FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

Keith McMillan riffs on trains running right by D-III football stadiums. Add Catholic, Gallaudet, Randolph-Macon, Susquehanna, Widener, Kean, McDaniel ... gosh, many others I can't think of right now.

[79jaybird]

Hi Pat,  hehe.  Elmhurst is sandwiched between 2 railroads and they used to keep me up at night as you could hear them constantly.  All hours of the night too! 
The city of Elmhurst did pose a no train horn policy on the Illinois Central line on the south side of the campus, but more noise used/still does come from the main CNW/UP line on the north side of the campus with the Metra commuter trains. 
Look at Seattle's Mariners Safeco field where you can hear the train whistles through the TV and Radio microphones.

[CardinalAlum]

Elmhurst is sandwiched between 2 railroads and they used to keep me up at night as you could hear them constantly.  All hours of the night too!  The city of Elmhurst did pose a no train horn policy on the Illinois Central line on the south side of the campus, but more noise used/still does come from the main CNW/UP line on the north side of the campus with the Metra commuter trains. 

Attention all potentiall Elmhurst recruits!!!! 

[formerd3db]

Thanks for the follow-up "train" counts, Pat and all you guys!  Amazing, although, if you really think about it, probably not really since the trains were a major way of transportation to get to these towns when most of these schools were founded.

Jaybird - I believe the train is the Pere Marquette that goes from Grand Rapids to Chicago (through Holland), but for some reason (uh, actually, I guess it is due to "old age" ), I can't recall the name right now.

[matblake]

Elmhurst is sandwiched between 2 railroads and they used to keep me up at night as you could hear them constantly.  All hours of the night too!  The city of Elmhurst did pose a no train horn policy on the Illinois Central line on the south side of the campus, but more noise used/still does come from the main CNW/UP line on the north side of the campus with the Metra commuter trains. 

Attention all potentiall Elmhurst recruits!!!! 

Classic

[Goal Line Stand]

Moment of Silence:   Brett Favre has retired from the NFL.   

I am a Bears fan, but I am also a Brett Favre fan.  That guy was fun to watch and IMO, one of the greatest competitors ever.  Glad he won't be playing the Bears anymore, but sad to see a football great decide to hang them up.

The majority of Bears fans that I know are very excited about this, but I'm not so sure that the Bears are going to get a break.  To me, Aaron Rodgers has looked pretty impressive on those occasions when Farve decided to let him see the field.  I hope that I'm wrong, but I see Rodgers being a pretty solid QB as well...

I'd certainly take the offense Green Bay will field in 2008 (minus Favre) over the inept bunch the Bear have assembled. 

Let see... a brutally horrible offensive line, check.  A featured RB with 3 yards per carry, check.  No WR that can stretch a defense, check.  A QB that can't take a snap from center, fumbles at least twice a game and is good for 2 INT's per game, check.  Look for Devon Hester to lead the Bears in TDs in 2008... which is not good.

I agree totally and would just add that I believe that the one common denominator is the, "brutally, horrible offensive line,"  that starts with the center.  Hard for a RB to operate without holes, (Benson sucks, I would have kept Jones)  and the QB without protection.  The fumbled snaps involved more than one QB but don't take that as a defense of Jekle/Hyde Grossman.  Just making an observation.  The Bears need the line revamped and I would start with Kreutz.

[79jaybird]

Actually Minnesota and Detroit should be much better this year.  The Bears have a lot of voids (similar to some of the CCIW schools  )  that really need to be sewn up for them to compete against the big boys. 
GLStand you mention the Thomas Jones deal... I could not understand why the Bears let him go.  I liked Jones and can't stand the pot head Benson.  Geez,  the guy is such a prima donna and isn't that great IMO.  Jones gave you effort and really worked hard to gain yardage despite having a so-so O-line.

[New Tradition]

formerd3db-great story.  Is that the old Grand Trunk and Western line now Canadien National (CN) ? 
Yes, I am a train nerd so here are the railroads and the CCIW schools.

Elmhurst- Chicago Northwestern (CNW) now Union Pacific  line will take you from Chicago all the way to North Platte, NB
Wheaton- Same line as Elmhurst
North Central- Burlington Northern will take you from Chicago's Clyde Yard all the way to Minneapolis.  Good place to go and see trains (if you are a rr nerd) is Rochelle, IL
Carthage-  Chicago and Northwestern line from Chicago's Union Station all the way up to Sheboygan, WI
IWU- Illinois Central /Amtrak  that will take you from Chicago all the way to Biloxi, MS
Millikin- Norfolk and Southern  that is all I know about those tracks
Augustana- CRI&P  the old Rock Island Line that will take you from Rock Island back to Chicago.  Now the line is used by the Iowa Interstate RR as a Regional Link.
North Park- no real freight railroads nearby by the EL is there.

I know, I know- I need a new hobby. 

That's an interesting post, JB.  I seem to remember some different trains running through some of those CCIW towns:

The Holden Central
The Kniss-Spencer Line
The Sulo Bullet
The Radtke Express
The Wenger Line

Just to name a few 

[matblake]

formerd3db-great story.  Is that the old Grand Trunk and Western line now Canadien National (CN) ? 
Yes, I am a train nerd so here are the railroads and the CCIW schools.

Elmhurst- Chicago Northwestern (CNW) now Union Pacific  line will take you from Chicago all the way to North Platte, NB
Wheaton- Same line as Elmhurst
North Central- Burlington Northern will take you from Chicago's Clyde Yard all the way to Minneapolis.  Good place to go and see trains (if you are a rr nerd) is Rochelle, IL
Carthage-  Chicago and Northwestern line from Chicago's Union Station all the way up to Sheboygan, WI
IWU- Illinois Central /Amtrak  that will take you from Chicago all the way to Biloxi, MS
Millikin- Norfolk and Southern  that is all I know about those tracks
Augustana- CRI&P  the old Rock Island Line that will take you from Rock Island back to Chicago.  Now the line is used by the Iowa Interstate RR as a Regional Link.
North Park- no real freight railroads nearby by the EL is there.

I know, I know- I need a new hobby. 

That's an interesting post, JB.  I seem to remember some different trains running through some of those CCIW towns:

The Holden Central
The Kniss-Spencer Line
The Sulo Bullet
The Radtke Express
The Wenger Line

Just to name a few 

I seem to remember the Norris-Dreyer Connection runs through Naperville.  I believe there is a brass bell on that train.

[usee]

formerd3db-great story.  Is that the old Grand Trunk and Western line now Canadien National (CN) ? 
Yes, I am a train nerd so here are the railroads and the CCIW schools.

Elmhurst- Chicago Northwestern (CNW) now Union Pacific  line will take you from Chicago all the way to North Platte, NB
Wheaton- Same line as Elmhurst
North Central- Burlington Northern will take you from Chicago's Clyde Yard all the way to Minneapolis.  Good place to go and see trains (if you are a rr nerd) is Rochelle, IL
Carthage-  Chicago and Northwestern line from Chicago's Union Station all the way up to Sheboygan, WI
IWU- Illinois Central /Amtrak  that will take you from Chicago all the way to Biloxi, MS
Millikin- Norfolk and Southern  that is all I know about those tracks
Augustana- CRI&P  the old Rock Island Line that will take you from Rock Island back to Chicago.  Now the line is used by the Iowa Interstate RR as a Regional Link.
North Park- no real freight railroads nearby by the EL is there.

I know, I know- I need a new hobby. 

That's an interesting post, JB.  I seem to remember some different trains running through some of those CCIW towns:

The Holden Central
The Kniss-Spencer Line
The Sulo Bullet
The Radtke Express
The Wenger Line

Just to name a few 

I seem to remember the Norris-Dreyer Connection runs through Naperville.  I believe there is a brass bell on that train.

Very Mugsyesque of you MB! I am impressed.

[Pat Coleman]

+1 for New Tradition for creativity

[New Tradition]

+1 for New Tradition for creativity

Much obliged, Pat.

[New Tradition]

Is it bad that I'm counting down the days  until spring ball starts?

[usee]

Is is bad that I'm counting down the days  until spring ball starts?

Yes.

[Mugsy]

Is it bad that I'm counting down the days  until spring ball starts?

I prefer to count the days until we retain the bell for yet another year.