Switcher Sunday
Way back in September 1998, Rich Barnett, Ken Putelis and myself set out on a 7 day trip to the midwest. It was just after the merger of the ATSF-BN into the "new" BNSF. Luckily we did well on weather the entire week, and we did well with matched pre-merger consists all across Illinois . We covered quite a bit in and around the greater Chicago area, give or take a 100 plus mile radius. My notes show us shooting about 15 different railroads, mostly now all fallen flags. Toward the end of our week, we were all ready to kill each other, however the sun stayed out and the action was plentiful as we made our way back east. After spending most of the day on the Wisconsin Central, and getting an SDL39 leading, we ventured down to Bensonville yard, just on the other side of O'Hare for rush hour. At the time, I didn't think much of this slide, as were concentrating on the parade of Metra F40C's and F40PH's. Here the west end switcher job with a pair of former MN&S SW1200's drag cuts of cars momentarily blocking our view of the mainline. Such cool stuff, hard to believe it was so long ago. September 1998.
Switcher Sunday
Way back in September 1998, Rich Barnett, Ken Putelis and myself set out on a 7 day trip to the midwest. It was just after the merger of the ATSF-BN into the "new" BNSF. Luckily we did well on weather the entire week, and we did well with matched pre-merger consists all across Illinois . We covered quite a bit in and around the greater Chicago area, give or take a 100 plus mile radius. My notes show us shooting about 15 different railroads, mostly now all fallen flags. Toward the end of our week, we were all ready to kill each other, however the sun stayed out and the action was plentiful as we made our way back east. After spending most of the day on the Wisconsin Central, and getting an SDL39 leading, we ventured down to Bensonville yard, just on the other side of O'Hare for rush hour. At the time, I didn't think much of this slide, as were concentrating on the parade of Metra F40C's and F40PH's. Here the west end switcher job with a pair of former MN&S SW1200's drag cuts of cars momentarily blocking our view of the mainline. Such cool stuff, hard to believe it was so long ago. September 1998.