I'll let Mr. Steve Smedley do my talkin' for me. Get the July 2000 Trains Magizine and see his article and photos. If you look at the map supplied with the text, you'll find my Hometown of Lincoln, IL. just South-West of my "Second Hometown", The Twin Cities of Bloomington-Normal, IL., right-smack-dab-in-the-middle of the map.(B-N that is...) This is American Railfanning at it's best! Take a sack-lunch, scanner and your camera. A great day isn't very far away! I love "Sacred Central Illinois", the best railfanning within 25 miles of my house! ------------------ RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Style! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 [This message has been edited by Maxwell Plant (edited 26 June 2000).]
I haven't seen the article yet. What kind of road names do you have passing through your fine city? Here in Dallas I feel a little deprived. About all you'll see here is Union Pacific and KCS. You have to drive to Fort Worth to get a glimpse of BN. Too much traffic for that.
Well, the article is about ALL of Sacred Central Illinois, but through my town of Lincoln, we currently have the Union Pacific/Amtrak and the Canadian National/Illinois Central (Soon to be the BNSF-CN/IC! HEHEHE). Bloomington-Normal shares the same UP/Amtrak line but also has the Norfolk Southern. Before all this merger stuff happened, Lincoln hosted the Alton/B&O/GM&O/ICG/Chicago Missouri & Western/Southern Pacific-Cotton Belt(all now UP/Amtrak), Illinois Terminal(torn up), and Illinois Central/ICG(now CN/IC). Bloomington had the following: Alton/B&O/GM&O/IC/ICG/CM&W/SP-SSW(the original IC lines are torn up, the Alton/GM&O/ICG line is now UP/Amtrak), Nickle Plate Road/Norfolk Western(now NS), Big Four/NYC/PC/Conrail(now NS, unused and partially torn up) and the everpresent Illinois Terminal(torn up). From Clinton, IL. there used to be an IC line that ran to Lincoln and on to the Illinois River at Havana, IL. All that survives of that route is a short spur line to the Box Factory on the west-side of Lincoln, coming off the UP main. Of course this is all covered in the article. Lots of rail history just in a thirty minute trip from my house, isn't there? ------------------ RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Style! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 [This message has been edited by Maxwell Plant (edited 26 June 2000).]
and guess what brent the pic of steve and his son on the loco is a train im on sitting in the siding at brokaw just east of bloomington. ------------------ Norfolk Southern The Pack Mule of Transportation Mo-Pac RULES Heritage N-Scale Group, Joliet, Il.
I knew you were in one of the NS trains, but I wasn't sure which. I thought it might be the one taken from the cornfield but I guess I was wrong, thanks for telling me! Has anyone else seen this article? ------------------ RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Style! Brent Tidaback, Member #234
I was out in "Sacred Cental Illinois in October of 96'. While waiting on an old bridge east of "Chilli" on the ATSF, we notice a man in his Jeep also waiting for trains. In the back of my mind, I knew it must be Mr. Smedley. I always admired his work as a photographer and journalist. I figured, "Who the heck else would be out here in the middle of "nowhere" besides us eastern railfans?" When train time came we met. I was right. It was Steve. And by the long conversation we had, it seems that this article in Trains was in the making(in his mind) for a while. Almost everything he wrote in there he had told to us. He even took lead to show us places like Edelstien Hill and the old RI through Chillie. A true gentleman. Tim Wakeman
