UP 1158, with its Cotton Belt logo showing proudly on the nose, sits paired with UP 1133 on the engine lead at Villa Grove.

Once DREI's 101 arrived Chrisman, they had to run over to Dana for some work at the grain elevator. The three engines cut off from their train, backed around the wye, and coupled onto two hoppers ... (more)

Amtrak 54 heads South to St. Louis. Looks like the lead unit has the Illinois High Speed Rail sticker on it.

Billowing through the wood line along the Illinois River is Iowa Interstate's QJ #6988. This steam locomotive was built in China in 1985 and is still seen in service here in the US. This spot nor... (more)

After waiting an hour or so for the train to get on the move, the northbound signal finally dropped to red and the radio chatter began. Nearly splitting the IC-era ABS signals in Clinton, the C... (more)

UP MYCAS halts just north of Villa Grove with UP 9445, a C41-8W, on the point. The train will await another in front to crew change before it will proceed on into town. Note the "We Will D... (more)

Cresting a hill near Whitewood, a 3-pack of 40s are on the head end of the Belle Job. To make matters better, the lead engine was a heck of a smoker on even the slightest hill. This chase allowed ... (more)

Due to getting a knuckle right in the middle of the OS, train MVGDUX sits just south of Villa Grove with a 3-pack of EMDs on the head end. This train was put together here in the Villa Grove Yard ... (more)

After picking up 53 cars and dropping 50 of them at Neoga, EIRC 1040 and HLCX 3834 rounded up the first two and last plastic cars for Hi-Cone at Charleston. Seen here at Trilla, the pair of units... (more)

QNLPIJ's conductor waits on southbound train MPRAS to pass so he can get the signal north to Sidney and onto the NS.

Three long hours after we arrived here at the trestle, the faint sound of a horn was heard in the distance. The train was finally on the approach to Tulip Trestle. Led by a pair of SD9043MACs, Ind... (more)

The train has finally switched ends and is now making its way east towards the switch to Stewart. Leading the way is KBSR 701 as they slowly move through a drift that has formed over the rails.

CN A497 rolls south at Hayes behind a nice set of four units. With the leader being an SD60, a rent-a-wreck in second, and a zebra-striped barn in fourth, this consist makes for a nice rainbow and... (more)

After about 7 inches of snow falling across Central Illinois, the first train of the day on the Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad cuts across the Illinois plains. With the FURX 5551 and HLCX 421... (more)

UP LPG04 with a trio of UP GP15-1s, coasts west out of Rochelle, IL under the original CNW searchlights after working the industries on the east end of town.