Belt Lines of Chicago

Producer: Midwest Video Productions

Locations: Chicago area

Timeframe: 1996- 97

Length: 1 hour 28 minutes

Midwest Video highlights 3 key Belt Lines around the Chicago area. EJ&E, IHB and B&OCT. A well organized program. Yes, the fourth Belt Line appears in a separate series.

Nowadays, the B&OCT exists on paper. Today, we see it on the tracks, as CSX. The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern is a stand alone.

This is a DVD-R. Basic show here. Load and play. A narrative with good information. Display screen graphics, are full screen. Denote; Location and Railroads. Soundtrack is live Audio.

There are: Map references. Very helpful to unlocking the complicated trackage. The narrator takes the time with good explanation.

Narrator provides excellent details on train movements.

The video quality is far from current standards. Poor to fair overall. Color balance and frequent exposure issues. Too light or too dark colors, from this effect. Soft focus on modern HD screen. Edits are too abrupt at times. They interrupt the flow of the program.

Elgin Joliet & Eastern.

This show is divided into the three main Railroads. EJ&E has the leadoff position.

After viewing several of these MVD shows. All from the same time period. It appears to be the camera. Unable to discern, where to balance the light. Either that, or operator error on settings

This EJ&E part covers much territory. Overexposure is a major issue. The picture is too bright. Colors appear washed out. Sunlight is uncontrolled. Difficult to view comfortably.

A detailed map. Explanation of the operation and territory. Tower breakdowns. EJ&E begins at North end.

They show some DM&IR units in maroon paint. The above, is at Griffith. A parent Company owned both Railroads.

Griffith Jct is a Featured hotspot. Has a Tower. Multiple Railroads use these tracks.

A good oral roundup of locations on EJ&E. The picture. Too bright, too dark. An occasional fair. The visuals are rough overall.

B&OCT / CSX.

The majority of the EJ&E, has poor color balance. This scene contains better imagery.

B&OCT is operating, under the CSX banner here. It was traditionally known as B&OCT. In fact, they used to letter those initials on the hood of some B&O looking, SW7 switchers!

State Line Tower. Prominently featured hotspot.

Norfolk Southern used State Line Tower, since the Norfolk and Western days. Above, An NS Road Railer train.

Indiana Harbor Belt.

Indiana Harbor Belt is the other third. These are intermixed. Both performing local transfer duties. IHB at one time, used New York Central look alike paint schemes, being partially owned by them.

State Line Crossing – (Featured) IHB operated tower is seen. This was once a major US hotspot. IHB. CSX. CP Rail. CSX local from Barr Yard. NS triple crown road railer

Even more trains here with CSX for Barr. IHB with Gibson yard traffic.

Hohman Ave Tower, under Conrail control. CSX, IHB. NS. Not shown in this review.

Blue Island Jct. The Bridges seen here.

Argo Yard is shown, but only for a single shot. Argo Crossing receives greater screen time.

BNSF train, KCCH with engine 7423, on Illinois Central mainline at Argo Crossing.

LaGrange. Very brief. Grand Trunk runs on IHB track. BN tracks, mis- identification by narrator..

Franklin Park Tower B12. This has Soo Line paint on a CP move.

Indiana Harbor Belt always had a caboose! At least until they did not. The transfer caboose was common.

Belt Lines of Chicago

Ends with non narrated Chicago Belt Railway preview footage clips. The Other Major Transfer Railroad. Has it’s own Midwest Video series, with clips at show’s end.

Amateur level video production. As far as the video itself. Ranges from poor to fair.

Does a fine job of sorting out the local trackage. Over 70 trains. See 7 Towers. Live sound is fine. Informative narration and graphics.. Video quality and edits are weak points. Drag it down to a lower rating.

Rating: 2 Stars