I have recently done a little research on the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) railroad. It is a pretty interesting terminal railway that is owned by six railroads. I think it is the UP, BNSF, NS, CN, CP, CSX.
The main purpose of the railroad is to handle interchange between these six railroads, but according to the BRC website it does serve over 100 industries in the Chicago area. I would like to find out more about these industries.
I looked up a map of the BRC and tried to follow it's tracks on google maps to see if I could come up with anything. It really wasn't easy to pick much of anything out. Do you guys have any recommendations on how to begin researching something like this?
Thanks,
Ed
Semi newbie HO scale modeler coming from the O scale world
Best bet is to track down an old employee timetable / rulebook. They often turn up online, in the Chicago area you might find one at a RR flea market. The employee timetable / rulebook usually lists all the industries and the locations, the rules the railroad follows, and any 'special' rules like when operating in another railroad's yard with a transfer. They normally aren't expensive, I think my DM&IR one was like $8 at a flea market.
p.s. Like you I'm also a 'recovering O scaler'.
This interesting article from 2006
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/intermodal/article/Belt-Railway-A-few-notches-on-Chicago39s-39Belt39--32009
Has this quote
"local switching traffic is expected to remain on the decline, decreasing to 71,840 cars from 2005's 72,050 cars. Decades ago, the BRC served more than 100 local shippers, but the Bedford Park area's industrial base has been shrinking as companies relocate to reduce operating costs. The BRC has survived a traffic pattern change or two since the railroad was formed by real estate promoter John Brown in 1882. During the 1920s and 1930s, many factories were built in the Clearing Industrial District adjacent to Clearing Yard, bringing thousands of cars to the BRC each day. But in the 1970s and 1980s, as the U.S. economy weakened and other railroads built classification yards around Chicago, traffic dwindled. By 1989, the railroad handled 200 cars a day instead of 2,000 and employed about 200 people instead of 400 (today, the BRC employs about 500 people). "
Trains Magazine has had articles that might be helpful
There was a two part article in Sept and Oct 1966 with photos by the great John Gruber. There is also a July 1993 article that I remember as being very thorough. These articles were written before the big decline in on-line industries that the Progressive Railroading article refers to.
Dave Nelson
Actually, the paragraph that you read the "100 indusries" thing, to me is more of a general statement, and does not say "We serve over100 industries." It says they have the ability to....
IF you wanted to try and track down specific industries, I'd look for trackage that leads to industrial parks, and areas of heavy industry.
I also think that tracking down the articles that Dave N. mentions, would be a great source to learn more. Probably easier to get a copy of those, than an actual employee or railroad time table.
Here's the paragraph from their web site that you refer to, with the 100 industries:
The Belt Railway has the ability to service, by rail, approximately 100 industries. It also offers unique industrial and intermodal facility development opportunities – reasonable land value, taxes, and zoning requirements, planned especially for markets seeking a neutral locale with competitive access. A location on the Belt Railway is equivalent to having a location on each Chicago Railroad.
Mike.
My You Tube
Thank you to everyone for your responses. It is truly appreciated.
I do have a recent timetable, but it doesn't include industry specifics. Like I mentioned, I have followed tracks from google maps satellite images and it's pretty hard to make stuff out at times. I have learned one thing through research. Not much Chicagoland industry is served by rail anymore. It seems like it is mostly a hub for thru traffic.
When you followed the BRC on Google Maps, did you use the satelite view? It can be pretty tedious if you follow along a track looking for industrial sidings but you can learn a lot that way. When you find a possible industry, you can switch to the street view and look for signs that will identify the industry. Assuming you might want to model the industry, you can get valuable information from the street view to model the industry pretty accurately.
ChuckAllen, TX
Another place for you to check out, for a shot of instant gratification, Google maps, Bedford Park, IL., go to the satellite view, just about the whole thing is a huge yard, with industries, and tracks to each, on the north and south side of the yard.
I found that info on the UP's web site. UP says BRC has exclusive rail traffic rights to the whole set up.
mrrdad I have learned one thing through research. Not much Chicagoland industry is served by rail anymore. It seems like it is mostly a hub for thru traffic.
I have learned one thing through research. Not much Chicagoland industry is served by rail anymore. It seems like it is mostly a hub for thru traffic.
Not only have local industries moved away from rail service to truck service, but local industries have all but disappeared along the BRC route, either fleeing the Chicago area altogether or going out of business.
The BRC website includes a list of industries served by BRC, but you need a password to view the list. You ought to pick up the phone and call Michael Martinez who is the Director of Customer Service for BRC. He appears frequently in the Chicago media and is a community oriented guy. If you explained what you are looking for and why, he just might provide you with a list of industries, or at least the types of industries, serviced by the BRC.
Rich
Alton Junction
Unless an industry has some special operating instructions, it probably won't be mentioned in a employee time table. Possibly they may have a map of track arrangements that may show industry names. Often that type of information is published in booklet form for employees. These, and the ETTs/Rule books can sometimes be found at train shows or online dealers.
Jeff
Here's a link to a BRC employee time table. There is a track chart that does show some industry names.
www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/BRC/BRC%20ETT%206-1-2006.pdf
mrrdad I have recently done a little research on the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) railroad. It is a pretty interesting terminal railway that is owned by six railroads. I think it is the UP, BNSF, NS, CN, CP, CSX. The main purpose of the railroad is to handle interchange between these six railroads, but according to the BRC website it does serve over 100 industries in the Chicago area. I would like to find out more about these industries. I looked up a map of the BRC and tried to follow it's tracks on google maps to see if I could come up with anything. It really wasn't easy to pick much of anything out. Do you guys have any recommendations on how to begin researching something like this? Thanks, Ed
Just for clarification, you're looking for present day information, or within a few years of today?
And you're able to locate the BRC tracks on Google, and follow the spurs into industries, but the names of the specific industries are the problem? They are hardly ever labeled on Google maps.
- Douglas
Doughless mrrdad I have recently done a little research on the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) railroad. It is a pretty interesting terminal railway that is owned by six railroads. I think it is the UP, BNSF, NS, CN, CP, CSX. The main purpose of the railroad is to handle interchange between these six railroads, but according to the BRC website it does serve over 100 industries in the Chicago area. I would like to find out more about these industries. I looked up a map of the BRC and tried to follow it's tracks on google maps to see if I could come up with anything. It really wasn't easy to pick much of anything out. Do you guys have any recommendations on how to begin researching something like this? Thanks, Ed Just for clarification, you're looking for present day information, or within a few years of today? And you're able to locate the BRC tracks on Google, and follow the spurs into industries, but the names of the specific industries are the problem? They are hardly ever labeled on Google maps.
First of all, thank you for your responses.
I am interested in current day. I'm not looking for info for layout purposes. Just knowledge and curiosity. I use to live in the Chicago area.
mrrdad First of all, thank you for your responses. I am interested in current day. I'm not looking for info for layout purposes. Just knowledge and curiosity. I use to live in the Chicago area.
Ok. I do the same kind of thing when I research modern shorlines or branch lines. When I'm only looking at 4 or 5 industries on the line, Google maps will sometimes label them. If not, I can google the name of the town and there is usually some information about a major employer.
But that works for a rural area. I'm sure in a place like CHI, there are so many businesses along the BRC trackage that it would not be easy to look at it from a general location standpoint. You probably would need info about the actual railroad, and some have made good suggestions.
You might want to look at street views of the buildings you see having spurs to them. You might be able to spot a sign, or, get the address then google the address and the name of the business would likely be available.
jeffhergert Here's a link to a BRC employee time table. There is a track chart that does show some industry names. www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/BRC/BRC%20ETT%206-1-2006.pdf Jeff
Yes, that looks more like what I have in my old (c.1990) DM&IR timetable. For each siding and spur track it lists the length in feet and estimated no. of cars it could hold, and lists each industry served. (Although primarily known for it's iron ore trains, the Missabe was a common-carrier railroad that served a number of businesses and industries in Duluth and the Iron Range country.)