Bloomington - Monticello

Yesterday was fun despite rain and me getting lost for a short time and ended up taking Route 57 up through Champaign.   I left Canton around 5:30 am so I could try to catch a NS train in East Peoria before it departed for Bloomington.  Needless to say it left so I left for Bloomington taking Route 150 over. I get to Bloomington and check all the tracks out before settling on Washington Street for a while to film trains.  I caught three Amtrak and one Union Pacific. I wanted to catch different power and the UP had Up,NS and CSX power so my wish was granted.  I didn't stick around for NS in the afternoon due to  pressed on time for wanting to do other things and travel time.  I checked out The Nickle Plate  and Southern Pacific display at Miller Park as well which had no idea was there.  Thanks to a friend on letting me know about that and  what to expect in Bloomington.  I probably came off as a pest.  I tried not to be.  Ha.

After Bloomington went  east over to Gibson City to see if the Bloomer line was operating.  All i seen was a locomotive parked by the Grain elevator and cars parked down track.  I'm just happy to get to see them I don't even care if it wasn't working.  After that I go down to Monticello and go to the Wabash depot before going to the Monticello Railway Museum which is an awesome place by the looks of it.  It would have to start pouring when i was walking around exploring so ended up very wet and cold after that.  It was totally worth it though so tried to take good humor in it.  I was in a good silly great mood anyway I didn't really care.  Sure it was a pain.  My car at the moment  has no AC nor does it have heat or defroster working so that was fun on the way back.  I view it as a challenge so it's all good. I kind of wished someone went with me though it got very lonley at times on the road. I couldn't finagle any of the folks I live with to go so whatever. It's still good. The car don't have a working radio either so if it did I probably would have been listening to music and not really think about wanting to talk.  Yesterday I really wanted to be socialible and talkative to people.  It's not often I feel that way. I'm usually more anti social. Who cares back to the trains....

In Monticello seen their equipment and even seen a moving train. I loved the little Wig Wag on a crossing. I seen thier CN FPA4 # 6789.  I'll admit not crazy about the design of that locomotive compared to my beloved FP9A's on the KJRY line. It was still awesome to see.  I was kind of surprised it's a F unit because i was thinking is this some kind of E unit.  I had no clue til i got home.  After i left Monticello ended up on Route 36 and ended up in Tuscola.  I asked directions when I gassed up there and took 57 back.  I took I-74 home and got back around 9 pm. All in all a good day.  I enjoyed it depite the lonliness, rain and my silly dumb mistakes of getting lost and forgetting to close the gas tank door.  I didn't notice it til i got to a rest area  off I-74 east of Peoria.  Ooops!

Pictures of Monticello & Monticello Railway Museum:



















Bloomer Line: (Gibson City, Il):







Nickle Plate & Southern Pacific Caboose ( Bloomington, Il) :







NS Locomotives and Railroad tracks in Bloomington,Illinois:













Old Depot in Bloomington,Illinois: 



Rainbow, beautiful sky line and sunset:






Videos I filmed and uploaded to youtube:


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fulton County, Illinois Ghost towns Part 1

Image
Ghost towns are abandoned villages that since disappeared or are no longer the population they were in their hey day after an economic down fall, disaster or whatever.  For me I consider a ghost town a town that no longer exists but may or may not leave traces behind of it's existence.  Fulton County has a lot of old historical towns like Canton which was founded in 1825 and Lewistown which was founded  years before Canton.  These towns are example of towns that managed to make it despite economic disasters and natural ones. Former towns which have signs marking their location like Civer between Canton and Cuba and Tuscumbia around Bernadotte are examples of towns that didn't make it and ceased to exist and into oblivion of history.  The only thing that is exists is those two signs that mark the location.  It's sad in a way but it is what it is and people who lived in these areas did what they had to for survival of the time period so if they moved to other communities can
Read more

Middle Grove- Rapatee Coal mine

Image
This subject is about the coal mine at Middle Grove and Rapatee areas. I basically just know the years and also what Railroads served them but i did get to photograph the area of this so there is a general idea of this.   The Midland Electric Coal Company has several strip mines within Fulton and Knox Counties from the years 1933-1963 ( Fulton County, strip),1963-1967 (Knox County strip), and Peabody Coal Company which  opened in 1968 and closed around that time or 1969. The mine would open once again and be the Middle Grove-Rapatee mine in 1975 or 1976 under the Midland Coal Company I think.  It ran until 1988 but the last rail shipment was in or around 1986 by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.   Another company nearby or in this vicinity would be the Midstate Coal Company  which was a strip mine and operated from 1989-1996.  Over the decades it used the area railroads before 1960 it was the M&STL would would ship their coal and after it was Chicago & Northwestern.  The
Read more

BNSF local chase (Peoria -Galesburg)

Image
Due to a tip off from a friend I managed to catch the BNSF local which would head west on the Peoria sub enroute to the yard in Galesburg,  Illinois. I had quite a day though it was cold and  for a bit rainy in spots. It wasn't just normal rain either freezing rain plus some snow flurries but neither produced but it dictated if i filmed outside or from my car.  I only ended up filming on video in my car at Elmwood as prior to it arriving it  was raining plus it seemed the temp dropped so I was freezing. The joys of a car without heat you rely on a jacket and body fat to keep you warm and I certainly have enough body fat. Ha.  I did manage to knock off a few locations off my bucket list such as Elmwood, Edwards and off Kickapoo Creek road. I've filmed in Yates City before so catching it there wasn't concerned about but I did go to Douglas to take pictures as I never railfanned there or paid that little town any mind. Here are some photographs and  wha
Read more