Nostalgia & History > Belt Railway of Chicago Power, Part 1

I'm going to post my Belt Railway of Chicago slides in Road Number Order.

1. BRC 450 in Chicago on March 31, 1964.  A RS-2  built Dec. 1949.

2. and 3 BRC 471 in Chicago on April 2, 1971. A GP9 built June 1958.  During and after stirring up the pigeons.

Continued ...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/16 16:45 by MartyBernard.

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4. BRC 471 again, in Bedford Park, IL on September 25, 1977.

5. BRC 473 (GP7 built Nov. 1951), 471 (GP9 built June 1958), 456 (RS-2 built Dec. 1949), and 452 (RS-2 built Dec. 1949) in Chicago on  May 13, 1964.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/16 22:11 by MartyBernard.

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Very nice.
- Eric B.

Photos 2 and 3 look like 75th Street.  The northward dwarf semaphore home signal on the BRC Southward Main is just visible beneath the water tower.  Note also the rear of trailers in Forest Hill Yard on the right.   Thank you's are always in order for BRC photos.

Rich

Neat shots.  BRC 450 is an RS-2.

KG

Thanks for posting.

Picture 1 was taken in the "South Chicago District", south of KCBX at one of the
elevators along the west side of the Calumet River.

Picture 4 looks like the "South CID" (Clearing Industrial District) which is a lead that runs
to the south of and parallel to Clearing Yard.

Picture 5 looks like the Jeffery Avenue roundhouse.  Jeffery Ave. yard was on the north side
of Commercial Ave. yard between Rock Island Jct. and Pullman Jct.

Seventyfive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Photos 2 and 3 look like 75th Street.  The
> northward dwarf semaphore home signal on the BRC
> Southward Main is just visible beneath the water
> tower.  Note also the rear of trailers in Forest
> Hill Yard on the right.

Coming by the home signal for Western Avenue. Looks like a "Plant Man" about to pull past the 75th Street signal and shove into the "Ashland Avenue Plant" industries. Remember 69 switch and derail? That was the worst switch in the plant. There were times that I thought I'd have to go out there and bar it over, but I always managed to get it lined after several tries. Fortunately, that job showed up at 75 on second trick very few times while I was there. If I was lucky, after I put them in there, they'd disappear until third trick and EAB would have to let them out.

>  Thank you's are always
> in order for BRC photos.

ditto

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Coming by the home signal for Western Avenue.
> Looks like a "Plant Man" about to pull past the
> 75th Street signal and shove into the "Ashland
> Avenue Plant" industries. Remember 69 switch and
> derail? That was the worst switch in the plant.
> There were times that I thought I'd have to go out
> there and bar it over, but I always managed to get
> it lined after several tries. Fortunately, that
> job showed up at 75 on second trick very few times
> while I was there. If I was lucky, after I put
> them in there, they'd disappear until third trick
> and EAB would have to let them out.
>
> >  Thank you's are always
> > in order for BRC photos.
>
> ditto
>
> TAW

I was wondering why the rear man was out on the platform looking alive instead of being horizontally positioned
inside with a cold one.  Getting ready to make a reverse move.  That explains it.

I didn't know about those visors on the RS-3s or the offset bells on the GP9s. Interesting. Thanks, nice photos.

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seventyfive Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Photos 2 and 3 look like 75th Street.  The
> > northward dwarf semaphore home signal on the
> BRC
> > Southward Main is just visible beneath the
> water
> > tower.  Note also the rear of trailers in
> Forest
> > Hill Yard on the right.
>
> Coming by the home signal for Western Avenue.
> Looks like a "Plant Man" about to pull past the
> 75th Street signal and shove into the "Ashland
> Avenue Plant" industries. Remember 69 switch and
> derail? That was the worst switch in the plant.
> There were times that I thought I'd have to go out
> there and bar it over, but I always managed to get
> it lined after several tries. Fortunately, that
> job showed up at 75 on second trick very few times
> while I was there. If I was lucky, after I put
> them in there, they'd disappear until third trick
> and EAB would have to let them out.
>
> >  Thank you's are always
> > in order for BRC photos.
>
> ditto
>
> TAW

Oh I remember the 69 switch alright.  Fortunately I never had the Dreis and Krump move on 2nd trick.
I had the relief job at 75 briefly, so Wednesday 3rd trick meant dreading that move.  After lots of rain
or a major temperature drop, the switch was impossible.  I heard stories of some operators getting injured
trying to throw it; don't know how Eddie ever did it as he wasn't very big.
Still, those were good times.

Rich