Bon Voyage KJRY F units.

It has been recently announced in Trains magazine that the new
owners of the former Pioneer Lines Brookhaven is set
to take the world famous F units out of service off the Keokuk
Junction Railway line. Their last run west is to be tommorrow
August 7, 2019 and they will be stored in La Harpe as far as I
know. This is sad news but the possibility since the change of
companies was there. As if they continue the Santa Train tradition
is yet to be seen but I highly doubt it but the optimistic me  hopes so.

I won't lie I'm uneasy about the new ownership and what type of changes.
It's only expected they'll make changes it is a business after all and they
need to do what's best for the line, company and crews. I have had many
memories chasing the F's and the memories are some of the best a gal can
have so a part of me will miss them. I moved out of the area so seeing KJRY
has become a rare occurance. I have so many pictures and videos of them
that they will always live in memory. Now  if they'll just store them or down
the road sell them off is anyone's guess.

A little history on these units they were built from 1954-1955 and first
served CN before going to two other companies both in Canada before
Pioneer purchased them in and around 2003. They started running on
the Peoria & Western (now KJRY) line which is the former TP&W in
2007.  They held annual Santa Train events since 2008 and it's up in the
air if they continue with this. I really really hope but different company
so I'm not confident. Doing away with the F's and cancelling repairs on
the wheels for #1752 gives me doubts they will continue. Oh well, it was
fun while it lasted.

Trains Magazine article on this:
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/08/05-illinois-f-units-reach-the-end-of-the-line?fbclid=IwAR12WI5VBKVcJz12-pLKbbFn5wWDLPrs1eGwDTfYqf1LFlS9L7lq5fW0bQ8#.XUg1IJPTOYI.facebook



















































































Santa Train December 2018:










































Video:

Tribute video:

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...
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 Chi...
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 photogra...
Read more