More Metra trivia in On the Bi-Level

The June 2009 issue is available in the Metra Press Center under "Passenger Newsletter." I'm too lazy to find out whether past issues are archived anywhere.

Did you know?

The people who designed our timetables way back when picked colors for the timetables based on each line's history. They even made up names for each color. (The North Central Service wasn't around back then.)

Union Pacific North Line: The old C&NW (now owned by UP) used green and yellow. So those colors were natural for its timetables. "Flambeau Green" is named for the Flambeau 400 train to Wisconsin.

Union Pacific Northwest Line: "Viking Yellow" is named for the Viking train to Minnesota.

Union Pacific West: With green and yellow already used, they opted for "Kate Shelley Rose," named for a teenage girl from Iowa who saved a train from disaster in 1881.

Milwaukee District North: "Hiawatha Orange" is named for the Milwaukee Road's famed Hiawatha trains.

Milwaukee District West: "Arrow Yellow" is named for the Arrow train to Nebraska.

BNSF Railway: "Kelly Green" or "Cascade Green" is named for the color used by the BN.

Heritage Corridor: "Alton Maroon" is named for the color used by the Alton Railroad.

SouthWest Service: "Banner Blue" is named for the Wabash Railroad's Banner Blue train.

Rock Island District: "Rocket Red" is named for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's Rocket trains.

Metra Electric: "Panama Orange" is named for the Illinois Central Railroad's Panama Limited passenger train.

In other news, this:

Inexplicable old Metra cars in Ottawa.