Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad | |
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IHB number 3801 and 3802, both EMD GP38-2s | |
Reporting mark | IHB |
Locale | northwest Indiana, suburbs of Chicago, Illinois |
Dates of operation | 1896–present |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Headquarters | Hammond, Indiana |
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (reporting mark IHB) is a Class III railroad[1] in the United States. The line comprises 320 miles (510 km) of track—30 miles of single mainline track, 24 miles (39 km) of double-main track and 266 miles (428 km) of additional yard and side track—starting northwest of Chicago in Franklin Park, Illinois, traveling southeast around the city to its headquarters in Hammond, Indiana.
The line's largest yard, [Blue Island] is located in Riverdale, Illinois with other yards in Burnham, Calumet City, Alsip, Argo, Lagrange, Rose and Franklin Park. In [Indiana] Whiting, Hammond, Michigan Ave, Lake Front in East Chicago. The Gibson Yard located in [Hammond], is arguably the largest auto-switching operation in the United States.
Throughout the 1970s and 1990s to the present, Indiana Harbor Belt operated an extensive interlocking tower system including: East End, Osbourne, Calumet, State Line, Gibson, Stewart Avenue, Graselli, 55th Street and Argo towers with switch tenders at North Harvey and Columbia Avenue in Hammond. They later took over State Line tower from the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad.
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Police
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Police Department consists of 10 sworn and dedicated Officers, who are directed by Chief of Police Ray Ramirez. The IHB Police Department operates under the authority of both state and federal statutes. The IHB Police serve to protect IHB employees, property, and assets on or about IHB property in the states of Indiana and Illinois.
See also
- Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co. v. American Cyanamid Co., a landmark torts case which involved the railroad.
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad. |
- Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
- RAILChicago - Chicago RAILExperts
- Indiana Harbor Belt Archive (railfan site)
- Shortlines of Chicago Historical Society IHB History
Preceded by Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad |
Regional Railroad of the Year 2003 |
Succeeded by Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway |
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