On the West Side
We’re along the Burlington Northern at Union Street in Chicago. I’m puzzling over the train: I assume the San Francisco Zephyr, but a vintage timetable states that it does not leave until 6:00 PM and the sun would be down. Perhaps I shot the train backing in—the headlight is not lit—but I’m not sure.
Update, from a knowledgeable person on FB, Rob Conway...
This is Union Avenue on the BN. Amtrak regularly makes wye moves through here. It could very well be the North Coast Hiawatha being turned after arrival at CUS. However, the lack of any dome cars could indicate that this is the inbound Panama Limited that has just pulled over the St. Charles Air Line and is about to back into CUS.
The lack of domes did not register with me, so I’m now inclined to say this is the Panama Limited with this input. And to support this hypothesis, I recall seeing GE U30PHs on the Illinois Central around that same time (which indicates they were set up for IC cab signals and such).
Two images by Richard Koenig; taken December 23rd 1976.