The Flickr Southchicagoillinois Image Generatr

One of the most impossible Railroads in Chicagoland to get with their own power outside the 2nd biggest yard in North America of Clearing Yard, the Belt Railway of Chicago. The South Chicago Job being their only “road train” minus a few local jobs, is the only time you have a slim chance of not getting a pair of leased SD40-2s on this train, this time being the lease pair was down for 92 day.

After making the 12 mile run through the slums of inner city Chicago, a pair of non dynamic BRC SD40-2s in original BRC paint (both former Missouri Pacific) shove their 120ish car train into their Commercial Avenue Yard via Rock Island Junction, ducking under the Chicago Skyway in South Chicago, IL. The connection they’re using goes down to the former “Rail to Water” Yard or KCBX where the BRC has multiple industries and where the Chicago Rail Link trackage meets up while being on former Rock Island trackage all throughout. Taken: 4-29-22

Here’s one of the more odd combinations of power I’ve had the pleasure shooting over the years, train 17V (Elkhart, IN - Bensenville, IL) hops off the NS Chicago Line and gets underway onto Belt Railway of Chicago trackage with the CONRAIL heritage unit (NS 8098) and CP’s NATO Green SD70ACU (CP 7020) trailing. Seen here crossing the 109 year old Calumet River drawbridge at CP 509 in South Chicago, IL. Taken: 2-19-22

It’s a gorgeous Sunday afternoon on Chicago’s Southside, as train Q565-31 (Cleveland, OH - BRC Clearing Yard) comes off the NS Chicago Line and dives down onto the BRC with CSXT 8400 (Ex WM SD40-2) leading CSXT 4072 (SD40-3). Seen here heading west across the Calumet River Drawbridge at CP 509 in South Chicago, IL. Taken: 8-1-21

8400 is quite the unique unit, being built in 1969 for Western Maryland as a straight SD40, then obviously going through the rebuilt program at CSX and becoming a 40-2. To my knowledge, this is the only WM unit on CSX’s roster, I could be wrong I guess?