Why the Amtrak City of New Orleans leaves Chicago Backwards

I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans,
I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.

Well, that may not be the schedule anymore, but the Amtrak City of New Orleans remains an iconic train. And one with a surprise: in this video, we take a look at the City of New Orleans, and its Illinois counterparts, the Illini and the Saluki. These trains leave Chicago Union station backwards, with the locomotive pushing rather than pulling. This is a very unusual operation in Chicago, so we're here to get to the bottom of it. Discover why this happens, and what route it takes out of Chicago.
Then, join us as we take a ride aboard the CONO, pulled by one of Amtrak's brand-new ALC-42 Charger locomotives!

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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:40 It's running... BACKWARDS?
1:44 How trains switch directions
2:49 Why locomotives are always up front
3:46 Not these three trains though
4:28 Illini 393 at McCormick Place
5:04 The great backup
5:22 History of the City of New Orleans
6:11 Why Union Station is inconvenient...
6:47 Which route does it take?
7:18 Option A: St Charles Airline
9:05 Option B: Freeport Subdivision
11:18 Future Improvements
13:15 Riding on the City of New Orleans
14:49 Brand-new ALC-42
15:26 Seat Reservation and Review
16:26 Departure
16:58 Crossing the Chicago River
17:18 Switching Directions
18:33 Underneath the McCormick Place
19:17 Sightseer Lounge
19:35 Traveling through Southern Illinois
20:00 Champaign-Urbana