Chicago is a major railroad hub in the US. All the major modern Class 1s, and many of the fallen flags served the Chicago area. I have a few Chicago-area routes to suggest. This will be a whole series of suggestions. -Chicago Route #1: Metra BNSF Line or CB&Q/BN Racetrack: Chicago-Aurora, Ill Since we're not getting US freight routes for the forseeable future, this short, but busy passenger route out of Chicago would be perfect. The Metra BNSF Line, formerly the Burlington Route's famed Racetrack, runs 37.5 miles from Chicago Union Station to Aurora, Ill. The line was (and still is) a busy three-track commuter rail line that also featured freight trains from the CB&Q. When the CB&Q became part of Burlington Northern in the 1970s, the line was operated by BN. BNSF now operates the Racetrack along with Metra Commuter Rail. The line sees heavy freights, Amtrak Midwest and Long-distance trains, and Metra commuter trains. The max speed is 70mph on this line. Locomotives to include: BNSF GP60/GP60M-3, ET44C4, C44-9W, or GP38-2; Metra F40PHM-3 or F40PH-3 w/ commuter coaches/cab car; Amtrak Midwest SC44 Charger w/ Venture cars (Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr); Amtrak P42DC or ALC-42 Charger w/ Superliner consist (California Zephyr and SW Chief) CB&Q DLC: SD9 "Cadillac," GP20, GP30, GP35, SD40-2, E8Am rebuild or E9Am rebuild BN DLC: F45, E8 or E9 rebuild, GP39E/M/V GP30/GP35 rebuilds, SD40-2, SD45, SD70MAC, SD60M, U30C, GP50, GP40-2 -Chicago Route #2: Milwaukee Road Twin Cities Hiawatha Route: Chicago-Milwaukee C&M Division: The Hiawatha was one of the premier trains of the Milwaukee Road. In the 1930s, the train was headed by four Alco-built Class-A 4-4-2 Atlantics designed by Otto Kuhler. Later, six F7-Class 4-6-4 Baltics handled the train. We probably aren't getting steam power, so an EMD E-Unit diesel would be perfect for a diesel-powered Hiawatha. The Hiawatha had some interesting passenger cars, including the Milwaukee Road's homebuilt "Super Domes," their Tip Top Tap Cars, and their Skytop Lounge Observation Cars. The Milwaukee-Chicago C&M Line is 85.5 miles long. This route could include an E-Unit (E6, E7, E8, or E9) or FP45 for the Hiawatha and a couple of freight locos (maybe a rare FM H-16-66 "Baby Trainmaster," SD40-2, GP40, U30C, etc.). For yard and switching duties, I'd suggest an FM H-10-44, EMD SW1, SW1200, or NW2.
