Belt Railway of Chicago
{{Short description|Largest terminal railroad in the United States}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox rail
|railroad_name = Belt Railway Company of Chicago
|logo_filename = Belt Railway Chicago Logo.png
|logo_size = 162px
|system_map =
|map_caption =
|map_size =
|marks = BRC
|image = Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|image_caption = Belt Railway's Clearing Yard
|locale = Chicago and suburbs
|start_year = 1882
|end_year = present
|predecessor_line =
|successor_line =
|gauge = {{RailGauge|ussg}} Standard gauge
|old_gauge =
|electrification =
|length =
|hq_city = Bedford Park, Illinois
|website = [http://www.beltrailway.com/ beltrailway.com]
}}
The Belt Railway Company of Chicago {{reporting mark|BRC}}, headquartered in Bedford Park, Illinois, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by the six Class I railroads of the United States — BNSF, Canadian National, CPKC (the BRC's north–south main line's northern terminus is, like the Indiana Harbor Belt, the Milwaukee District West Line in Chicago's Cragin neighborhood), CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific — each of which uses the switching and interchange facilities of the BRC. Owner lines and other railroads bring their trains to the Belt Railway to be separated, classified, and re-blocked into new trains for departure. The BRC also provides rail terminal services to approximately 100 local manufacturing industries. The company employs about 440 people, including its own police force.{{cite web | url = http://www.beltrailway.com/ | title = The Belt Railway Company of Chicago | access-date = 2007-05-16| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070513051952/http://www.beltrailway.com/| archive-date= 13 May 2007 | url-status= live}}
BRC trackage
Clearing Yard
File:Belt Railway Company of Chicago Aerial (50561587876).jpg
The Clearing Yard, located on the boundary between Chicago and Bedford Park, Illinois, just south of Chicago Midway International Airport directly adjacent to CSX Intermodal's Bedford Park terminal, is one of the largest hump classification facilities in the United States. Some 5.5 miles in length and covering 786 acres (3.2 km2), the yard supports more than 250 miles (400 km) of track. It has six main subdivisions; one arrival, classification, and departure yard in the eastbound and westbound directions.
At the heart of the yard is the wicket-shaped tower which straddles the hump and from which are controlled the switches and retarders of both east- and westbound classification yards to either side of it. Using computer controls, the hump tower efficiently dispatches more than 8,400 rail cars per day. Operating around the clock, employees are able to classify between 40 and 50 miles of consists daily.
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Locomotives
The BRC was noted for a fleet of Alco-built locomotives, File:19680222 20 BRC 602 26th St. near Kenton Ave.jpg #602 locomotive in 1968.]] even though Alco did not build locomotives in the United States after 1970. Specifically, the BRC owned six 2400HP ALCO Century 424s numbered 600-605. All six locomotives were removed from BRC's roster and sold. 600 and 601 have been scrapped. BRC currently operates rebuilt Electro-Motive Diesel locomotives, such as the SD38, SD40, GP38, SW1500 and MP15DC switchers. As is popular in large hump yards, slugs are used in Clearing Yard to shove the hump.
Awards and recognition
The Belt Railway Company of Chicago has been honored several times with E. H. Harriman Awards, in the switching and terminal railways category, for employee safety, including a gold award for 1999.{{cite web| url= http://www.beltrailway.com/safety.html| title= The Belt Railway Company of Chicago - Safety| access-date= 2007-05-16| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070609171845/http://www.beltrailway.com/safety.html| archive-date= 9 June 2007| url-status= dead}}
See also
{{Portal|Railways}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Belt Railway of Chicago}}
- [http://www.beltrailway.com/ Belt Railway of Chicago (official site)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311005848/http://www.railchicago.com/belt.html RAILChicago ]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724171515/http://www.dhke.com/schs/schs104.htm Shortlines of Chicago Historical Society BRC history]
{{Illinois railroads}}
{{coord|41|46|4|N|87|45|10|W|region:US-IL|display=title}}
Category:Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area
Category:Switching and terminal railroads
Category:Railway companies established in 1882
Category:Rail yards in Illinois
Category:Norfolk Southern Railway
Category:Union Pacific Railroad