I got up to the viewing platform, I could see over the buildings, but most of this view would be skunked by tree leaves during the tourist season. (This is February 7, 2017.)

I'm going to spend a while discussing the official railfan facility, but let me give you a sneak peak that there is a better place in town to catch the mainline trains.

Even this "window" of the EJ&E is probably a bummer when those bushes have leaves. I assume that is a sound abatement wall that is installed next to the track. Even if a train is using the connector ramp, that would be a source of frustration in terms of trying to get a clean shot.

While a freight was on the EJ&E route, I could determine a commuter was on the IC route. This was taken at 18mm.

But even with a telephoto and a sunny day, you would not get a good shot of that train.

Digitally zooming in on the IC route in the above photo

The end of the 2-engine westbound rolled through at 4:12.

This overview of the viewing platform catches another commuter at the Matteson station. The connector tracks are to the left of the platform. You can see one of the interpretive signs they have mounted along the railing. On the right is the wooden ramp that allows you to walk up to the platform.

I walked to the far end of the platform to get a view of the upper connections and more of the ramp.



I took pictures of each of the interpretive signs.

While I was taking those pictures, an engine running light passed through on the EJ&E route. The engine number appears to be 4904.

On my way back to the van, I took a picture of the caboose and its interpretive sign.

Since the viewing stand turned out to be a bummer in terms of viewing trains, I checked out 216th Street. I had barely gotten on 216th Place when an eastbound EJ&E came through. The best views I could get were not good, so I took only two pictures of it from inside the van. The covered hoppers look short so I think it was a unit sand train.

As I went north on 216th St, I noticed there were covered hoppers moving north on the IC route. I'll spare you a bunch of bad shots. I include this one to show what the best view was, which is not good.

I should have gone down that road to get closeups of some of the cars in the train. CN was using some real antiques including the faded car that still has IC reporting marks. Also, the train must have been going pretty fast because I was trying to catch the car to the left of that pole.

When the freight cleared, I could see another commuter. I was reminded that the IC uses electric power for its commuter trains.

I then checked out the other spot that was mentioned in a Trains Magazine article about railfanning this junction --- the Central Park Avenue crossing.

Since there are crossing gates for the connector as well as the EJ&E mainline, you can legally stand between them. This was the shot I could get before the crossing gates activated. I carry just an 18-55mm zoom. A real railfan with their macho zoom could have gotten a much better shot.

Now I have stepped aside because the gates are active.

A reminder that the EJ&E used to be owned by U.S. Steel. I never see this many coil cars on the BNSF/CB&Q Racetrack.

I just now noticed the GTW reporting mark on the engine.

You would have a really nice view of westbound trains.

I see more boxcars in this one view than I'll sometimes see in an entire train on the Racetrak.

And they kept on coming, including a Wisconsin Central fallen flag.

Wow, just one covered hopper and no tank cars. The Racetrack mixed trains are mainly covered hoppers and tank cars.

Since Matteson is the junction between IC and EJ&E, I'll include their static display of an IC caboose as well. I found this because I was checking out the abandoned Michigan Central Joliet Cutoff route, which is now Old Plank Road Trail. This is the view of the caboose from the trail.

This is the same spot on the trail but looking east along the trail.

There was a lot of train action, especially on the EJ&E. But the next time I go, I'll skip the viewing platform and go directly to the Main Street crossing.