I grew up in Dolton from 1970-1987. The big railroad yards were two blocks south of where I lived, the tracks with the cars with white hot slag coming from the steel mills was about 5 blocks east and the Chicago city limits were 4 blocks north.
Used to walk those tracks as kid riverdale to Dolton theater double crossover was scary to walkover. I used play little league at the ball fields behind tri city bowl now gone.
Bad news. The historic tower was torn down a few months after this video was shot. That was a UP signal gang installing some cables for their tracks. Great video coverage. I grew up there and got hundreds of still pics.
It's terrific how you can keep that baby so close to the ground, hovering, or slowly sweeping. Then in a flash it's up150-200' The opening scene you had that incredible drone moving 3-4' down the road just like a car.The action is a little too fast and furious for me, it's my old ticker, ya know. I think I'd better slow it down a little and you watch F-35's fighting it out on the other side of town. This high balling action is for the younger crowd.
I love the video. I haven't seen Dolton Jct. in about 10 years now and never from above. One small correction, in the open track diagram, the black Norfolk Southern track is not actually the NS. Both of those tracks are CSX, ex B&O, leading to Burr Yard. As a note for railroad history, the Pennsylvania Railroad had a double track line though this junction also. It was on the far side of the the CSX line from where you were filming and crossed all the lines headed in the direction of the interlocking tower and passes to the right of those light blue tanks in the distance of some of the video. I think the building in the middle of the crossings has been removed over this summer but I'm not sure of that. Still a great video. I miss the railroad!
J Williams ...you are correct sir. I grew up there. I have dozens of still photos of dozens of locos and freight cars you never see any more. The white frame control tower paralleled the double track Pennsylvania main line that had two bottle trains every day (molten steel). Some of those interchange tracks are new since I lived there. Great footage.
Yes and here is the interlocking diagram with some more photos.... love to have seen this in it's "heyday" position-light.blogspot.com/2013/02/photos-brief-ride-through-dolton.html By the way the old PRR line was the "Panhandle" (PCC&StL) and not the "Fort Wayne" (PFW&C). I believe coming in from Cincinnati via Logansport, IN.
And here I thought I was the only one who wondered if there was a locomotive/freight car/truck/bus/catch basin or anything else that had a neighboring number in a fleet :-)
Just because you see consecutively numbered locos doesn't indicate a small railroad. IHB has over fifty locomotives and about 400 track miles, and is the largest terminal railroad in the US.
Since he didn't answer ... the little flags and the spray paint on the ground are locator's marks. Before digging, one is required to contact local utilities or a locating service to mark all underground lines in the anticipated excavation area. In Texas, for example, it's actually illegal to dig deeper than 18 inches without contacting 811, the statewide locating hotline. The locating services will have databases of all utility, communications, pipeline, etc companies in any given area. They then contact the utilities who then send locators out to paint or flag where their buried underground lines are. Some contract out to locating companies who do this for them. White - area to be excavated Red - electric Orange - communication Yellow - gas, petroleum, etc Green - wastewater Blue - water Purple - reclaim water Pink - temporary survey marks
We can't see that noisy truck doing anything to justify the noise....(?)...EDIT: Okay, from the drone view I can see one or two guys welding something on the tracks on the other side of this truck.
I grew up in Dolton from 1970-1987. The big railroad yards were two blocks south of where I lived, the tracks with the cars with white hot slag coming from the steel mills was about 5 blocks east and the Chicago city limits were 4 blocks north.
Used to walk those tracks as kid riverdale to Dolton theater double crossover was scary to walkover. I used play little league at the ball fields behind tri city bowl now gone.
What a cool place to live on back streets of adjoining neighborhoods.
this is the best drone footage I've seen and with sound makes it even more fun to watch. Thumbs up and a sub.
Nice video and a good reference for someone like me who is thinking of visiting the area.
Very cool indeed! And I’m sure at one point in time there use to be a tower at this location!
Totally amazing junction! Drones are really doing something for TH-cam.
Bad news. The historic tower was torn down a few months after this video was shot. That was a UP signal gang installing some cables for their tracks. Great video coverage. I grew up there and got hundreds of still pics.
The drone makes that location great. Nice work.
nice video, enjoyed the drone perspective. thanks!
Very nice video!! I like the drone's work! Thanks!
Thanks, I'm a big HARBOR Belt fan
It's terrific how you can keep that baby so close to the ground, hovering, or slowly sweeping. Then in a flash it's up150-200' The opening scene you had that incredible drone moving 3-4' down the road just like a car.The action is a little too fast and furious for me, it's my old ticker, ya know. I think I'd better slow it down a little and you watch F-35's fighting it out on the other side of town. This high balling action is for the younger crowd.
Even the birds look cold!
amazing,thanks
Liked & subscribed great work well done
I love the video. I haven't seen Dolton Jct. in about 10 years now and never from above. One small correction, in the open track diagram, the black Norfolk Southern track is not actually the NS. Both of those tracks are CSX, ex B&O, leading to Burr Yard. As a note for railroad history, the Pennsylvania Railroad had a double track line though this junction also. It was on the far side of the the CSX line from where you were filming and crossed all the lines headed in the direction of the interlocking tower and passes to the right of those light blue tanks in the distance of some of the video. I think the building in the middle of the crossings has been removed over this summer but I'm not sure of that. Still a great video. I miss the railroad!
J Williams ...you are correct sir. I grew up there. I have dozens of still photos of dozens of locos and freight cars you never see any more. The white frame control tower paralleled the double track Pennsylvania main line that had two bottle trains every day (molten steel).
Some of those interchange tracks are new since I lived there.
Great footage.
Yes and here is the interlocking diagram with some more photos.... love to have seen this in it's "heyday" position-light.blogspot.com/2013/02/photos-brief-ride-through-dolton.html By the way the old PRR line was the "Panhandle" (PCC&StL) and not the "Fort Wayne" (PFW&C). I believe coming in from Cincinnati via Logansport, IN.
Thanks for the drone video. It was very professional looking. Would like to see one of the IHB & B&O yards. Fun times in the 60s-80s.
And here I thought I was the only one who wondered if there was a locomotive/freight car/truck/bus/catch basin or anything else that had a neighboring number in a fleet :-)
I see you like to see the light boards change too. 1/8/2018
The way to go in railfanning !
Illinois so rich with trains
What’s the difference between a solid/ flashing green signal? I’ve never ever seen a flashing green haha, well in my area DFW metroplex
Good location
Just because you see consecutively numbered locos doesn't indicate a small railroad. IHB has over fifty locomotives and about 400 track miles, and is the largest terminal railroad in the US.
What size drone do you have? I'm looking into buying one and do you like the one that you are using? 1/8/2018
What work were they doing there?
Hello Ferroequinology , nice vedeo . where are the little red flags for ?
Since he didn't answer ... the little flags and the spray paint on the ground are locator's marks. Before digging, one is required to contact local utilities or a locating service to mark all underground lines in the anticipated excavation area.
In Texas, for example, it's actually illegal to dig deeper than 18 inches without contacting 811, the statewide locating hotline. The locating services will have databases of all utility, communications, pipeline, etc companies in any given area. They then contact the utilities who then send locators out to paint or flag where their buried underground lines are. Some contract out to locating companies who do this for them.
White - area to be excavated
Red - electric
Orange - communication
Yellow - gas, petroleum, etc
Green - wastewater
Blue - water
Purple - reclaim water
Pink - temporary survey marks
And from the look of things they are doing underground utility work in relations to the railroad tracks nearby
We can't see that noisy truck doing anything to justify the noise....(?)...EDIT: Okay, from the drone view I can see one or two guys welding something on the tracks on the other side of this truck.
I think I would have dumped the audio to get rid of the wind noise and that damned generator. Put in some music.
Any music would ruin this video. I think the audio is actually very good