Appreciating Their Railroad Heritage

The Homewood Rail Heritage Committee was originally formed in the spring of 2002 as the Illini Rail Committee, to assist in the start up and operation of the “Champ Train,” a privately chartered Amtrak train which ran between Union Station in downtown Chicago and the University of Illinois football stadium in Champaign for Chicago Bear's home games during the 2002-2003 season while Soldier Field was being rebuilt.

The committee was formed as, and remains, a volunteer arm of the Homewood municipal government. Committee members include Homewood business leaders, a village staff member, and rail enthusiasts who live within Homewood's corporate limits. In 2006, the committee had about fifteen active members.

Immediately following the successful conclusion of the “Champ Train” project, the committee was tasked by Mayor Richard Hofeld to think of ways in which the major geographic features of Homewood (the town is literally split in half by the railroad) could be turned to the advantage of the village in terms of attracting business, especially tourism, to the downtown area.

Committee member Bruce Hutton brought up the idea of a “rail watching platform” similar in purpose to the popular facility that exists in Rochelle, Illinois. This idea was accepted, and members Randy Olson, Tom Grant, and Paul Burgess, all avid rail photographers, were tasked with the preliminary site planning and design of the structure. This was completed in the spring of 2003 and a grant proposal for federal funds was written by Paul Burgess and committee chairperson Jim Wright.

Rendering of street side of the Homewood viewing platform

Site plan for equipment display near Homewood Metra/Amtrak station.

Site Plans and drawings by Arete 3 Architectural Services Company, Inc.
(Double-click on drawing to see enlarged version.)

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