CPKC, CN, and UP Action around O’Hare Airport! (9/6/26)

Train(s) Seen: Pretty neato CPKC stuff was running around (and bonuses on the CN and UP) so basically a whole day around O’Hare and the surrounding area was well spent! 0:00-0:58 Bensenville, IL: Starting off at Tower B17 at the west end of Bensenville Yard, CPKC 247 blasts off onto the UP Milwaukee Sub with a quad of CP GE widecabs CP Manifest (CPKC 247/NB) CP #9374 (GE ES44AC) CP #8005 (GE AC4400CWM) CP #8785 (GE ES44AC) CP #8900 (GE ES44AC) 0:59-2:19 Rosemont, IL (Metra O’Hare Transfer Station): After 247, I relocated over to the the O’Hare Transfer Metra Station along the CN Waukesha Sub. About an hour after I arrived here came CN M346 with the BC Rail heritage unit! You don’t see a lot of traffic south of Mundelein, IL on the Waukesha so this was a very nice bonus for the day! CN Manifest (CN M346/SB) CN #3115 (GE ET44AC) “BC Rail” Heritage Unit CN #3396 (GE AC44C6M) 2:20-3:24 Des Plaines (Mt Prospect Road), IL: At the Mt Prospect Road crossing in Des Plaines, a rebuilt GE AC6000 blows for the horn zone along the UP Milwaukee Sub with an awesome K3HL! UP Coal Empty (SB) UP #6918 (GE C44ACM) UP #6643 (GE C44ACM) (Rear DPU) 3:25-5:55 Des Plaines (Howard Avenue), IL: Now at Howard Avenue, we spot 3 back to back CPKC freights using trackage rights via the UP! CPKC 448 is up first as it makes haste on the last leg of its journey to Bensenville with a solo CP ET44AC that has acquired a hefty amount of dirt on the CPKC paint for being a year old. CP Intermodal (CPKC 448/SB) CP #7465 (GE ET44AC) 2nd up is CPKC 254 with a KCS SD70MAC leader and an NS C6M end DPU! Normally these KCS MACs are used in ballast or work train service so seeing one lead a revenue freight is always a treat! KCS-NS Manifest (CPKC 254/SB) KCS #3942 (EMD SD70MAC) NS #4360 (GE AC44C6M) The 3rd and final train, that being CPKC 546, hauls by Howard as shadows attempt to consume the tracks with a low ditchlight equipped CSX YN2 AC44! A very endangered unit in this day and age… CSX Tank Train (CPKC 546/SB) CSXT #210 (GE AC4400CW) CSXT #7230 (GE CM44AC)