Belt Lines of Chicago
By Midwest Video Productions

Mainline action on three of Chicago's belt lines: Elgin, Joliet & Easter (EJ&E), the Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) and the B&O Chicago Terminal (B&OCT, CSX). '"The J'" is the outer belt and crosses every major line coming into Chicago. The IHB and B&OCT are closer in and interchange with railroads in Chicago. Besides transfer and locals,the EJ&E and IHB are heavy steel haulers. Shot from 1995 through 1997, there are seven active towers shown.

We see a lot of trains, a lot of road names and a lot of cabooses! Using maps and informative narration this program makes sense of the complicated belt railroad scene in Chicago. See over 70 trains from IHB, ATSF, CN, GTW, SP, NS, CSL, Amtrak.

Locations include Rondout, Leithton, West Chicago, Eola, Argo, Walker, Plainfield, Joliet, Blue Island, McCook, La Grange, Gary, Van Loon, Whiting, Hammond and Franklin Park.

Midwest Video Productions was most active in the mid-to-late 1990s when mergers were happening and flags were falling at a fast clip. This video was shot using professional equipment of the time, but is not up to the clarity of today's high-definition video. It is however an excellent snapshot of an important time in the nation's railroad history.