Ranya's Ramblings

Franklin Park is a station on METRA's MD-W line. The station is located on 25th Street and Pacific Avenue in Franklin Park, Illinois. This is not the Franklin Park station on METRA's NCS line, that is a different station that's nearby.  Tour Train at Franklin Park Platform If this was a SEPTA station, this would be horrible. But as a Metra station, these platforms are completely all right.  Ad posters and garden Many bike racks Schedule and map  Inside depot This would be far nicer with bathrooms, but is otherwise much better than anything you could find on most of SEPTA.  Parking meter Nearby 5 over 1 development  Countdown clock  Parking The station from afar Transit Connections Franklin Park has three transit connections: Metra NCS: This train goes from Chicago Union station to Antioch, IL via the CN W...

Mannheim is a station on Metra's MD-W line. The station is located at 10324 Front Street in Franklin Park, Illinois. Tour The entire station Yes, that's just about everything. Everything .  Bench A system map  Weird container   This container to the side of the shelter holds salt, I believe. I'm not entirely certain.   The shelter from behind Average basic signs, every regional rail operator in the US has something like this at at least one of their stations.    The crossing   In order to get to the eastbound platform ,  you need   to use this crossing, This crossing is completely unsigned and has no lights of any form, so if you aren't paying attention you  will  get ran over by a train.    The eastbound platform   It' s not like the eastbound platform is any good, anyways. There is no tactile strip, ...

Belmont is a station on CTA's Blue Line. The station is located on Belmont Avenue and Kimball Avenue in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. This station is called Belmont-O Hare to disambiguate it from the other Belmont station, which is on the Red Line.  History The old station house, 2009 Belmont station was originally built in the early 1970s as part of the extension of the West-Northwest line towards O-Hare International Airport. Eventually, this line was renamed to the Blue Line. In 2017 the station was rebuilt, with work finishing in 2019. Tour The station house Belmont is a normal L station, at least from above.  The entrance and bus loop Sign on top of station Stairs down Belmont is not an accessible station. There is no sign of elevators of any form, despite the station having been remodeled within the last ten years.  Corridor into the station Apparently CTA stations have vending ma...

Grayland is a station on Metra's MD-N line. The station is located at Milwaukee Avenue and Kilbourn Avenue in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago.  History Grayland station in 2009 Grayland was originally built in 1873, as a concession from John Gray to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad to stop at the subdivision he made from his farm named Grayland  so long as he gave them the land and depot he built himself. A town grew from this named Grayland, which then got annexed into Chicago in the 1880s.  Sometime later, the station was rebuilt and downgraded to two shelters to facilitate a grade separation project. Far into the future, this station was closed in 2021 to be rebuilt and a temporary station was built, which isn't all that different.  Tour Metra EMD SD70MACH leaving Greyland Station, going towards Union Station Grayland is a dreary station. There is absolutely little to nothing good about this station whatsoever.  ...