CIRY's Last Day Part 1

At 6:30am when we arrived, the CIRY crew had the 1206 idling inside the
compound, and a few minutes later, they brought the 1209 to life. The 1206
sported a Leslie RS5T while the 1209 carried a Nathan M5 - two big horns for two
little switchers. The crew waited for the BNSF superintendent and a three-man
BNSF crew to arrive, so that they could ride along and become familiarized with
the trackage that BNSF has not operated in 10 years. At 7:50, the two switchers
pulled out of the compound for their last trip up and down the branch.
First, the 1206 was cut off from the 1209. They used the 1206 to pick up a
hopper for Kramer Cement which had been stored in a siding along Cermak. The
1206 ran solo across Cermak and into the narrow alleyway to reach the Kramer
spur. After about 20 minutes of waiting around, the Kramer gate was opened and
the drawbridges that block the tracks were raised. They pulled one covered
hopper, then spotted the one they had picked up from the siding. Then they
returned to the mainline, picked up the 1209, and continued west.
The only other work they had going "up" the branch was Domino Sugar, where they
picked up four more covered hoppers. Their 5-car train complete, the crew
brought the short train up along the B&OCT to Western Avenue Yard. At Western,
the 1206 and 1209 were uncoupled from the train, and ran down the southernmost
yard track and pushed a cut of cars further down to make room for their five
hoppers. Then the engines ran back up the ladder track and into the track from
which they would pick up a single boxcar for the return trip.
Since they ran engines-first up to Western Avenue, the five hoppers had to be
gravity dropped into the yard. The conductor rode the head car to operate the
handbrake. With the hoppers in the clear, BNSF's M-GALCHC pulled into the yard
with an H1 Dash 9 and NS Dash 9. After this, the CIRY engines pulled their sole
boxcar back out onto the yard lead, this time with the 1209 leading.
The lonely ex-Amtrak boxcar was destined for Battaglia, and the CIRY crew wasted
no time cruising back down the branch till they reached Ashland Avenue. There,
they flipped the switch for the Battaglia spur, reversed directions, and pushed
the boxcar down the alleyway. They paused for a few minutes just outside the
building while the huge door was opened. After the boxcar was spotted inside
Battaglia's warehouse, they pulled back out onto the main, then headed back west
to Cozzi Iron. They didn't have any scrap gons for Cozzi, but the BNSF
superintendent wanted to inspect the Cozzi Spur.
The CIRY conductor showed the BNSF sup where the track dipped and always fills
with mud and water, and soon they were on their way back to the compound for the
last time. Upon arrival at the compound, a couple cars were parked in the foul
of the tracks and had to be moved. A film crew was shooting a commercial inside
a warehouse directly adjacent to the CIRY's engine facility, and the streets
were packed with parked cars. As the 1206 entered the compound, a large
explosion was heard, as the 1206's wheels crushed two torpedoes placed on the
rails. The engines pulled into the clear of the track leading to Colonial Brick
(so BNSF could still switch it) and shut down for the last time.
The crew gathered for a group photo, and most of the assembled railfans (I
counted at least 25 during the day) soon departed.
(Report by MP36er)