Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad EMD NW-2 # 8730 in Blue Island Illinois. June 1975

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad EMD NW-2 # 8730 in Blue Island Illinois. June 1975
Originally uploaded by Eddie from Chicago

I found this photo at My link page Fallen Flags.Org to the right of Your computer screen. They have many nice and historic train photos.

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad EMD NW-2 yard switcher locomotive # 8730, is viewed idling at the locomotive servicing terminal in Blue Island Illinois way back in 1975.

From 1977 to 1981, I attended Curie High School in Chicago. The
IHB's own Stockyards branchline ran or should I say "Walked" behind My school. The tracks were rusted and kinked, and several of the ties were rotted pretty badly. Most of the IHB locals traveled between 5 to 10 Miles per hour.

The EMD NW-2 locomotives like the one seen here, worked the IHB locals on the Stockyards branch with jade green New York Central looking cabooses during the late 1970's and early 1980's.

The IHB abandoned the Stockyards branch for good in December of 1988, and sold the right of way to the Chicago Transit Authority. The line was redeveloped to todays CTA Orange line rapid transit route to Cicago's Midway Airport. The Orange line opened for service in 1993.

I will always remember these plain black and white New York Central style EMD first generation switchers from the IHB.

Happy memories!
Eddie K.