I’d been meaning to photograph the DeKalb coaling tower for a while. Built in 1927, it’s one of the last steam-era relics on UP’s Geneva Sub, made even more significant after the line’s on... (more)

Bound for New Jersey, a CSX tank train rumbles east along UPs Geneva subdivision, with the ONECSX sd70mac up front… seen here ducking under the C&NW coal tower in Dekalb.

Here, we see the UP 4014 "Big Boy" early in its day-long journey from Rochelle to Villa Grove, IL, through Dekalb under the coaling tower. There was a line of us railfans here to capture... (more)

UP Big Boy 4014 is seen ducking underneath the historic Chicago, & Northwestern era coaling chute In DeKalb on It’s Midwest 2024 tour.

This summer, I had the privilege to witness UP 4014, Union Pacific's restored "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive, ply the rails of the UP mainline once again, this time leading the "... (more)

UP 5307 and UP 4404 charge underneath the coal tower in DeKalb, IL, with UP's OCS train, heading westbound out of Chicago after coming up from the St. Louis area earlier in the day. Tonight's rend... (more)

On an unseasonably warm winter morning, the stars would align for UPs Clinton, IA to Proviso, IL road train to feature a former C&NW workhorse SD40 taking the charge. Seen here ducking under its r... (more)

A CSX YN2 painted C40-9w leads an empty ethanol train through the coal tower at Dekalb with a CEFX AC44 trailing 2nd.

It’s an extremely hot and humid summer morning as UP train MG3AH heads east at trackspeed under the historic obsolete Chicago & Northwestern Coal Chute In DeKalb. Bringing the head end Is NS ES4... (more)

A junker train full of everything passes under the steam-era coaling tower at DeKalb on the Geneva Sub. The train is working west out of Global 2 towards the next crew change point in Clinton, IA.... (more)

One thing that I never thought I would be photographing under the DeKalb coaling tower. For the past few months foreign leaders have been able to lead on the UP Geneva Sub due to no more cab signa... (more)

The Troy Grove Local has just switched off of the Geneva Sub and onto the Troy Grove Sub in DeKalb, Illinois with a GP40-2 in the lead.

In early morning light, a long coal train rushes east by the old depot in Dekalb, Illinois on the Geneva Sub.

UP 1111, the "Powered by Our People" unit, leads MNPPR from North Platte, NE to Proviso Yard in Chicago under the former C&NW coaling tower in DeKalb, IL.

Paul Meyer photo.