BNSF Yard Job Kicks Cars at Western Avenue, Chicago, 27.05.11

Ex-ATSF, BNSF "Bluebonnet" SD40-2 #1614 and EMDX GP38-2 lease unit #770 (this is one of many former Penn Central units belonging to EMD Leasing) work the long, narrow, Western Avenue Yard on the east end of BNSF's Chicago Sub "racetrack" as Norfolk Southern run-through power waits out the Metra rush. The units "kick" cars onto different tracks in the yard- a practice which is officially frowned upon, but speeds up the switching process. In it, a locomotive pushes an uncoupled car forwards, while a switch is lined on-the-fly, and the car rolls to its intended spot of its own inertia.