CHICAGO — Trains Magazine is offering readers an opportunity to tour Metra’s 47th Street shops, the former Rock Island “Rocket House” facility south of downtown Chicago, in June.

Metra will be our host for tours and behind-the-scenes demonstrations offered in conjunction with Metra’s own Family Day event for Metra employees on June 17. Locomotives are serviced at the 47th Street shops, while cars are serviced and rebuilt at the adjacent 49th Street facility, which is also part of the tour.

Tickets are $50 per person and will include lunch and a weekend Metra pass to allow visitors to ride the train into Chicago. Those taking the tour will ride special shuttle trains on the Rock Island District from La Salle Street station to the shops. Access to the shops will only be via these shuttle trains.

Space available to Trains readers is limited. Subscribers will receive the first opportunity to purchase tickets, with a limit of four tickets per customer. A link to the ticketing website, along with the password required for purchase, will be included in Tuesday’s email newsletter to subscribers. Any remaining tickets will be offered to all readers beginning April 18.

The tour will be held on the first day of Nickel Plate 2-8-4 No. 765’s two days of operation on the Rock Island District between Joliet, Ill., and La Salle Street station, so visitors should have the opportunity to watch No. 765 from a unique location.