#chessiesystem

[railwayhistorical]

Crossing the Swing Bridge

I was able to catch a train on the St. Joseph River Swing Bridge seen in the previous post. This train is moving in the same direction as the Amtrak train two posts ago—toward Chicago (don't know if this is considered south or west on the CSX).

As mentioned before: this line was the Chicago & West Michigan, Pere Marquette, C&O, Chessie System, and finally CSX.

Four images by Richard Koenig; taken June 19th 2025.

[marastriker]

guys I just got the chessie system logo tattooed on me

[trainmaniac]

(SEE & HEAR)---Ches BO 8257 e, NA, Philson, PA. 3-12-1989 by JACK KUIPHOFF Via Flickr: (SEE & HEAR)---Chessie B&O SD40-2 #8257 leads west on the B&O Keystone sub at, NA, Philson, Pennsylvania. March 12, 1989. Jack D Kuiphoff photo © video See this live in my Youtube link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9CiXFFBhl4

[marmarinou]

Caption: “June of 1978 finds the 2101 near Willow Creek. The Northern and the Amtrak train paced each other for quite a while.”

Willow Creek, Illinois

Photo by Bill Raia

This was known as the Chessie Steam Special.

(via The race is on)

[railwayhistorical]

Follow Up on the Badger

I wanted to add some support to my previous post, showing the Badger coming into Ludington, Michigan. [The image above is from the same series, taken recently, July 18th 2024.]

I mentioned the Spartan, sister ship to the Badger. Here's a shot of it from three years ago, sitting in Ludington where it is stored and used for spare parts for the Badger.

I also have a few shots of the Badger (from the late-1970s) when it was hauling railroad cars between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and what I assume to have been Ludington. These two black and white analog images were made in Milwaukee; the ship was part of the C&O Railway at the time—as the Chessie logo on the stack attests.

The first image above shows the ship in its entirety, while the second illustrates how and where the rail cars were loaded into the aft end of the ship. When it was hauling rail, one could book passage, as well as take your auto along (apparently).

All images by Richard Koenig.

[railwayhistorical]

Cottage Grove, Indiana

This is a transfer move the Chessie Steam Special made back in the late 1970s. Cottage Grove is where the B&O and C&O cross; the train is taking the connector track from the former to the latter and was headed for Chicago (I believe). The Baltimore & Ohio runs between Cincinnati and Indianapolis while the Chesapeake & Ohio runs between Cincinnati and Chicago—through Peru, Indiana.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken June 5th 1978.

[railwayhistorical]

East End Georgia Here's a westbound fast freight on the Baltimore & Ohio on southern Indiana. This line was originally the Ohio & Mississippi which was built as broad gauge. It is approaching a siding called Georgia, which is west of Mitchell, Indiana, by five or ten miles.

The lead locomotive is a B&O GP35 in Chessie System colors while the following two units are Southern Pacific—perhaps an SP run-through train.

This is one of my favorite pictures made along the line, with code line, silo, and FORD truck all present.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken March 7th 1976.

[railwayhistorical]

Tunnleton This is a westbound Baltimore & Ohio train moving through the East Fork White River Valley in southern Indiana. The small burg of Tunnleton lies above the tracks on the hill. This B&O line, between Cincinnati and St. Louis, began life as the Ohio & Mississippi. Apparently, the town was created in the mid-1850s when the line was being built—it lies halfway between Big Tunnel and Little Tunnel. The former still exists while the latter was daylighted just prior to the turn of the 20th century.

While this is the B&O, the motive power is of the Chesapeake & Ohio, part of the Chessie System. Both appear to be SD40s.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken October 28th 1977.