| Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad NW2 9212 at Naperville, Illinois on July 15, 1963, photo by Chuck Zeiler. This is the East End Way Freight (on this date it is officially Extra 9212 East), which left Eola at about 7:00 AM Monday through Friday and switched the industries between Eola and Congress Park. It's about 9:00 AM and the way freight has finished switching Kroehler (a furniture manufacturer) and has set out the cars for Boecker, the grain tower in the background, and Moser Lumber. Seen here backing the way freight onto main Track #1, the locomotive will cut off the train, leaving it on the main, and pull forward down the Boecker lead and pick up the empties (or loads, Boecker received coal and shipped grain). He will back up, shove forward and couple onto the loads (or empties) he set out earlier for Boecker and spot them for Boecker to unload (or load). Then with the Boecker loads (or empties) and Moser's loads of lumber on the front of the locomotive, he will couple onto his train and pull forward to clear the crossovers on the three main tracks. When the dispatcher gives permission, the way freight will back across all three mains. Once on Track 3 (the closest track in this photo), he will switch Moser Lumber, again freight cars handled on the front of the loco. When all is complete, he will perform a "flying switch" maneuver to get the freight cars on the front of his loco onto his train which is parked on Track 3. The procedure is to back about a half mile from the Moser switch, accelerate toward the switch, about half way there cut the loco off at speed, continue to accelerate toward the switch, heading the loco into the siding and lining the switch so the loose freight cars will drift past the switch and smack into the standing way freight. |