Indiana Harbor Belt
Forming the 'middle belt' around the Chicago terminal area the Indiana Harbor belt was owned byConrail and the Milwaukee road when I first visited Chicago in 1979. The NYC inspired scheme gave
way to an attractive orange and black scheme in the mid eighties. The IHB runs primarily in the
southern and western area of Chicago. Norpaul (Franklin Park) and Blue Island were the major IHB yards.
IHB NW2 - The only IHB unit I got in the older NYC inspired scheme. IHB 8791 rests
in the broken down roundhouse in Burr Oak yard in 1979 beside a freshly painted Rock
Island Alco C415. The 'Rock' would be dissolved soon after.
IHB NW2 - A classic NW2 in the attractive orange scheme
IHB 8739 lays over at Norpaul yard in chicago in 1986.
IHB NW2 - 3 NW2's drag a huge cut of cars across the bridge
at this famous Blue Island location. It was great to see and hear these
venerable NW's hard at work as EMD intended. The IHB rostered 62
NW2's possibly the largest NW2 roster on one railroad(?)
IHB SW7 - One of 10 SW7's at Norpaul Yard (Franklin Park) Chicago in 1986.
IHB SW9 - One of six on the IHB with an NW2 at Hammond Indiana in '86.
IHB SW9 - Another SW9 at Norpaul yard in fresh paint. All of IHB's switchers are MU equipped.
IHB SW1500 - A pair of IHB SW1500's take a break between assignments at Norpaul Yard in 1986.
All photos were generously submitted by Brian Nicholson
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