Elgin Joliet and Eastern - Friday Five. September 29, 2023.

This week, we cover some Elgin Joliet and Eastern (EJ&E) action north of Joliet, IL. There is considerable coverage of the EJ&E east of Joliet, but not much on the line to Waukegan, IL. We covered this portion of the road in great detail and this footage is just the tip of the iceberg.
EJ&E SD38 SD38-2 Caboose. Rondout. Munger. West Chicago. Train orders. Order hoop. Hooping up orders. Waybills.

[@xray606]

Nice. Always up for seeing EJE.

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

There is more where that came from. I see an EJ&E 2.0 Friday Five in the future. RR

[@traderalex1]

I have my Baldwin Sharknose ABA O gauge set in this road name. Pretty cool!

[@dwkcamman611]

653!!! That's the engine I operated back when I was 8 years old. Our engineer family friend Wayne took my Dad and I for a ride down to West Chicago and my Dad filmed our ride, I still have the video, great to see 653 in action!

[@andrewtreece3708]

Any chance of uploading that video?

[@dwkcamman611]

@@andrewtreece3708 I will get it uploaded eventually once I have the time and funds to get that footage converted to digital.

[@mrmrb04]

Thanks for doing this! Man you really have great footage! Also props for getting my last name right! You’re one of the first!

[@tomlambrecht3097]

Where did you get that enormously awesome Big Sky Blue shirt? ROCKY Lives!!!

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

Our friend in Denver gave it to me. Big Sky Blue rules! RR

[@justinkreklow1728]

Would love to see early WSOR from the 90s and 2000s. If possible.

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

We have some good WSOR coverage in the archive. I'll see what I can do. RR

[@TrainFan119]

This is one of my favorite railroads because EJ&E SD38 #654 still operates on a regular basis on the hartwell railroad which runs from Toccoa,GA to Elberton, GA The locomotive is is practically untouched besides a small patch on the cab and a small HRT decal

[@RonStanek]

Would be nice if it still had the bell on the long hood. Like all the 6, SD38 EJ&E's #'s 650 thru 655 had when new.

[@garymartz7587]

Really enjoyed watching them hoop up the orders!!

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

A blast from the past. If you look closely, you'll see the engineer of the train at West Chicago grab orders from the stationary hoop. RR

[@David-yo5re]

Beautiful footage.

[@ericsimmons7716]

@@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq I always wondered what happened if you missed the train orders? I know the caboose gets it too, but sometimes it just the engineer if don't have a caboose. (Which it rear in those days) I was watching a film where a train was going so fast that the conductor in the caboose missed the train orders. I pretty sure he radio the engineer for it but it a long ride to next interlocking tower.

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

@@ericsimmons7716 Missing the orders happened more often than people think. We spent a lot of time at Rondout, IL which delivered orders to most of the southbound freights that ran through there. When the orders were missed, there were a few options available. The first was to simply back the train up and get them which was fairly easy to do with a caboose on the rear. The second was to wait for another southbound train which was close enough to use the other main to deliver the orders. This was rare, but it did happen. The third involved us railfans who happened to be there at the time of order missage. If the tower operator was the friendly sort that tolerated railfans and didn't kick them out, we would offer to drive the orders to Lake Forest, the next town south of Rondout, and hand deliver them to the crew. We did this a LOT and it really saved the railroad from serious delays and traffic congestion. It also put the idea of railfans into a more positive light with the crews! RR

[@leadslinger49]

Thanks a lot. Good video!

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

You're welcome. Thanks for the compliment. RR

[@TheOklahomaHotrail]

Can we get some Rock Island anywhere? Gotta love the Rock!

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

The Rock Island was long gone when we started East End Productions in 1986. I wish we could accommodate your request. I did get some very good slides of the Rock Island in the 70s however. RR

[@imcarols]

How’s about an F5 done up of Great Lakes Western excursion trains-? As always beautiful lens work on these J clips-!

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

Yes! We can do that! RR

[@skullcrusher301]

At 2:50, I’m like 99% sure that’s my dad on the caboose. He worked for the EJ&E for 32 years.

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

We got to know the J crews pretty well. We only had one guy intentionally ruin one of our shoots. RR

[@metaltrainproductions9498]

We’re there any videos from really anytime period of the EJ&E at Spaulding jct

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

I'm pretty sure we have some footage of the J at Spaulding. RR

[@traderalex1]

I saw you take requests. Any chance at all that you have footage of the Baldwin Sharknose 700 and 701 A units, (I think the B's were were 700B and 701B)? I know the history-they bought the demonstrator ABBA units from Baldwin, but operated only for a few months before selling to B&O. I think there is literally two still photos in existence (I have one) in EJ&E colors. If you actually had video, that would be so cool to see. Everybody loves the legendary Sharknoses, and only two left in existence.

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

The Sharks had come and gone long before video was even dreamed of. As for movie footage, I've only seen still photos. You're right, to see footage of the Sharks in action would be incredible! RR

[@TVRVideography]

Can you do a Friday Five on youre top 5 favorite streamlined trains you saw?

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

Well, our archive extends from 1986 to roughly 2000. There were no "streamlined" trains during that era. However, there were many special moves that we were able to get footage of such as private car movements, special passenger trains and excursions. A previous request that I'm working on involves those types of trains. RR

[@TVRVideography]

@@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq sounds good!

[@andrewgray986]

EJ&E in the 2000s up until the CN take over? anything in the days and weeks shortly after the attacks on 9/11/2001? anything of the WC in it’s final months?

[@trainsofmichiganproduction5418]

Y'all have anything on GTW in Michigan?

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

Unfortunately, we didn't get out to the GT much. RR

[@trainsofmichiganproduction5418]

@@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq do you know anyone that railfanned the GTW?

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

@@trainsofmichiganproduction5418 Unfortunately, no. RR

[@gregoryhainsworth2663]

Where did you get the Great Northern shirt?

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

A friend gave it to me. I think he got it at the Izaak Walton gift shop. RR

[@1974rail]

Got a question did wc switch the industrial park by Peterson road and 45 by the old Jones intercable place?

[@colinmulder6806]

You folks take request yes?

[@Andy-c9w]

Where is the WICT

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

We'll get to the WICT. 2024 has gotten off to a shaky start with lots of issues to deal with. Gotta put out a few fires before I can get back into editing new programs. RR