Chicago's Regionals And Shorties!

I decided to make a slide show of all the Chicago area regional/short line railroads that I've seen. I've seen almost all of them. This slide show shows Ottawa, Aurora, Blue Island, Chicago, Bridgeview, Bedford Park, Argo, just lots of places where short lines and regionals run. Actually, the only company I think I haven't seen yet is the BRC.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Chicago
• short
• line
• regional
• railroads
• BRC
• EJE
• CKRY
• CRL
• IAIS
• Iowa
• Interstate
• RAil
• Link
• Elgin
• Joliet
• and
• Eastern
• EJ&E
• Belt
• Railway
• of

[JetMechMA]

My father retired from the IHB, the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway which did switching from about the Indiana Harbor to O'hare airport. I think the IHB was sort of a cousin of the Belt Railway, which my Uncles worked for...One a track foreman and one an engineer. His son currently works for them as a track foreman. The IHB held out for a long time but I think they were recently bought out by UP or CSX....one of them. Great video of underserved and deserving Railroad Companies.

[Andrewsaxamophone]

The IHB is not bought out.

[JetMechMA]

Well, from what read on the IHB history page they have pretty much been majority owned by others the whole time, although they operate more or less independently. When I said recent, I meant 1999 I guess. Does anyone know if there is any history of the employees of the IHB?

[Andrewsaxamophone]

Every IHB train with IHB power I've seen always has the same crews. Recently actual IHB traffic has increased, so I've been seeing similar faces multiple times now.

[TheGondorian]

great photos! i usually dont like rap, but this kayne west does good songs

[Andrewsaxamophone]

Haha thanks, and I agree, but I like rap too. :-)

[Panek911]

The J has got to be my favorite. I loved the bright orange colors of the engines. There was no other railroad like that at the time. I could car less for CN now for scrapping that railroad out. They did the same to the Grand Trunk Western and the Wisconsin Central, 2 more favorites of mine. My dad lived in Griffith, IN back in the 60's and 70's and remembers the Chessie System, New York Central, Penn Central, Erie Lakawana and many more. The 3 I mentioned before I will always miss and remember

[720GZ]

GRADUATION WAS A NICE TOUCH 2 THUMBS

[WhiskeyCentral]

@Nachtwolf1 There Are Two Locomotives Around 1:14 One Is Canadian Pacific Which Another Would Be The EJE Railroad (CN). And Hudson Bay Railway Is Part Of The Illinois Railway Which Would Work Between Ottawa And Aurora Which Aurora Is Located 35 Miles West From Downtown.

[BNSF9250]

what a wierd song

[Nachtwolf1]

What a great compilation! What is the unit at 1:14? And where did you see Hudson's Bay Railway locos in Chicago of all places?

[ejerailroad9999]

i want the ej&e back fuck u cn

[verastaki]

Wow! so many different veriety colors and road names of engines in chicago.

[verastaki]

That green SW1200 unit looks so tiny compared to those orange J's SD engines at 0:50. I love when the mix in switchers with ordinary main engines on main lines.

[JetMechMA]

By the 55th street tower, there was a small industrial building on the little neighborhood side street you had to go down to access the railroad right of way. One time the workers there sold my father a "scratch and dent" plastic yard Santa. Yeah right, they were selling inventory off the back truck dock and pocketing the cash. I'll never forget that. My sister still has that Santa as a rememberance of our father. I'll tell her about your video....thanks.

[JetMechMA]

Thanks for the info. My father had worked out of the 55th street tower over by Midway. He used to take us there as young boys. The planes fly so low over the tower that's how I became facinated by aviation and became an aircraft mechanic. But I'm a rail fan too. I understand that the 55th street tower has long since been torn down. Time marches on, I guess. I visited the area on google maps street view and it looks pretty much the same.