Conrail's Chicago line stretched from Selkirk, NY to Chicago, IL and was an extremely important double track main in which the majority of its traffic from the western roads reached the New England states and the East Coast. Included on this route were important terminal cities like Toledo and Cleveland, OH and Conrail's major classification yard in Elkhart, IN. This busy route saw anywhere from 50-60 trains a day including a lot of foreign power from western connections with Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe and their predecessors.
You can also view this gallery on an interactive map.
91
CR C40-8W 6065 leads Westbound CR OIEL-3X near Cp 128 on Trk#1 -- On Conrail's Chicago Line. (Ashtabula, Ohio)
92
Conrail C40-8W #6067 leads Westbound Conrail TV-7 on trk #1 near MP 127.9 on Conrail's Chicago Line ~ Ashtabula, Ohio
93
An ex EL SD-45 was sitting deep in the yard. The yardmaster gave me permission to walk in and get photo's.
94
This ex EL SD-45 was parked deep in the yard. The yardmaster gave me permission to walk in and get some photo's of it.
It was unusual to see big power like this parked in Rochester.
95
After running up the Buffalo Line from Enola, ENBU doubles it's train into Frontier yard. Helping out CR 6069 this day are two CSX units: U30C 7250 and GP40 6849. It's October 1992, many years before the split of Conrail, but the CSX units are a harbinger of things to come at Frontier- and the CR unit would become property of NS.
96
A Conrail freight rolls west behind SD45 No. 6078 at Hudson Lake, IN, in November 1981. Doug Davidson photo with permission
97
One of only 5 ex Reading SD-45's is seen backing into the West end of Frontier Yard
98
Conrail 6127 leads Eastbound PISE-5" near MP 122 on Trk#2 -- On Conrail's Chicago Line.
99
Conrail C40-8W 6132 is seen leading an eastbound train across the Seneca River near Fox Ridge, NY
100
Conrail C40-8W 6139 is seen leading an eastbound freight past the old East Syracuse Amtrak station
101
Conrail C40-8W 6142 is seen leading a coal train on the Chicago Line in upstate New York
102
CR 6171 and 5578 powers coal train UKC at Bryan, OH on October 21, 1997. This train was a unit train of PPLX coal hoppers heading west to an unknown destination(hopefully not the scrap heap!).
103
An empty hopper train is making its way through Berea, OH in early May of 1997. Leading the consist are CR C40-8W 6182 and CR SD60M 5565. This westbound train is just about to pass Berea tower (CP-194 Chicago Line) and has just come off Cleveland's "Short Line" or "Belt line" (as some call it). It is taking the connecting track over to the Chicago Line. Things look very different now; The start of the Indianapolis Line (in the foreground) is now the double tracked CSX main. The original GRS "Type G" signals in the picture are also gone. The Chicago Line is now NS. The connecting track is still in place and fully signaled, but has been used almost never in the last 10 years (except for occasional derailment reroutes and maintenance equip storage). The former "Big Four" sandstone depot is just to the right of the photo edge, just out of sight.
104
Conrail C40-8W 6229 is seen leading a westbound freight into the Buffalo Terminal at Depew, NY
105
Conrail SD40 6247 leads an Eastbound Freight at the MP 127.9 Diamonds (with Conrail's Youngstown Line) on Track #2 - On Conrail's Chicago Line. (Ashtabula, Ohio)
106
Conrail 6262 leads Westbound Conrail TV-7 is at @ CP127.9 on track number one
107
Conrail 6263 leads Eastbound CR TV-204 @ MP 122 on Trk#2 at 10:00 AM -- On Conrail's Chicago Line.
109
Conrail SD40 6316 is seen leading a stack train on the Chicago Line in upstate New York
110
Ex-PC(PRR) SD40 6329 and ex-PC U33C 6559 take TV-9S west at Rome, NY on the Chicago line. The date is 29 July 1978.
111
Westbound Conrail freight with SD40 6339 and SD40-2 6509 at Hudson Lake, IN in October 1982. Doug Davidson photo with permission
112
Conrail SD40-2 6408 leads its train under a signal bridge near Toledo, OH on November 23, 1979. Photographer unknown, Chris Howe collection
115
An Eastbound is pulling in on track 3 to work Goodman Street Yard.
116
A pair of U-25-C's bracket a U-30-B on an Eastbound freight. This part of the system did not see much in the way of big Alco Century power, but I thought the big GE's were just as neat as the big Alco's. CR did eventually reassign the big Centuries to Dewitt Yard in Syracuse before they were retired.
117
Conrail SD40-2 6506 is seen leading an eastbound hot merchandise freight (note the TOFC cars on the head end) past the Amtrak station at Depew, NY
118
A pair of U-25-C's are making a setoff at the East end of Goodman Street Yard in Rochester.
119
A U25-C and a leased GT unit pass by a U23-C and GP-9B that are working Frontier yard.
120
An Eastbound van train passes under the signal bridge at the West end of Goodman Street Yard.
