The Chicago Clearing Yard: A Day in the Life of America's Hump Yard

[@justinmalachinski1]

I work as a carman here and I’ll tell you it’s something, and the amount of fallen flag cars or oddball cars that come through here is nuts. I’ve seen anything from 1960’s ATSF gons, to 1970’s ICG cars, and I love it

[@John-g6m9z]

Worked for a company that built switch panel track for the Belt. Drove a flatbed trailer that would extend to 76ft, bringing track sections in the yard where they were replacing the switch panel track.Love the trains!!!😊

[@nkyrailfan]

That's really cool. I bet that was a tricky load to maneuver being so big.

[@smellsound1963]

I operate at the CSX yard. Love watching all the traffic at the belt. Plus quite a few interesting locos show up there often

[@KevinCSX]

I work for CSX, at Bedford park. It’s literally mind blowing how much train traffic I see constantly coming in and out of the belt. Plus the inbounds and outbounds from my ramp.

[@matthewrinehart9514]

I used to deliver truck loads of stainless steel to Cozzi just north of the yard. Always told them to take their time so I could watch the yard😊

[@freightdawg6762]

Used to bring trailers in and out of that intermodal yard when i was with Roadway Express

[@TrainTrackToby]

Thank you so much for following through with my suggestion about covering this yard!

[@ryanfrogz]

At 10:53, you can see some of the USDA’s scale test cars. I guess this is where they store them. Tons of cool railcars flowing through that yard. Nice video.

[@justinmalachinski1]

Yea you wouldn’t imagine what I see on a day to day basis as a carman there

[@jackdacop7580]

I live just north of the hump yard and hear it working 24/7

[@RMaster1112]

I grew up at 64th and Major in the early '80s. I know that sound lol

[@Custardpie174]

Pretty much anywhere you live on south side of Chicago your around tracks.....grew up playing on the tracks...49th loomis

[@minnesotarailfan12]

At about the 8:45 mark you can see a pair of BRC EMD endcab switchers pulling a cut of cars. You don't see that much anymore!

[@nkyrailfan]

I saw that when I was going over the footage at home. I wish I would have known at the time. I would have tried to get a lot more of them in action.

[@kamala2111]

Great vid hope to see more from there sometime

[@israelsoto8764]

I've worked there for 26 years it's nice too see what you can see from the air it's crazy thanks .

[@nkyrailfan]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully, I can find a few more spots and get more of the yard.

[@tigerphid9677]

Thanks for the video. I have heard about this yard, but have not seen a video.

[@davidf2477]

Great footage. I used to work nearby on third shift and that eerie screeching sound was constant. I haven't been there in quite a few years but I recall that area had a unique smell to it. Maybe from all the old buildings, some of which had train tracks running through them.

[@nkyrailfan]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I bet that would be very eerie in the middle of the night to hear the constant screeching.

[@timothybdavis7520]

Absolutely awesome Video!👍😃

[@keithmoore5306]

the west bound being smaller makes sense seeing how the east is more settled and more compact distance wise with more yards than the west, westbound pulls will be longer and not need to sorted as much!

[@thebabbler8867]

So true. Them Westbound trains be long! It makes sense tho.

[@Red1Wollip]

This is an amazing yard

[@James-v6k]

I used to ride freight good video

[@BossSpringsteen69]

I was hoping you'd catch my train coming in. I love the Belt for it's remaining vestiges of a bygone era. About 24 years ago the power house was still standing south of the diesel shop. The clerks use to give you paperwork out of the office south of the diesel shop till they moved a few years ago. The North thoroughfare used to run through the district. They still had engineers back then. And conductor Mr. Cook would regularly bring Belt transfer trains to our yard. A bygone era.

[@nkyrailfan]

Thanks for the great info. I'll reach out if I'm able to make it back up to the area to record and maybe you can let me know what time you'll be arriving.

[@stevesummers2462]

You were apparently standing on the Cicero overpass and yes, that part of the yard ends at Harlem three miles away with major rails coming in from the north and west. The yard extends east to the Norfolk yard at Western nearly four miles away. There are several rail ins and outs into and out of that series of yards, and had you gone south on interstate 55 to La Grange road and gone north to O'Hare you could h done the same over the CPKC yard. And yes, if it crosses the USA east to West or south to north, especially if it needs a rail interchange, it almost certainly comes through Chicago.

[@nkyrailfan]

I hope to get back up there at some point and check out some of the other yards. Let me know if you have tips or information on good places to view.

[@stevesummers2462]

@@nkyrailfan I'm not sure what you are looking for, even with the loss of the New York Central and what it owned, plus steel and the stock yards, Chicago still has as much rail as some states.

[@nkyrailfan]

@stevesummers2462 just anywhere in or around the city you think would be a good vantage point to see a yard or busy freight line.

[@dadonatrain]

What a neat video! One of your best. It prompted me to google info about it, and I found a great article from Trains mag 2016 that explained how it all works. It even helped me understand why I was seeing, at video speed, cars slowing down on the down grade! Great work!

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found more info on the yard and how it works.

[@JohnMakuck-is7be]

As a retired r.r. love thr video.and did know this little chicago r.r did all this hump yard switching good info,thanks. 😂

[@nkyrailfan]

Thank you very much. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the video.

[@kelvintorrence5994]

great video I never seen 1 before thanks ,nky railfan

[@brentl4306]

Small, but productive railyard. To see one on a grand scale, check out the Bailey Railyard in North Platte, NE, which is the largest railyard in the world.

[@nkyrailfan]

I hope to make it there one day. It looks like an incredible yard.

[@williamrupert1512]

My brother-now deceased 2018-worked at the USDA Master Scale Depot on that site. It was a two man shop. Over the years, several USDA employees at that site suffered permanent hearing damage from the screeching sound. My brother always wore orange colored foam earplugs while he was on that site. 👍 😇

[@nkyrailfan]

That's very cool your brother worked at the scale Depot. I can't imagine how loud the screeching is inside the yard. I'm hundreds of feet away and it's loud.

[@stanbrown915]

So happy there are Super Geeks like you willing to supply us lesser Geeks with great content to geek out on😂😂😂

[@kevinleftridge8241]

Loved it!!’❤

[@Steven_Williams]

Cool video! I railfan the BRC often.

[@cigarguy6813]

This is LOGISTICS at its' BEST

[@ronaldrondeau7870]

thanks grea video

[@natgass8102]

a very interesting video like all of your well researched and filmed efforts. I wonder why CSX ‘s Bedford park yard is so close to the Belt yard do you think at one point they were one property? You’ll notice that intermodal cars aren’t going through the yard as railroads that have connected transcontinental service hand off the entire train often with the power left on it to continue to run on the partner railway, they want fast truck like service so they can’t stop and waste time when they’re trying to keep or get business away from the trucks

[@nkyrailfan]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. As for the CSX facility, my guess is it was an expansion of an existing RR property. This entire area is all light to mid industrial, so I'm guessing the railroads were able to acquire more property as they needed it.

[@warrenhoffman653]

I guess this is where the trains originate that head east to New York

[@conercingrani8831]

I work at the csx yard as a carman for ttx it’s the best job I had I do know the csx outbound have to get permission to go on belt property to leave

[@nkyrailfan]

I bet that is a really cool job! How long have you worked there?

[@conercingrani8831]

@@nkyrailfana little over a year and my pops still works at the belt in the rip shop he’s been there for 20 years

[@nkyrailfan]

@conercingrani8831 that's awesome!

[@ryanfoster3010]

i’m a switch man there!

[@TheIronweed-vx5lg]

I've ridden freights out of there several times. 😧😱

[@hermannkokos6795]

Meep meep

[@Metraelectric222productions]

I live in Chicago 0:43

[@Tamburello_1994]

@ 5:30 You give voice credit for the photo to "Formula one" but have "Formulanone" written on screen Being a F1 fan that I am, I'm going to catch such things...

[@nkyrailfan]

Good catch. I went back and listened and double checked the spelling of whom to credit and I misspoke in the video. It is "Formulanone." I copied and pasted it from the website, but must have misread it while creating the video. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@Tamburello_1994]

@@nkyrailfan No worries. F- "None" huh? OK, Must be a NASCAR fan!

[@nkyrailfan]

@Tamburello_1994 😂😂😂

[@jz1340]

Manifest interchange yard...

[@Keikdv]

Please! Put in the title wich is with commentary and wich is silent. I am NOT interested in the silent versions!

[@thebabbler8867]

Stop 🐕ing❗

[@matthewshimmel2570]

Hi there! I work for Chicago's PBS station, WTTW Channel 11. We're developing a story about Chicago's railroad infrastructure, and if you're open to it, we would love to incorporate some of your footage in the program! Please let me know, as we're on a deadline. If you're interested, I'll follow up with my contact info. Thanks!

[@nkyrailfan]

That's fine with me. Depending on your deadline, I could try and get you some of the raw footage for use. Just let me know.

[@matthewshimmel2570]

​@@nkyrailfan Terrific, thanks! And the raws could be helpful also. It looks like KZbin is not allowing me to put my contact info in the comments. Do you have an easy way to reach you?

[@nkyrailfan]

@matthewshimmel2570 you can send me an email at: [e-mail]

[@matthewshimmel2570]

Sent! Thanks again,@@nkyrailfan

[@williamphillip9749]

You should do real stories about railroads on how horrible they treat their employees and how they constantly threaten them.

[@williamphillip9749]

It’s not that busy anymore. The current president is more concerned with cutting jobs than actually switching cars. This place is literally the worst ran railroad company out there!