California’s Abandoned Chicago Metra Train

Thank you for making this video! I volunteer at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and our goal is to preserve this railway. I'm glad to see a really good and in depth video on our "impossible" railroad!

Carrizo George was frequently mentioned. What a character he must have been!

I love how this channel feels like an OG History Channel or Discovery show. back in the late '90s/ early 2k's . Even the intro gives it that vibe. Keep up the amazing work

This line would make for a killer set for Western movies or even a western experience of riding a steam locomotive on portions of it, having an authentic Western town built on the line near Dos Cabezas, riding horses everywhere else, and having a drink the saloon. I would pay to get brought in on a Steam train and spend a weekend hanging out in a town like that.

Gorge, not George.

In 2015, I was traveling through Cadillac, MI, and something caught my eye just off the U.S 131 Business Route, so I pulled onto a side street to check. On a railroad siding on the north end of town, was a series of Chicago Metra train cars. Don't know why they were there

Hearing you pronounce gorge (hard G) like George (soft G) is grating to listen too. Other than that it is a really interesting and informing video.

Just took a METRA train for the first time ever about 30 minutes ago, great to see a video here on them. Such an interesting experience to ride on the second floor.

Wow - I do remember the design of these Chicago cars... way back in 1989/90 I was in the Navy and stationed at Great Lakes, IL. I and my shipmates would ride in these double level cars down to Chicago to out and experience the real world and then come back to the station by the base. So many of those mates are gone now... thanks for the story of what we were riding and where they ended up!

Thank you, Ryan, for all the history. I knew about the cars, I knew about line and trestle, but I didn't know all of that... As someone who really likes trains and train history, I really appreciate it. You know, I think we got some of those old metro cars around here. I believe those are the same class of chicago metro cars that I got to ride in a time two. I believe they're the same type as the one's Iowa Interstate bought for their IAIS 6988 & IAIS 7081 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" Chinese steam locomotive... I went for a ride in them a couple of times back in 2011 once round trip at Rock Island Train Fest, Rock Island, IL to Walcott, IA I believe and once at Planes Trains and Automobiles, fest. Geneseo, round trip from Geneseo, IL to Annawan, IL. I'm not sure if they're still making any runs with those old locomotives or not. 🤔 I think they are, I'm gonna have to look it up. I would sure love to go on another ride sometime. I wish they'd still have that trained festival in Rock Island, that was a one time in history awesome amazing event.

Those bi-level cars were formerly owned by the C. & N. W. then became property of METRA. All of the other Budd bi-level cars, I believe, such as on the C. B. & Q, were stainless steel sided cars.

Ya know? I don’t remember subbing to your channel. I know of you guys due to Indie N. and his Great War series. Honestly you’ve become on of my favorite channels. So many different topics that one would never know of. Love it!

Excellent video! We released a Goat Canyon Trestle video last week. Great minds think alike! Such a fascinating site. Anyways, always love your excellent research.

Love the video, but it's not "George" as in the man's name. It's "Gore"ge.

I don't know if you knew this Ryan but those Metra trains were based in Joliet and were on the former Rock Island line. The service went threw off of the southwest suburbs. I took it from Joliet to Downtown in my first solo trip into the City when I was 13 and many times more afterwards. I loved those double decker cars and durning the week they were always packed with commuters going to and fro . It used to cost 1.00 for a ride and you better have had your ticket for the Conductor to punch or they'd make you buy another. Those were fun days. Always wondered what happened to them because there were a lot of them.

Love all the different stories tied to Chicago you find. Keep it up 👍 We also have on old Metra train (Nashville Star) here in Tennessee but it still runs.

I remember those cars well. They were putting together a tourist and dinner train and running the train as a test. There was also a dining and kitchen car (Amtrak?) attached to that consist. They left the cars sitting on the track and vandals somehow released the brakes. The cars rolled downhill and derailed on a curve. The kitchen car overturned. We hiked there a couple of days after the derailment, and I marveled on how fast they repaired the tracks. I thought it was strange that they even re-used the old spikes in making the repair. Shortly after that the dining and kitchen car were removed and the other cars left on the siding where they remain today.

I didn't know this recent history of this trestle. So sad. It was a very cool part of RR history.

Very interesting and well done, thank you. It's a shame that they are abandoned, train history should be preserved. I know I wouldn't mind having one or two car.

I miss the Spreckles Factory, the name fits sugar perfectly and the sign on the factory was a landmark. The package design and logo were cool.