Past News Reports
(Yesterday's News is Tomorrow's
History)
Chicago: BRC, EJ&E, IHB, Metra, South Shore
Randy Olson
March 2007:
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern... Motive Power ... The EJ&E has made
some minor roster changes. EJ&E SD38s 651 & 652 are now off the roster, as
is SW1000 450. Replacing the 450 is SW1500 number 460, which was recently
acquired from Larry's Truck and Electric (LTE) in McDonald, Ohio. LTE
rebuilt and repainted the unit before it was delivered to the EJ&E. Along
with the new acquisition, the EJ&E is also leasing (short term) two SD38-2s
from Helm Locomotive. Numbered 2001 and 2002, the two former Union Pacific
SD40-2s still wear their original yellow and grey paint, and keep their
SD40-2 appearance. CTC Update ... CTC signaling is now in service from JB
Interlocking in West Chicago, Illinois, to East Normantown, Illinois. Also
in service is a new interlocking called Liberty at the west end of East
Siding, creating a 15-mile addition to CTC signaling on the Western Sub.
May 2007:
METRA... Metra posted its 2006 ridership figures and
it's another record year for the commuter railroad. For the year, 79.9
million passengers rode Metra; the previous high was 78.4 million in 2004.
Some of the biggest gains were on lines serving the southern suburbs,
primarily due to major construction on the Dan Ryan Expressway. The South
West Service ridership jumped from 1.8 million to 2.2 million. Service on
this line was improved when it was extended from Orland Park to Manhattan,
Illinois. The Rock Island District increased from 9.4 to 9.9 million and the
Electric District surged from 10.8 million to 11.5 million.
Indiana Harbor Belt... New cabooses? … Yes, it's 2007 and the
IHB is getting new cabooses, well not brand new. In December of 2006, one of
IHB's cabooses was severely damaged in a grade crossing accident. The IHB
has several jobs that use cabooses due to long back-up moves. The IHB has
received two replacement cabooses from a terminal operation in Pennsylvania.
They were lettered MNAX and are numbered 54 and 57. MNAX 54 has been shipped
off to a private shop to be refurbished and painted. GEs for the IHB … Two
former LMX DASH 8-39B, now numbered RLCX 8510 and 8521, have been received
by the IHB for service. It appears that these units are warranty replacement
units for the IHB's GP40-2's that are currently experiencing turbocharger
problems, so the units are on short-term lease. Ken Lanovich
