Went to the Inland Steel plant yesterday to shoot 4449 when it came through and had an obnoxious IHB cop who ran everybody off of Inland property claiming it was IHB and he had authority. When obvious objections were forth coming he radioed East Chicago police to help lock up “The agitators” so I moved to the east end of East Chicago yard where he told me he wasn’t going to tell me again to leave. I informed him I was on private property and had asked permission of the owner to be there who authorized it. H told me if I put one foot on IHB property or right of way he would have me arrested and had someone watch me the whole time. Any way a very strange EMD engine was switching the yard It is #4010. It had GP trucks under what appeared to have room for SD trucks. It had GP or SD 40 fans and SD 45 sloping radiators. There was also an extension on the long hopod after the radiators to a typical EMD pointed end but it had a big GE builders plate on the side frame of the nose. Also while at Inland there is a very short newer cupola caboose like and extended vision but much shorter. It is #19. Any body know the history of #4010 or #19? Thanks.
This particular IHB unit was once SP Bicentenial Unit number 3197 and is a GP40P-2 rebuilt since by G.E. thus the identification plates.
IHB 4011-4019 were all rebuilt by GE from former SP GP40-2’s. This is part of the same program in which most of IHB’s SW1500’s were rebuilt and renumbered into the 1500 series.
OK thanks. Now to find the origin of Caboose #19.
My description of IHB 19 (steel, extended end platforms) leads me to believe that it was probably built for the IHB by the New York Central or Penn Central. It’s unlikely that it was modified from any other type of car.
I never saw that car on the IHB previously in 30 years of taking pictures. I am inclined to respectfully disagree about its origin.
I have no pictures, only notes–the number is surrounded by others of cars of a similar type. It could have been replaced, but I doubt it. Did it match my description?
I have about forty years of Chicago-area observation–not always photographic, but usually well documented. Is it possible that the 19 never before got to your end of the railroad (if you have an “end”)?
Here is the picture I took on Friday 7/31/09
Well, that certainly doesn’t match my description–the car I saw wouldn’t have had a cupola, and the end platforms would have been longer. I can’t see this as being a rebuild of the earlier IHB 19, because lengths are rarely altered. So, ndprr, I’m in total agreement with you–we’ve got to find out where this came from!
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1195483
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1493465
Well at the top of the first picture on second viewing it say’s former Reserve Minig caboose. Wonder how the poster knows that?
Gotta love the IHB cops, I’ve heard all kind of horror stories about them being very rude to railfans.
4010 is a three of a kind GP40P-2. IHB has some neat power, NW2s, SD20s, etc. You gotta watch it around the IHB and not even get anywhere near their property. IHB cops are well known for being very anti-railfan. The crews are usually nice though.