Skyliner
New Member
Hi everyone, new member here, just came over from modelrailroadforums per the request for more members and content. I'll start by sharing some of my earlier digital photography. I went to school in Champaign and then lived there for a few years afterward, most of the time within view of the Illinois Central/CN mainline. I'd often venture down to the CN/NS diamond in Tolono, as well as a few other sites around the area.
Here's a pair of SD70 deathstars, southbound along Highway 45 in 2005.
Here's a pair of GP38-2s pulling a string of tank cars through a west Champaign neighborhood in 2005. I think they had just finished switching the Kraft Food plant.
A view of the south end of Champaign Yard in 2005 reveals four different RR paint schemes.
Waiting to depart southbound, IC 9602 was built in 1974 but sports a relatively clean paint scheme in 2005. GTW 5844 was built in 1977.
One day in November 2005, I noticed a short train backing westbound through town. Racing ahead, I caught up with this caboose on the point near Bondville. If memory serves me, this little-used branch line was part of the old Illinois Terminal RR, a remnant of its former Illinois Traction interurban line to Decatur. At one time, there was extensive interurban service across central Illinois, stretching from Peoria, east to Danville, and south to St. Louis. The modern Illinois Terminal RR came from the remnants of this system around St. Louis.
I'm not sure what the train was doing as it moved relatively slowly, but the crew on the caboose was watching the track closely. Shortly after passing me, the air dumped and the train came to a stop. The crew got off and looked at the track for a while as depicted here. I thought I faintly heard someone say something about a "broken rail." After a few minutes, they got back onboard, and the train pulled back eastbound, never making it farther than depicted here.
Conrail blue still showed up at times on the NS mainline through Tolono. Red-wing blackbirds scatter before a westbound splitting the signals at the Martin siding.
Here's an eastbound Roadrailer train crossing the diamond at Tolono in 2006, behind a single C40-8. It was chilly, as I recall.
As I turned to watch it go by, what should appear but a westbound auto parts train with NS 5436, still in blue, in trailing position. The dispatcher planned this meet perfectly, both trains kept rolling through the diamond.
Thus endeth the chase. I chased the westbound auto parts train as best as I could, racing through small towns trying to get ahead in a position for pictures not blocked by the ever-present line side wires or other obstructions. It was tough, as the train got up to track speed pretty quickly after clearing Tolono. I lost right here, as the locomotives barreled through this rural crossing west of Ivesdale just ahead of me. By the time the tail cleared, I knew I wouldn't be able to catch up anymore.
Hope you all enjoyed these, I'll contribute more as I'm able.
Here's a pair of SD70 deathstars, southbound along Highway 45 in 2005.
Here's a pair of GP38-2s pulling a string of tank cars through a west Champaign neighborhood in 2005. I think they had just finished switching the Kraft Food plant.
A view of the south end of Champaign Yard in 2005 reveals four different RR paint schemes.
Waiting to depart southbound, IC 9602 was built in 1974 but sports a relatively clean paint scheme in 2005. GTW 5844 was built in 1977.
One day in November 2005, I noticed a short train backing westbound through town. Racing ahead, I caught up with this caboose on the point near Bondville. If memory serves me, this little-used branch line was part of the old Illinois Terminal RR, a remnant of its former Illinois Traction interurban line to Decatur. At one time, there was extensive interurban service across central Illinois, stretching from Peoria, east to Danville, and south to St. Louis. The modern Illinois Terminal RR came from the remnants of this system around St. Louis.
I'm not sure what the train was doing as it moved relatively slowly, but the crew on the caboose was watching the track closely. Shortly after passing me, the air dumped and the train came to a stop. The crew got off and looked at the track for a while as depicted here. I thought I faintly heard someone say something about a "broken rail." After a few minutes, they got back onboard, and the train pulled back eastbound, never making it farther than depicted here.
Conrail blue still showed up at times on the NS mainline through Tolono. Red-wing blackbirds scatter before a westbound splitting the signals at the Martin siding.
Here's an eastbound Roadrailer train crossing the diamond at Tolono in 2006, behind a single C40-8. It was chilly, as I recall.
As I turned to watch it go by, what should appear but a westbound auto parts train with NS 5436, still in blue, in trailing position. The dispatcher planned this meet perfectly, both trains kept rolling through the diamond.
Thus endeth the chase. I chased the westbound auto parts train as best as I could, racing through small towns trying to get ahead in a position for pictures not blocked by the ever-present line side wires or other obstructions. It was tough, as the train got up to track speed pretty quickly after clearing Tolono. I lost right here, as the locomotives barreled through this rural crossing west of Ivesdale just ahead of me. By the time the tail cleared, I knew I wouldn't be able to catch up anymore.
Hope you all enjoyed these, I'll contribute more as I'm able.