Any Railfans here? Going to Rochelle, IL this week

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DutchBrad

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Just wondering if there are any train buffs here. I am traveling to Rochelle, IL to see the RR diamond. I believe the two lines are Burlington Northern and Union Pacific. SUPER excited! Any tips to see the most trains would be appreciated! It will be a train extravaganza all day! Rochelle to start, then back east to LaGrange, IL to see the BN triple track mainline action in suburban Chicago, then back to Porter, IN to see the NS mainline. Finally back to West Michigan to go back to my CSX coma (BORING!!)

Taking the Accord (aka Turd) for excitement, gas mileage, and the challenge of taking a 222k mile car on a road trip. More fun to drive than the vans... Just changed the oil too! VNGML 5w30 and a Pronto filter. Should be around a 500 mile day. AC and cruise work on that old girl. Love that car....
 
I am a railfan as well and I live a couple hundred feet from a CN mainline! My favourite locomotive is the EMD SD70ACe. Can't beat the sound of those 710 2 cycle engines at notch 8!
 
My best friend is a HUGE steam rail fan and a moderate diesel electric fan. He has been on a couple of steam excursions- aboard the UP 844, has traveled to Cheyenne to see the UP 4014 Big Boy brought in for restoration, has replica whistles and a genuine Hancock 3 chime super heat steam whistle off of a 4000 class steam loco... and yes, it's hooked up to 1 1/4" pipe at 175 psig and YES, IT'S LOUD!

Right now he has even loaned out one of his 3 chime, super heat Hancock replicas to the local railroad to run on their steam loco. It's a neat sound.
 
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
I am a railfan as well and I live a couple hundred feet from a CN mainline! My favourite locomotive is the EMD SD70ACe. Can't beat the sound of those 710 2 cycle engines at notch 8!


Yeah our shop is about 150 yards from a UP double track main- It's pretty impressive to hear them come through with the throttles shoved to their stops.

Sometimes my wife and I will go to an old wooden bridge above the main line and watch them. It's a very moving experience at times.
 
The_Eric, people have told me that if you stand directly above the train just before it passes and lean over the rail with your mouth open the force of the train will take your breath away.... is this true?
 
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I like the old steam trains. I have ridden on some narrow gauge trains and I have been in one derailment on a steam engine train. The engine derailed in the mountains and we had to be rescued by another train with a yard diesel engine. There was not enough room in the rail cars so several people rode on the diesel locomotive on the walkways on the sides of the engine.

Nobody got hurt. Some people demanded their money back but not us. We figured we got our moneys worth. It was an experience.
 
I did not have a wide angle lens with me and I was not able to photograph the entire engine. If I backed up, the sun was too bright.

I don't think they let people cross the rails to the other side. This was on railroad property. It is usually off limits to the public but the railroad allowed people to see the locomotive. The railroad maintains the locomotive.
 
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Originally Posted By: youdontwannaknow
some of my bookmarks -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OgSNQOTw2U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iy6rNMMN50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRTYNxtbnjI

these are long clips but skip about 30 secs at a time to appreciate the increase in speed.


Thanks to my friend, I've seen those clips many times.

In that last one- the 844 on a highball... she's barely loping along. With her 80" drive wheels, she can top out at somewhere in the neighborhood of 126mph.
 
Originally Posted By: Mystic
I did not have a wide angle lens with me and I was not able to photograph the entire engine. If I backed up, the sun was too bright.

I don't think they let people cross the rails to the other side. This was on railroad property. It is usually off limits to the public but the railroad allowed people to see the locomotive. The railroad maintains the locomotive.


And to think- the 844 in your pictures is the little one of the bunch.. It is a 4-8-4 (wheel configuration), the next biggest is the 3985- a 4-6-6-4 and the 4000 class Big Boys (they're currently restoring the 4014)- which is a 4-8-8-4. At something like 132' long and just shy of 1 million pounds, she's a BIG girl...
 
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
The_Eric, people have told me that if you stand directly above the train just before it passes and lean over the rail with your mouth open the force of the train will take your breath away.... is this true?


I'd not heard that, though I don't think it's possible- at least from the experiences I've had.

That's not to say that a big ole coal train with the throttles maxed out won't shake the bridge and blow a ball cap off if you stick your head over the railing.

Stack trains are a rush too... especially at night when you can't really see them (the double stacked shipping containers) too well, until they're right on you and it looks like they're going to hit the bridge. Boy do they move the air too!
 
As a child I had the pleasure of riding on 611 and 1218 before NS shut down their excursion program.

I remember the car ahead sounded like it had a flat spotted wheel that kept banging the whole time. I don't think the mighty 1218 minded much though.
 
If you're in LaGrange during rush-hour, I'll wave as I ride by.
grin.gif


Sounds like you won't have time this trip, but next time around, head up to the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, IL; IMHO the best RR museum, period.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: Mystic
I did not have a wide angle lens with me and I was not able to photograph the entire engine. If I backed up, the sun was too bright.

I don't think they let people cross the rails to the other side. This was on railroad property. It is usually off limits to the public but the railroad allowed people to see the locomotive. The railroad maintains the locomotive.


And to think- the 844 in your pictures is the little one of the bunch.. It is a 4-8-4 (wheel configuration), the next biggest is the 3985- a 4-6-6-4 and the 4000 class Big Boys (they're currently restoring the 4014)- which is a 4-8-8-4. At something like 132' long and just shy of 1 million pounds, she's a BIG girl...




I would like to see one of those giant locomotives!
 
Originally Posted By: opus1
If you're in LaGrange during rush-hour, I'll wave as I ride by.
grin.gif


Sounds like you won't have time this trip, but next time around, head up to the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, IL; IMHO the best RR museum, period.


Been to the IRM several times. LOVE that place!!
 
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