Hi all, on the IHB or BRC in Chicago is it common to see cars left on an interchange track, and picked up by the other railroad? Or on the IHB and BRC the locals deliver to the nearest yards?
are there modern examples of interchanges still outside of major yards? CN/CP at Spaulding for example.
thanks!
On the two belt lines, run-throughs or transfer runs will run from sending road directly to the receiving road's yard. Also, the sending road will deliver directly to Clearing (BRC) or Blue Island (IHB).
Thanks!
Prior answer is not completely true. In LaGrange, there is an interchange yard between what used to be the IHB and the BN. I see cars parked there (actually along the old IHB line) quite often. The connections to the IHB run on both the north and south sides of the BN main line, and the BN even has a very small yard up top.
Chuck
Outsailing86 Hi all, on the IHB or BRC in Chicago is it common to see cars left on an interchange track, and picked up by the other railroad? Or on the IHB and BRC the locals deliver to the nearest yards? are there modern examples of interchanges still outside of major yards? CN/CP at Spaulding for example. thanks!
Yep, there is nothing left at Spaulding. It's like that yard is closed.
During my railroad career in the Chicago-area, I am aware of two instances where interchanges occurred away from yards. Back when the GM&O was still a separate railroad, interchange destined for the Belt Railway of Chicago to be humped at Clearing yard were left at a small interchange yard alongside the BRC main line near LeMoyne interlocking (where the two railroads crossed each other). A BRC transfer job would come along later to pick it up to complete the 5-mile trip to the Clearing west receiving yard. For movements in the opposite direction, a Belt transfer job would leave interchange in the yard at LeMoyne for the GM&O to pick up when they had a chance. This was done because when there were more numerous Class 1 railroads, only those that were share-holders in ownership of the Belt were permitted to deliver and pick-up directly at Clearing. Non-owners had to make do with more delay-producing arrangements. The interchange yard at LeMoyne was removed several years ago.
A second instance was when Santa Fe was to move empty intermodal cars off its sytem to be either be stored or utilized by another (Eastern) carrier, the train would depart Corwith out the south end and using the east end of the Belt's 59th St. branch, the train would contine onto the Belt main line that is just east of Midway Airport until they reached a siding that was along the Belt main line between Hayford interlocking (the GTW crossing) and Forest Hills interlocking (the crossing of CSX's former B&OCT city main line and (at one time) the PRR freight line extending south from 59th St. hump yard (now a CSX intermodal yard).
The siding was a former connecting lead track that once extended directly into the former Wabash (now NS) Landers yard, but the connection was severed and the lead was turned into a double-end siding. (the name changed from Wabash lead to Wabash siding.) The Santa Fe would leave these solid blocks of empties for either Conrail, NS or CSX to pick up as it was situated conveniently for all three carriers.
One thing to remember - The Interchange between carriers is 'official' at the time the DELIVERING carrier places the cars on the designated interchange track(s), What the receiver does is totally up to the receiver.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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