BNSF’s Chilli Sub: Still Santa Fe: Volume 1, East of Chillicothe

Producer: Midwest Video

Locations: Chillicothe, Streator, Joliet, Lemont, Willow Springs, Argo, Corwith

Timeframe: 1996

Length: 63 minutes

Source: Bob Calvert

Santa Fe’s Chillicothe subdivision. Still Santa Fe. The Chillicothe to Chicago route. Volume 1 of 2 shows. This travels from Western point at Chillicothe to Chicago in an Eastward direction. The year 1996 is one your after the BNSF merger.

A single DVD-R. A single chapter. No chapter advance. Plays like a VHS tape. Sorted with date and location bumpers. Narrated. Map.

Play in 4×3 (fullscreen) aspect. Video quality is good, more or less. Mainly exposure variance. The imagery is not modern standards. Live environmental audio. Good sound levels. Nearly all traditional Santa Fe paint on the locomotives. A small percentage of foreign power is shown.

This tour feels like it travels backwards. Chicago being the nation’s main rail hub and the eastern end of Santa Fe. Plus, the second volume at Chillicothe. Seems it should have been presented going West, from the East in Chicago. No deduction. However, it is an odd choice.

To the Trains…

Chillicothe. Santa Fe 3814 on a 4 unit lash-up. It leads train 971 East. Northern California to Chicago pig train. Preponderance of fast Intermodals. TOFC and COFC traffic. Superfleet paint. Yet, blue and yellow warbonnets are also often seen.

High priority train 199 races by, with GP60 121 leading is Westbound. Willow Springs to Northern California UPS TOFC.

Streator. Amtrak #3. The Southwest Chief is on borrowed time traveling this trackage.

Crossing the Kankakee River.

Joliet. Superfleet loco 654 on a deck girder bridge over Jackson Street. Train U-JOPB Unit Steel Coil. Joliet to Pittsburgh,  California.

Good Santa Fe action at the Ship and Sanitary Canal bridge near Route 83 in Lemont. Jume 6, 1996. Train 199 West. This move is Willow Springs to Northern California.

This is West of Willow Springs. There are miles of Forest Preserves between Willow Springs and Lemont. EMD built 2844 leads this 3 unit lash-up. Train is M-KCCH.

An outside look at UPS facility at Willow Springs. September 7, 1996. A GP35 2811 works the yard.

Q-NYLA was on Conrail from New York. This Mail Train makes a stop to pickup at UPS. Note the B unit.

Argo Crossing. IHB rails.  The Illinois Central gets crossed by Santa Fe 7423 with M-KCCH going to Belt Railway.

August 3, 1996. Corwith Engine House. Some BNSF reletters on silver hoods.

BNSF’s Chilli Sub Still Santa Fe: Volume 1, East of Chillicothe

The highlight of this MVP show. Excellent coverage from Joliet to Willow Springs ending at Chicago Corwith Yard. Nice to see this line in a single tour. As far as the West end portion from Chillicothe. Call it average there.

Bob Calvert has an informative narrative. Everything you need and nothing you don’t. Some of these passed away producers, really had the knowledge and a knack for it including in shows.

A fast-paced program. Well organized. Intelligent script. Strong audio. The weak video quality holds down the rating. However, if you enjoy the Chicago area, Santa Fe action. This should be alright.

As far as the West end portion from Chillicothe. Call it fair or average. Better done elsewhere.

Between the 2 sections of West and East in this show. The stronger Chicago area coverage elevates this release. Just remember the historical value (not modern standards) for the picture…

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars