Eastern Railroad Discussion > Snowy Chicagoland Variety

Chicago area variety on Thursday

1: CN train in Gary with C40-8, CIT SW1500, CN40-8, and SD40-2W

2: Q091 at Gary

3: CN train leaving with C40-8W leader

4-7: IHB GP38-2's on a transfer from Calumet to Gibson

8: SD24 working the east end of Gibson

9: CN train entering Kirk with a colorful consist

10 and 11: Q393 with PRLX SD75I and CN ET44AC

12 and 13: CN yard puller at Kirk with SD40-2W leader

14: CSS freight near Hammond

15: NS Local in Hammond with NS GP33ECO

16: Ex ATSF GP38-2 at Willow Springs

17 and 18: Various BNSF Geeps at Hodgkins

19: Metra F40PH at Tinley Park

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In shots 10 and 11 what is that line that was branching off to left that is abandonded?

Thanks for the photos. They bring back memories of "The Region" and its great variety of railroad activity. At the same time, those winter shots make me glad I moved to Mesa, AZ, last year!

The IHB shots are on tracks once served by the Grasselli interlocking tower, which was torn down several years ago and now resides at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, IN. Here are two shots of the tower taken in 2008 in similar weather.

The shot in Hammond, with the First Baptist Church in the background, is near the former site of the Erie station. I presume that the Nickel Plate also had a station in Hammond, but don't know where it was. I think the Monon may have shared the Erie station. Downtown Hammond was a real mecca for railroad action, and a big headache for motorists. An overpass was finally built, but by that time the exodus to shopping centers had taken place. Downtown is now a sad shadow of its former glory.

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Great shots. Thanks for sharing. Just got into Chicago on the Cptl Limited. Still snowing as we speak
Joe

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing...

Excellent set of photos! Haven't been in the area for a while; nice to see the places again.
Are photos 10 and 11 at CP 501 ? If so, then that track off to the right was a connection
to the former PRR coming over from Clarke Jct.

Mr. Colehour asked about a NKP depot in Hammond. They had one on the south side
of the Sibley St. crossing, on the inside of the curve, across the tracks from the parking
garage in the photo with the NS local passing the church. It was still there in late 1968,
and then it was a hippie shop selling posters and incense. The latter was so strong in
there that I can still smell it !

The Erie Lackawanna did use the Monon depot in Hammond. I believe it was just south of Douglas St.
Photos on the Monon.org site show the depot with a cool sign with both roads' logos thereon.

Thanks all for the great posting and photos !

Really nice photos!!

What was your vantage point for Shots #2 and #3?

I,m guessing that it is the new road bridge on the Industrial Hwy near Gary Airport

Posted from Android

#2, a couple of CATS on a flat??

A bit of trivia: the signal bridge in #4 can display a lunar aspect, which is, to me at least, somewhat uncommon. That would be the last signal before the gone but not forgotten Calumet Tower.

Talk about an interesting consist in #1. Usually you'd see an end cab at the end of the consist, not right behind the lead engine with two more behind it on line. On top of that, you caught two standard cab GE's and one of CN's former LNG units. Very lucky catch.

Thanks for the pics...

Great shots!