GALESBURG talk

Tell us about your weekend in Galesburg!

Here's my story..

I arrived in Galesburg at 10 PM Friday night. After cruisin' around the yard, and over "the alter", I arrived at the Ramada(about a block away from the old Santa Fe tracks). I grabbed the cam corder and headed over by the tracks. I sat there for about fifteen minutes. No train. This is Galesburg isn't it? Where's the trains?!! So I decided to relocate, and while I was walkin' by a BNSF building(right behind the hotel), a freight came screamin' through town! There's one, I thought. Just ten minutes later, another. There's two. Ten minutes after that, another. Three. Being only my second year in Gburg, I thought I'd try and find the spot where the BN used to go over the Santa Fe. I followed the Sante Fe tracks east, and here came another! Four trains, in about an hour. I heard even more though, so that's why I wanted to find the place where both lines met. There I saw the fifth train on the old BN rails. I was waiting for another north bound on top of the bridge, when a stack came speeding below me on the Santa Fe tracks. That eastbound was number six, and then the norhtbound rolled by, making seven. I saw three more on my way back to the hotel, which only took about twenty minutes. So I got back at about 2 AM Saturday, and slept for five hours before waking up for another day in Gburg!

I can sum up Saturday with a few words. LOTS OF TRAINS! LOTS!!!

Some cool stuff I happened to see roll by.

A CN grain train from Portage.
a Chicago bound BNSF freight with seven units. One was IC power, another had the old BN green paint scheme, and the other five were leased units. I can't remember the company, but they were blue and white, maybe someone else who saw 'em could help me out
Then right after that train passed, another BNSF freight followed it. This one had two SOO cabooses on the end! No picture though, cause I watched on board the Metra yard train.

Well, hey, that's a quick recap of my time in Gburg, I'll have pictures soon!

Let's hear yours! And pictures wouldn't hurt.

[ 24 June 2001: Message edited by: CPRailfan ]

 

Drew those 5 Blue/White units were probably EMD leasing. BN(BNSF) has been leasing these (gp38s and sd40-2) for a long time now. My guess would be those are what you saw

 

Well lets here Friday included Railfanning and lots of it. I Sat up by the depot for a little while and waited for the excursion to yates city to makes its presence know. and also seen both Amtraks at the depot and the switch pulling a train out and pushing it back in the yard. and also a vehicle train coming in the around the yard heading for burlington,IA Then I went to county 10 bridge for most of the night.

On saturday My usual place is at the westbound portion of the cameron connection. Seen a few stacks and the Amtrak SW Cheif and then I also seen an empty coal train with about 12 loaded autoracks behind the loco(2SD70MAC'S)then went to the alter to railfan up thier a little bit after night fall.

Sunday I rode the metra train though the yard and spent time up at the depot going though the displays up there. and got alittle railfanning in afterward.

Sorry guys I did not make it to see any of you at the train show. That is one thing I did not go to this year. Did not have time this having to much fun railfanning.

[ 25 June 2001: Message edited by: Jack Doran ]

 

I never made it either, railfanning was just too fun!