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At the beginning of the Great May Circle Tour of the Mid-South, as I got off I39 I spotted this westbound ICE train. I caught up with it at the east end of the east siding at Davis Jct, IL, May 17. 2007. |
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I again caught up with the ICE train at the crossing west of the diamond in David Jct, IL. |
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I headed south on back roads through King, IL and discovered this ex-Camas Prairie #3 sitting on the mainline between Kings and Flagg Center, May 17, 2007. |
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On arrival in Rochelle, I discovered this ex-Frisco GP15-1 on the track where the engines are now stored. BNSF #1494 has had the headlight lowered into the nose where the Frisco had a Pyle gyrolite, May 17, 2007.. |
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Soon this eastbound BNSF freight with #8730 in the lead passed the GP15-1. The sixth car back was a Frisco insulated box car. |
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I caught my first UP train west of the Rochelle diamonds at the grade crossing. In the train was this untagged MP quad hopper, May 17, 2007. |
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The next train was this westbound BNSF intermodal behind #1068 at the signal bridge just west of the diamonds, Rochelle, IL, May 17. 2007. |
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Next came this westbound empty UP coal train, still west of the diamonds, May 17 2007. |
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The next UP empty westbound coal train has a couple of leased units. |
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This eastbound stack train is seen leaving Global III, Rochelle, IL, May 17, 2007. |
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The local from Sterling then appeared and set out 2 cars on the BNSF interchange. The GP15-1 then ran around them, returned to the remaining three cars, and headed east to set them out at the Rochelle Railroad interchange.. |
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This eastbound BNSF intermodal is approaching the diamonds at Rochelle as the sun beginning to drop. |
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| Next came a slow moving westbound stack train heading into Global III. |
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| While the stack train is moving into Global III, this eastbound freight roars past. |
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| After the stack train got yarded, this "baretable" train came roaring through. |
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The last train that I shot on Thursday was the local returning to Sterling with a train of mechanical refers. |
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The first train on Friday morning was this westbound BNSF freight about to pass under I88 in Rochelle, IL, May 18, 2007. |
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The local power was already in action in this very early morning view crossing Steam Plant St. in Rochelle, May 18, 2007. |
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The first UP train of the day was this westbound freight coming straight out of the sun, horrible lighting. |
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My favorite view early in the morning at Rochelle shows a train entering the scene beyond the west signal bridge and continues through the east signal bridge to the foreground. An hour later and this sequence is not possible as the Sun moves more to the south side of the track. |
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A BNSF stack train heads east through the Railroad Park. |
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This loaded unit coal train shows how the Sun has shifted towards the south and the south side of the train is now better lighted. |
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An eastbound vehicle train meets a westbound freight right at the park. |
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| A refer train is seen here westbound with three new GEs on the points. |
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| The proceed signal is for this westbound freight at the Rochelle Railroad Park May 18, 2007. |
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| The Rochelle Railroad had a new lease unit. |
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| Here we see the other side of the ex-Frisco GP15-1. |
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At a recent TNSG gathering, Dave Ingles showed a picture he had taken of a "BNSF Transcon" freight crossing over Ill 251. I decided to get off I39 and scout out this location and caught this train through the windshield. In Part 3 of this Great Circle Tour of the Mid-South, you will see the results of my northbound trip. They run them hot and heavy on this line. On said north bound trip I saw one train in the distance and got another train in under 10 minutes. However, it is not a wide open scene, thus not a place to camp out for long periods. |
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| Also at that last TNSG gathering, there were pictures of a long tangent on the PA Turnpike. This tangent is 28.7 miles along I55 south of Cape Girardeau, MO. Six miles are behind me from where I took this picture from the last hill on I55 for 150 miles. This is the beginning of the Mississippu River Delta that stretches from this hill south. It extends much further than the 150 segment of I55 because it does not end until Louisiana, covering all of extreme eastern Arkansas. |
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