They're coming to take me away

In 1981 I went on my first real expedition with hardcore railfans. Six of us railnuts piled into a van after work and drove through the night, headed west for Chicago, the rail mecca of North America. I saw a lot of neat stuff for the first time, which included some very busy railroad lines.

I've previously posted something from the triple track commuter zone west of downtown. This is the former CB&Q mainline from downtown to the west. On this line you are almost never out of sight of a train - commuter, freight, or intercity passenger. A lot of 1950s era streamlined passenger locomotives were still in use. The stations are close together for the commuters. Most are in commercial zones, but this picturesque stone building serves a residential area called Highlands.

We spent a pleasant afternoon here watching trains go by. The location is parklike, with grass, trees, and a bridge crossing the tracks. It also was in close proximity to some sort of mental health facility. We joked about it being an insane asylum, and thought we heard screams continually emanating from the place. In the back of our minds we held the thought that someone would come out, see us, and figuring we were escapees haul us back inside. Fortunately that didn't happen, and we were free to continue our adventure.