| Conrail GP40-2 3354 on a transfer run at BN's Cicero, Illinois yard on an unknown day in June 1980, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. Here's my best guess on what transpired here. These units were dragging a transfer over to the BN from CR. There were two possible routes (at the time of this photo): up the old PRR to Union Station and divert at 18th Street through Union Avenue Interlocking, and down the suburban line to Cicero (the likely scenerio) or across on the BRC, either way, it was a lot of 20 mph stop and go stuff, and it probably took the crew a good 8-10-12 hour day (less than 100 miles, round trip), depending on traffic, to complete a turn from CR to BN and return. The units would cut off the train, runaround, and pick up a newly sorted train off the Cicero Hump and drag it back to home rails. I'm pretty sure a BN switcher set the caboose right, not a consideration anymore. |