HLCX lease unit 1058 heads up a BNSF local as it sits on the main in front of the Honeywell plant at Metropolis, Illinois waiting for a new crew to take over their train before continuing its night move north on the BNSF Beardstown Subdivision.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 50mm f/1.4, 1/15, ISO 2000.
On January 2nd, 2020 a empty BNSF grain train sits in the siding at Reevesville, Illinois as a empty CN coal train heads north, on CNs Bluford Subdivision, under the old Illinois Central Steam Train coaling tower.
According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops.
Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotives coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotives sand box.
As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.
A old KORAL Switcher 2111 sits at the back gate to the National Railway Equipment shops in Mount Vernon, Illinois and is used to move equipment around. Although it’s seen better days, it still does it’s job!
According to Wikipedia: “The Korea Railroad Corporation, branded as KORAIL, is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.
KORAIL operates intercity/regional, commuter/metro and freight trains throughout South Korea, and has its headquarters in Daejeon.
Historically, the South Korean railway network was managed by the Railroad Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation before 1963. On 1 September 1963, the bureau became an agency that was known as Korean National Railroad (KNR) in English. In the early 2000s, split and public corporatization of KNR was decided by the South Korean government, and in 2003, KNR adopted the current KORAIL logo in blue to prepare corporatization.
On 1 January 2005, KNR was split into Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), which succeeded railway operation with the KORAIL logo and name, and Korea Rail Network Authority (KR), which succeeded maintaining tracks.”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 passes through the diamonds at Centralia, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 passes through Anna, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CNs two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 as it passes a local working at Mounds, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CN’s two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 as it spits the old Illinois Central Coaling towers at Carbondale, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CNs two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100, (for detail in the highlights).
A pair of Illinois Central Death Stars, 1007 & 1027 lead Canadian National A408 as it pulls from the south end of the siding at Edgewood, Illinois as it continues it’s move south on the Champaign Subdivision on December 5th, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Canadian National Illinois Central “Death Star” heritage unit 3008, rounds the curve under the signal bridge just past McClure, Illinois as it heads north on the Union Pacific Chester Subdivision with an empty tank train on December 2nd, 2020
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200.
On December 2nd, 2020 Canadian National (CN) Illinois Central Heritage Unit 3008 sits at CP Huston with empty oil train; ONUCS-01, as it waits for a signal to proceed north on the UP Mount Vernon Subdivision, at Murphysboro, IL.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 500.
Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) crews work on dropping cars from a BNSF train at the St. Louis Madison yard at Venice, Illinois with BNSF 7477 and 4051 as power.
According to the TRRA website: “Since 1889, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis has played a vital role in the railroad operations and growth of the St. Louis metropolitan area on November 7th, 2020.
The Association was originally created to satisfy the need for an efficient, safe, and economical method of interchanging rail traffic at the railroad hub of St. Louis, Missouri: the “Gateway to the West.”
Over 120 years later, the employees of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis make the same commitment to efficiency, safety, and value to our customers, owners, and the public with each new day.”
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @220mm, f/6.3, 1/1600, ISO 560.
Canadian National locomotives 5768 and 2864 head south across the Ohio River from Metropolis, Illinois with a mixed freight as they head south on the CN Bluford Subdivision, on November 21st, 2020.
According to the web: The Metropolis Bridge is a railroad bridge which spans the Ohio River at Metropolis, Illinois. Originally built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, construction began in 1914 under the direction of engineer Ralph Modjeski. It has a single track jointly owned by Canadian National Railway, BNSF Railway and Paducah & Louisville Railway.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 200.
CN Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage Unit Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded coke train U700 under the old Illinois Central coaling tower, left over from the steam era, as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision on a misty overcast day at Reevesville, Illinois on November 21st, 2020.
According to a press release from CN: This is one of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.
According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops.
Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotives coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotives sand box.
As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 200.
Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) engine 3006 leads a cut of mixed freight as it works on building a train at the St. Louis Madison yard at Venice, Illinois.
According to the TRRA website: “Since 1889, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis has played a vital role in the railroad operations and growth of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
The Association was originally created to satisfy the need for an efficient, safe, and economical method of interchanging rail traffic at the railroad hub of St. Louis, Missouri: the “Gateway to the West.”
Over 120 years later, the employees of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis make the same commitment to efficiency, safety, and value to our customers, owners, and the public with each new day.”
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @150mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 280.
Port Harbor RR at the A&K Railroad Materials Yard
Port Harbor (PHRR) switcher 8166, PHRR America’s Central Port 2758, “Illini Terminal” No. 2301 and 2064 sit tied down on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 at the A&K Rail Yard in Granite City, Illinois, waiting for their next assignment.
According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad (reporting mark PHRR) is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port. PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
Port Harbor Railroad Salutes the Troops
I thought Veterans Day was a good one to post the latest photographs I’ve shot of a locomotive painted to honor Veterans. This is Port Harbor Railroad’s 5730, “Saluting Our Troops” engine as it works on dumping KCS Soybean Meal cars at America’s Central Port in Madison, Illinois on November 7th, 2020.
According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port.
PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City.
PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @165mm, f/8, 1/800, ISO 280.
Port Harbor Railroad Honors 1st Responders
A last bit of fall clings to the trees still on November 7th, 2020, as Port Harbor Railroad Corporation’s (reporting mark PHRR) Honoring 1st Responders locomotive 8955 sits tied down at Granite City, Illinois at America’s Central Port America’s Central Port.
According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port.
PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City. PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @150mm, f/16, 1/400, ISO 650.
August 29, 2020 – The light from the early morning sunrise illuminates the scene as Canadian National 9634 and 8879 lead CN L533-91 around a curve as they head west into Teutopolis, Illinois on CN’s Effingham Subdivision.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 460mm, f/6 1/1000, ISO 180.
August 29, 2020 – The engineer on RSSX LEAF switchers 8345 and 3429, keeps a watchful eye on the track ahead, as he passes an idling 8407, while working the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) yard at Decatur, Illinois.
According to the ADM website: At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow.
We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 360mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 140.