eastside There's an article in today's (12/22/08) Wall Street Journal about the political forces active in the EJ&E acquisition.
It's titled "Routing the Rails Through the Suburbs - Canadian National Plan to Avoid Inner-City Freight Bottleneck Triggers Protests", by Alex Roth, page A-5, cols. 1- 6. The text occupies the entire page length of col. 1, but only about 2 inches of cols. 2 - 4. Cols. 5 -6 are a poor quality - hard to discern (in my opinion) graphic of the rail line as a heavy line overlaid on a mosaic of the greater Chicago area, where the 4 "shadings" differentiate between the 1999 Median Household Incomes.
If you've been following this thread, I think there's nothing much new here, other than that some of the politicians from the inner-urban areas apparently support the proposed acqusition - at least verbally - to get the rail traffic out of their neighborhoods. As the late. great Trains Editor David P. Morgan once wrote that one of his Army officers told him, "Morgan, it all depends on whose ox is being gored . . . ".
- Paul North.
There's an article in today's (12/22/08) Wall Street Journal about the political forces active in the EJ&E acquisition.
It looks like Baldwin and Alco diesels had something in common. Their respective prime movers may not have been that great, but their electrical systems and traction motors supplied by Westinghouse (Baldwin) and GE (Alco) were top notch.
The J reengined their Baldwin center cabs with EMD prime movers but kept the unit's Westinghouse traction motors (I'm guessing), to increase their reliability between times in the shop, while maintaining the lugging ability of each locomotive. Did the J reengine any of their Alco or Baldwin switchers?
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote: EJ&E's road fleet around 1948 was the centercabs and some RS2's. Not surprisingly, they also had a fair collection of switchers from Baldwin, Alco and EMD, including some Winton-powered switchers and High Hoods.
EJ&E's road fleet around 1948 was the centercabs and some RS2's. Not surprisingly, they also had a fair collection of switchers from Baldwin, Alco and EMD, including some Winton-powered switchers and High Hoods.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
New York St in Aurora crosses the "J" on a bridge - no problems with clearance as the bridge is rather new (@15-17 years old). Rt. 34 can't really be classified as an obstruction... It's a grade level crossing. Just a pain for motorists as train traffic continues to increase.
CC
EJE818 wrote:Dale, right now stack trains only use the EJ&E from Eola to Joliet, and those are all BNSF. I'm not exacly sure on the clearances on the line but they must be at least high enough at least from Eola to Joliet for stacks, if not further then that. Murphy, before the SD38-2s and GP38-2s came along EJ&E had engines from EMD, Baldwin, and ALCO. They even had baldwin sharks very briefly. Ever since, they have been all EMD from the SD38-2s onward. An excellent site to check would be www.ejearchive.com for any information on EJ&E engines, past and present.
The stack trains primarily from BNSF Eola, but they have several manifest and auto trains from UP and manifest from CN.
KCSfan wrote: Murphy Siding wrote: Poppa_Zit wrote:Did the J save any of the center-cab units? Do any still exist that were sold to other railroads? How many center cab Baldwins did the J have? Was Baldwin their primary 1st generation locomotive of choice?Murph, Do a google search for EJ&E Railroad Archives. At that site you'll find an all time roster of their locomotives as well a a wealth of other interesting info. Their first diesels were numbered in the 100 series and all were Baldwin center cabs. As a matter of fact IIRC their entire locomotive fleet when they completed diesielization around 1948 was made up solely of these engines.Mark
Murphy Siding wrote: Poppa_Zit wrote:Did the J save any of the center-cab units? Do any still exist that were sold to other railroads? How many center cab Baldwins did the J have? Was Baldwin their primary 1st generation locomotive of choice?
Poppa_Zit wrote:Did the J save any of the center-cab units? Do any still exist that were sold to other railroads?
Murph,
Do a google search for EJ&E Railroad Archives. At that site you'll find an all time roster of their locomotives as well a a wealth of other interesting info. Their first diesels were numbered in the 100 series and all were Baldwin center cabs. As a matter of fact IIRC their entire locomotive fleet when they completed diesielization around 1948 was made up solely of these engines.
Mark
Around 1956-1958, almost all of the centercabs were rebuilt. Most were re-powered with EMD engines and re-numbered in the 900 series, others were rebuilt with upgraded Baldwin engines and re-numbered in the 700 series, all kept the same last two digits of their number. Only 100 and 118 were not rebuilt.
Interestingly, when I was in East Chicago today I noticed some work being done on the J. It appears there are two projects right now.
First the branch to Whiting is receiving welded rail. This is being laid just west of Cline Avenue. There was a crane and a caboose, plus other equipment. I didnt stop as it was about 95 degrees and the AC felt pretty good.
Second, about one mile west there is a Y off of the Whiting branch which heads further west and crosses the IHB at Grassilli Tower. The J is laying complete new track and there is a sign at the road saying the rail crossing will be closed for 21 days beginning Sept 4th.
Anyone know what is going on there? I am wondering if the J isnt putting in an interchange track to the IHB, otherwise why rebuild for just a local train daily?
ed
Does the EJ&E have 20'6" over the rail clearance from Leithton all the way to Matteson and Griffith ?
The 3 very large container cranes for the Prince Rupert Fairview Terminal have arrived, and CN double stack service to Memphis from Fairview is scheduled to begin in September.
460 is a former Cotton Belt SW1500, and it still has the unique headlight. Here is proof you never know what will run down the EJ&E. Here is a train with a CN SD40-2W, a UP AC4400CW, and WC SD40 6001, which was screpped at Homewood about a year later.
Cris_261 wrote: nanaimo73 wrote: DPD1 wrote: What's that white tube thing on the side? It better not be a push pole.The offset headlight looks odd.The offset headlight and the number boards on the front end of the SW1500's cab indicate that the locomotive started life working for SP.
nanaimo73 wrote: DPD1 wrote: What's that white tube thing on the side? It better not be a push pole.The offset headlight looks odd.
DPD1 wrote: What's that white tube thing on the side?
It better not be a push pole.
The offset headlight looks odd.
The offset headlight and the number boards on the front end of the SW1500's cab indicate that the locomotive started life working for SP.
To expand on that, it used to have a red light in the middle and two more white lights on the other side, so it originally was symmetrical. Also, it may have been a SSW locomotive.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
That's a cool shot actually...It's been lifted now, but there use to be a ban on certain units using that line due to a protected dragon fly. That's why it's nicknamed the bug line.DaveThe Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Ry. Archive & Email Listhttp://www.ejearchive.com
TimChgo9 wrote:I live near the "J" and I do hear alot of activity. I don't always get to see much, but when I am out and about, I have seen at least,(what appears to me anyway) one BNSF move a day, the UP bringing in loaded coal trains, and hauling out empties, plus the usual EJ&E stuff. Weber Rd, goes over the "J" and the siding that is there is almost always occupied by something. There is a branch line that paralells Route 53, north of the "J" it apparently serves the power plant at Romeo Rd, and the DesPlaines River. I see the UP and EJE units taking coal trains up the line, as well as hoppers full of rock that come from the quarry over there. The rock hoppers are stored on a couple of storage tracks that are just south of the Route 7 bridge when they are not being used. I caught the following, EJE #661 taking a string of empty rock hoppers back up to the storage tracks. I catch a movement at least once a week on this line, but this was the only time I had my camera with me. Apparently the line traverses a "prairie preserve" that is administered by the county. Division St is the only access to the area. In the fall, the colors are pretty dramatic. Anyway, just thought I would share that with you...
I live near the "J" and I do hear alot of activity. I don't always get to see much, but when I am out and about, I have seen at least,(what appears to me anyway) one BNSF move a day, the UP bringing in loaded coal trains, and hauling out empties, plus the usual EJ&E stuff. Weber Rd, goes over the "J" and the siding that is there is almost always occupied by something. There is a branch line that paralells Route 53, north of the "J" it apparently serves the power plant at Romeo Rd, and the DesPlaines River. I see the UP and EJE units taking coal trains up the line, as well as hoppers full of rock that come from the quarry over there. The rock hoppers are stored on a couple of storage tracks that are just south of the Route 7 bridge when they are not being used. I caught the following, EJE #661 taking a string of empty rock hoppers back up to the storage tracks.
I catch a movement at least once a week on this line, but this was the only time I had my camera with me. Apparently the line traverses a "prairie preserve" that is administered by the county. Division St is the only access to the area. In the fall, the colors are pretty dramatic. Anyway, just thought I would share that with you...
Murphy Siding wrote: EJE818 wrote: CN, UP, and BNSF all are major users of the EJ&E plus NS, CSX, and CP all interchange with it.Why is it, that the Western class 1's use it, but the eastern class 1's (and CP) only interchange with it?
EJE818 wrote: CN, UP, and BNSF all are major users of the EJ&E plus NS, CSX, and CP all interchange with it.
CN, UP, and BNSF all are major users of the EJ&E plus NS, CSX, and CP all interchange with it.
CSX owns the B&OCT, the CP owns part of the Harbor, and the NS owns either part of the Belt or the Harbor, not sure which. So the eastern class 1's want to keep their trains on track that they have an interest in as long as possible to save money.
An "expensive model collector"
EJE818 wrote:SW1500 460 heads east through Pine Junction.
SW1500 460 heads east through Pine Junction.
Good catch on that new 460. What's that white tube thing on the side?Hey, if you feel like it, send me the latest year or two of your J originals with location and date info for the site. I don't know why, but a lot of the archive sites seem like they add extra compression on the photo or something. Like this shot is excellent, but it's got a lot of compression happening.http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=144984DaveThe Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Ry. Archive & Email Listhttp://www.ejearchive.com
I think that if the entire EJ&E ever were to get taken by one class one, the Chicago railroad industry would come crashing down with it. EJ&E connects with every major line coming into Chicago and has many connections. CN, UP, and BNSF all are major users of the EJ&E plus NS, CSX, and CP all interchange with it. A class one take-over would cause a loss of some, if not most of these connections and the loss of a alternative route around Chicago. The other routes around Chicago, the IHB, BRC, and B&OCT are already congested with freight from the class ones, and so are many of the class one routes in the area, and losing the EJ&E as a alternative route would cause even more congestion and possibly bring the area to almost a complete stop. I think it is going to be pretty hard for CN to buy the EJ&E without objections by many other railroads. I think that if anything happens, the EJ&E would be more of a IHB type railroad owned equally by CN, BNSF, UP and possibly one or more of the other 3 class ones. No matter what happens, I'm going to enjoy the EJ&E as it is right now, and here are a few photos I have taken of the EJ&E recently.
This isn't active, but EJ&E steam engine 765 serves as a tribute to the EJ&E's history at Gary near town hall.
EJ&E SD38-2 659 backs towards West Bridge Junction.
EJ&E 667 sits at West Bridge Junction.
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