La Grange (BNSF Racetrack)

La Grange sits at milepost 13.7 on BNSF's Chicago Subdivision, the legendary triple-track corridor that railfans call "the Racetrack." The line runs east-west through the center of downtown La Grange, with two Metra stations (La Grange Road and Stone Avenue, 0.4 miles apart) providing multiple vantage points along Burlington Avenue.

Public sidewalks on Burlington Avenue parallel the right-of-way with unobstructed, fence-free viewing just yards from the nearest rail. Both stations have ground-level platforms between the three main tracks, putting you close enough to feel the slipstream of passing trains. Freight speed through here is limited to 45 mph, while Metra commuters and Amtrak are authorized up to 70 mph.

Just east of downtown, the triple-track BNSF crosses over the triple-track Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) on a bridge — one of the few places you can see six tracks of two different railroads in close proximity. The Ogden Avenue overpass (N 41.8169, W 87.8643) provides an elevated view of this crossing. Connector tracks in the southeast quadrant handle interchange between IHB and BNSF, with transfers running to Cicero Yard.

Scanner frequencies: BNSF 161.100 (channel 66, Metra and Amtrak), 161.160 (channel 70); IHB 160.980 (channel 58), 161.070 (channel 64). The area is safe, walkable, and surrounded by cafés and shops — bring a folding chair and settle in for a full day.

La Grange is a leafy western suburb of Chicago, 13 miles from the Loop, at roughly 630 feet elevation on the flat terrain of northeastern Illinois. The tracks run along Burlington Avenue through a classic American railroad-suburb downtown: brick storefronts, the 1900 Georgian Revival Village Hall at 53 South La Grange Road, and the restored 1901 Stone Avenue station with its heavy Richardsonian Romanesque limestone arches.

Mature trees line the residential streets flanking the right-of-way, providing shade in summer and a colorful canopy in October. The east-west orientation of the tracks means morning light illuminates eastbound locomotive faces, while afternoon sun favors westbound trains — a significant consideration for photography. Winter visits offer crisp, haze-free conditions and unobstructed sightlines when the trees are bare.

The vibe is decidedly small-town despite the proximity to Chicago. The La Grange Theatre (opened 1925, restored 2022) is a block south of the tracks, and the La Grange Farmers Market runs on Thursdays from May through October near Village Hall. Railroad ambiance is constant: crossing gates activate frequently, and the sound of Metra horns is woven into the fabric of daily life here.

The BNSF Chicago Subdivision is among the busiest rail corridors in the United States, and La Grange sits squarely in the middle of it. On a typical weekday, expect 140 or more total movements:

Metra BNSF Line: As of September 2025, the public timetable shows 97 weekday trains (47 inbound to Chicago, 50 outbound). Not all stop at both La Grange stations — some rush-hour expresses skip Stone Avenue. Weekend service runs 40 trains (20 each direction) between Union Station and Aurora. Metra equipment consists of rebuilt EMD F40PH and F40PHM-2 locomotives pushing/pulling bilevel gallery coaches, staffed and maintained by BNSF employees under a purchase-of-service agreement.

BNSF Freight: 30 to 60 freight trains in a 24-hour period, with volume building toward the weekend. Traffic is diverse: intermodal (including runs to the Belt Railway of Chicago and Norfolk Southern), manifest, unit grain, unit coal, ethanol, and crude oil trains. Run-through power from NS, CSX, UP, and occasionally CPKC regularly appears. Freight locomotives include ES44C4s, SD70ACes, ET44C4s, and foreign-road power.

Amtrak: Eight daily trains in four pairs — the California Zephyr (trains 5/6), Southwest Chief (trains 3/4), Illinois Zephyr (trains 380/383), and Carl Sandburg (trains 381/382). The Zephyr and Chief converge mid-afternoon. The four Quincy corridor trains stop at La Grange Road station; the long-distance trains pass through without stopping. Amtrak typically runs P42DC locomotives, with occasional heritage units.

The east-west track alignment at La Grange creates distinct morning and afternoon lighting scenarios. For eastbound morning shots, position yourself on the north sidewalk of Burlington Avenue between Stone Avenue station and Brainard Avenue — the rising sun lights up locomotive faces and highlights exhaust plumes against the sky.

Afternoon light favors westbound trains. The south side of the La Grange Road station platform works well for framing westbound freights against the Georgian Revival Village Hall (built 1900), visible two blocks south on La Grange Road. The gentle curvature through downtown allows long trains to "snake" through the frame for dramatic leading-line compositions.

For the BNSF/IHB crossing, walk east from downtown to the Ogden Avenue overpass at Tilden and Shawmut. The south sidewalk of the bridge offers a bird's-eye view of both railroads, though sightlines of the BNSF bridge to the north are limited from this angle. The stairway up to the overpass provides transitional elevated angles.

Stone Avenue station itself (milepost 14.0) is one of the most photogenic Metra stops on the line — the 1901 Richardsonian Romanesque limestone station building makes an excellent backdrop. A 50-85mm lens captures the station with passing trains; switch to 135-200mm for tight roster shots of locomotives on the far tracks. Winter snow scenes are particularly photogenic given the wide, unobstructed sightlines.

Railroad service through La Grange dates to 1864, when the Chicago and Aurora Railroad (later absorbed into the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad) built its line westward from Chicago. Commuter service to La Grange began by 1869. Franklin D. Cossitt purchased 600 acres adjacent to the railroad in 1870, and the Village of La Grange was incorporated in 1879 — the community literally grew around the rails.

The Stone Avenue station was built in 1901 by David Lyman at a cost of $10,375, designed by the CB&Q's engineering staff with inspiration from the earlier Kenilworth Depot. Its locally quarried limestone, heavy Romanesque arches (doubled from the Kenilworth original's two to four), and detailed woodwork represent the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The station was restored in 2005 using original 1901 plans uncovered by the La Grange Area Historical Society from the Burlington Route Historical Society archives.

The La Grange Village Historic District, which includes the Stone Avenue station, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 8, 1979. The district encompasses over 1,000 buildings, including three Frank Lloyd Wright designs.

The line itself has a storied past: the CB&Q introduced its revolutionary Zephyr streamliners in 1934, and they ran through La Grange at speeds that eventually contributed to the 1946 Naperville train disaster further west — an event that led to federal speed restrictions. Triple-tracking was completed in stages between 1887 (Chicago to Belmont) and 1914-1922 (Belmont to Aurora). CTC was installed at La Grange (Congress Park to Downers Grove segment) in 1959. The CB&Q became Burlington Northern in 1970, then BNSF after the 1995 merger with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.

What makes La Grange stand out is the combination of extraordinary train volume in an extraordinarily accessible setting. The triple-track Racetrack sees more than 140 weekday movements — one of the highest train counts on any publicly accessible railfan spot in the Midwest. Unlike remote prairie hotspots, La Grange puts you within walking distance of coffee shops, restaurants, and two Metra stations that can take you into Chicago Union Station in about 25 minutes.

The BNSF/IHB crossing adds a dimension most Racetrack stations lack: the Indiana Harbor Belt line running north-south underneath the BNSF carries CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific (CPKC), and Union Pacific traffic in addition to IHB's own switching operations. Interchange tracks between the two railroads add further variety.

The Metra BNSF Line itself is unique among Chicago's 11 commuter lines — it's the only remaining line operated under a purchase-of-service agreement with the freight railroad (BNSF), meaning the crews, station agents, and equipment maintenance are BNSF employees, not Metra staff. The line also has the highest weekday ridership of any Metra route.

Stone Avenue station is one of the oldest and most photogenic active commuter rail stations in the Chicago area, and the surrounding National Register historic district provides architectural character that most suburban railfan spots completely lack.