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| 20160521 3323 |
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| Birds-Eye View |
Seth Lakin: Built as Lehigh Valley 273 in September 1951.
Zooming in on the reporting marks of the switcher (MM2), note that it was just hand painted. It is not a standard reporting mark, so the, obviously used, switcher must be owned by the industry and used on just their property.
Looking at the bigger picture, you can see this is part of an industrial spur that leaves the CSS mainline below 130th Street, curves north under 130th, and then serves the industries along Butler Drive. (Update: see below for more details.) If you look at the satellite image, you will see there are spurs off of this spur going to the buildings.
Update: A comment from my posting of the locomotive: Tim Hager Ex-Lehigh Valley with dynamic braking removed
I also added comments to another posting of this engine. Andrew Urbanski mentioned the Southeast Chicago Historical Society. While researching that, I found Chicago's Southeast Side Industrial History, a gold mine of information concerning the industries, including steel, that used to be here.
When I saw how much dirt was on the rails on the east end, I did some more research. Poking around some more on the CSS site, I found an interactive map that allowed me to zoom in on this area. CSS (green lines) provides access to the Class I railroads. But the industries are served by the orange lines. I could not find a key indicating who owned and/or operated the "orange lines." If you scroll down to the bottom of the Illinois International Port District Maps, you will see that this area is part of their Lake Calumet District.
My current understanding of the "orange lines" is that they are owned by the Port of Chicago and that any railroad, including the Class I railroads in Chicago, has trackage rights on them and can switch directly to a customer.
Chicago Rail Link maps show that they serve this area.
Update:
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| Road Map |
Looking at the bigger picture, you can see this is part of an industrial spur that leaves the CSS mainline below 130th Street, curves north under 130th, and then serves the industries along Butler Drive. (Update: see below for more details.) If you look at the satellite image, you will see there are spurs off of this spur going to the buildings.
Update: A comment from my posting of the locomotive: Tim Hager Ex-Lehigh Valley with dynamic braking removed
I also added comments to another posting of this engine. Andrew Urbanski mentioned the Southeast Chicago Historical Society. While researching that, I found Chicago's Southeast Side Industrial History, a gold mine of information concerning the industries, including steel, that used to be here.
When I saw how much dirt was on the rails on the east end, I did some more research. Poking around some more on the CSS site, I found an interactive map that allowed me to zoom in on this area. CSS (green lines) provides access to the Class I railroads. But the industries are served by the orange lines. I could not find a key indicating who owned and/or operated the "orange lines." If you scroll down to the bottom of the Illinois International Port District Maps, you will see that this area is part of their Lake Calumet District.
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| CSS Interactive Map |
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| In the left sidebar of IIPD site |
Rail
The Port of Chicago has unsurpassed terminal and rail switching services. Twelve main line railroads in the Chicago rail hub feed into selected terminals. All the major railroads serving the Chicago area have reciprocal switching arrangements. Line haul movements to and from the area by one carrier and service to the specific Port terminal by another is accommodated without extra switching charges for shippers or consignees. No Great Lakes port can match the Port of Chicago's rail service.
Click here to view the Intermodal Association of Chicago's Area Intermodal Rail Terminals. [ThePortOfChicago]
Chicago Rail Link maps show that they serve this area.
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| cropped from map from Chicago Area Shortline Railroads |
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| Gary Pyke posted Switcher still in Conrail colors off 130th street in South Chicago. Jeff Delhaye Single stack, nonstandard hood contours in front of the cab, most probably an ex-LV SW8Franklin Campbell Yep was built with dynamic brakesJoe Usselman You cant really see it in this photo, but the lv is bleeding through pretty good on it.Tad Dunville It is indeed ex-LV and for some reason the LV fans go crazy for these little dudes. LV used them pretty hard from what I understand, in road service no less.Kevin Vahey Yep, what were at one time the black LV pinstripes on the front end are showing thru quite nicely!James L Kirslis History from conrail.blue: MPS No# < MM 2 < SCA 780 < CR 8687 < LV 273 (SW8)Joe Ikon Wow still there! First seen that one in 1999.John Gardner See it all the time when im on the sag run Deliver steel and pig iron barge loads to the sheds right past thereMatt Lastovich Maryland Pig has been active lately pulled 14 cars from them this week so far. |
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| Nick Hart posted
An extremely rare Conrail SW8 (#8687) works at Maryland Pig Services of Illinois, located in Chicago's south side. Spray painted on the side is MM2 780. MM stands for Midwest Metallics, the former owner of Maryland Pig.
Built as the Lehigh Valley 273 in September 1951, this old veteran still earns her keep hauling scrap gons through the plants. Thankfully, there were scrap gons waiting to be picked up this morning, giving a nice opportunity to see the SW8 in action.
Photo taken on private property, with prior permission from the staff at MPS.
February 12th, 2016
James L Kirslis Per Conrail Blue: MPS No#; EMD SW8; MPS/Chicago, IL [Maryland Pig Services] << MM 2 [Midwest Metallics] < SCA 780 [Scrap Corp of America] < CR 8687 < LV 273 [09/1951] Ryan Kertis Look carefully and you can see the LV striping on the hood |
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| Jacob Legel posted Found this old gem in Chicago, IL yesterday 11/23/2022 6:35 video of it in operation Craig Cloud: Former CR nee LV dynamic brake equipped SW8 how is accessible photos? |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Craig's comment I got this photo on Nov 22, 2022, after I parked on Stony Island Ave. I walked along the road so that I could take the photo through the gate. I did have to keep my head on a swivel because there was some traffic through that gate. Stony Island itself is not gated until further north. https://goo.gl/maps/4rr1SF5dqt7YDdjj9 |
Ken Draus: EX LV been there for years, and it does get used occasionally
Aug 8, 2021 spotting Three closeup photos posted as comments.
Seth Lakin:
Model: EMD SW8
Built As: Lehigh Valley 273 (SW8)
Serial Number: 14498
Order No: 4104
Frame Number: 4104-12
Built: 9/1951
To Conrail 8687
To Maryland Pig Iron 780 where it’s been for at least 10 years.
Michael Polk: Never mind the fact that it’s Conrail, the fact that the Lehigh Valley stripes are fading through underneath is even cooler in my opinion.
Jacob Legel: Built in september of 1951.
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