Indiana Harbor Belt Tracking the Light
Editor's Note: This is the story of Indiana Harbor Belt EMD GP38-3 3800, as told to Railway Age by IHB Mechanical Superintendent Michael Cunningham. The unit, purchased with a damaged prime-mover, underwent a complete rebuild and upgrade, and received a very special military tribute livery. "This EMD GP38-3, before it came to the Indiana.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Map, Roster, History
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, located in Chicago and northwest Indiana, is the largest terminal switching railroad in North America. The IHB provides service to more than 100 industrial customers, and interchanges with 17 railroads including six Class I railroads across its 35 miles of main line and 350 miles of yard and siding tracks.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Discussion Forum
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad In Color is a great addition to Morning Sun Books' "In Color" series. Sam Beck and Bill Gustason, two Chicago area railroad photographers and historians, do a great job highlighting the IHB and it's presence in the greater Chicagoland area. Unlike most other books in this series, this one has a nice selection of.
Indiana Harbor Belt SW1500 1520, Slug PB1 and Caboose 35
Rebuilt 8/1962 to IHB 477. EMD SW1500 / RP15BDF 1500hp All 1500-series units are in active service. Four SW1500s have been converted to dual fuel units (diesel + compressed natural gas) with the new designation RP15BDF. Originally IHB 9200, remanufactured by GE Mexico, 2003.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
West end of the yard. Looking west, Indianapolis Blvd bridge overhead. It's 1950 and Fairbanks Morse 7112, an H20-44, switches the west end. Photo courtesy of Charlie Stricker. Overhead shot looking east. Current trackage at the east end of the yard and the shops. Courtesy of Diane Pender and J.D. McKibben. This 1976 Photo of the Gibson North.
IHB 1503 Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad EMD SW1500 at East Chicago
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (reporting mark IHB) is a Class III railroad in the United States. Ownership. The IHB is jointly owned by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (51%) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (49%). These shareholders trace their ownership stake in IHB to previous mergers and acquisitions in the railroad industry.
Industrial History IHB Indiana Harbor Belt
Entering from the south and running alongside CSX for a short distance is the double track Indiana Harbor Belt line from Blue Island Yard. The CSX line then heads directly north into Chicago, while the IHB runs northwest for several miles before heading due north through the western suburbs of Chicago. There is an important crossover between.
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Welcome to the Indiana Harbor Belt archive. Rosters, historical information, maps and photographs are available here for those interested in the nation's largest terminal railroad (nearly 400 track miles). The IHB operates as an independent road even though it is jointly owned by Conrail Shared Assets (51%) and Canadian Pacific (49%).
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
The Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB or "the Harbor") is one of the important belt lines in the Chicago area. Historically, the IHB was jointly owned by the New York Central (NYC) and Milwaukee Road (CMStP&P), which is reflected by the IHB's easternmost and westernmost endpoints.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
The Indiana Harbor Belt as we know it today was formed in 1907. The Chicago Junction Railway, a New York Central affiliate, had leased the East Chicago Belt Railroad and the Terminal Railroad in 1898, and had bought the Chicago, Hammond & Western Railroad in 1896. In October of 1907, the ECB's lease was dissolved, and it then acquired the CJ's.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Map, Roster, History
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad is the largest switch carrier in the U.S. with 54 miles of mainline track (24 miles of which is double main track) and 266 miles of additional yard and siding track.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
The six-axle gemsets, 2160-63, were retired in January, 2022, and scrapped in 2023. Slugs 477, 478, 479 were scrapped in 2021. Slugs 2020, 2021 and 2022 were converted from gensets 2140, 2143 and 2141 respectively.
Indiana Harbor Belt Flickr
Indiana Harbor Belt had four SW1500s (so far) rebuilt by Railpower Technologies into RP15BDF natural gas-powered locomotives in the early 2000s. Seen at the railroad's Gibson Yard, IHB 1504 and 1514 are the former IHB SW1500s 9205 and 9202, which were built in the late 1960s. On an adjacent track, and visible in the background, is IHB GP38-2.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Map, Roster, History, Timetable
Taking photos and video railfanning along the Indiana Harbor Belt IHB railroad in La Grange Chicago Illinois. CSX, BNSF, Union Pacific, IHB, and Canadian Pac.
Marathon Pundit Indiana Harbor Belt caboose
The Indiana Harbor Belt was formed in 1907 through several smaller systems operating around Chicago. The IHB's earliest predecessor was the East Chicago Belt Railroad, which began operations in 1896 serving the Indiana state line and Grasselli. After the Chicago Junction Railway lost its lease of the ECB in the fall of 1907 the latter railroad.
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The Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) is a shortline railroad operating in a semi-circle around the Chicagoland area. Its mainline runs between the Metra (CP) Milwaukee District-West at Franklin Park, IL and the NS Chicago Line at East Chicago, IN, via Blue Island, IL and Gibson, IN. IHB operates 2 major classification yards, Gibson and Blue Island.