Unlike McDonald's, UP offered a good looking MAC today on MYCAS. Here we see UP 3642, an EMD SD9043MAC, as it gets ready to make a large setout at Villa Grove.

A haze sets across the Illinois horizon as northbound MASCH sets its dynamics and prepares for a crew change in Villa Grove. Leading the way is SD60M 2337, an SD70M, and GP40-2 1427.

UP GSHDNA, a southbound grain train, gets back on the move out of Block after waiting for a track inspector. This train will once again ease to a halt just north of Villa Grove at "Garbage Du... (more)

IC 1026 and a GECX motor ran light to Tuscola, where they'd pick up a southbound grain train at the ADM (formerly Cargill). They're seen here awaiting permission onto main one after some traffic p... (more)

UP AGBML doesn't waste anytime departing Villa Grove with a fresh crew aboard and a three pack of CSX units, the third being an SD40-3. This train is bound for Mira Loma, CA, an area within Jurupa... (more)

CSXT 8662 is the sole unit on this short Q131-30 as it splits the town of Montrose, IL in half. This train will split off the CSX St. Louis Line at St. Elmo, where it'll go to Salem on the UP's Sa... (more)

NS 61K rolls through Bement, with the engineer really laying the throttle down, as you can tell by the exhaust. NS 6658 is on the head end with its days numbered.

After holding at Unity siding (between Philo and Sidney) for an eastbound mixed freight, 61K is back on the move again, already at track speed by the time it reaches our location a mile west of Ph... (more)

The engineer on southbound CN train A497 gives a wave as we pace him between Tolono and Pesotum. Leading the way is no more than BCOL 4644, a C44-9WL in the red, white, and blue paint scheme.

While waiting for the LSB54 to arrive at the south end of Villa Grove yard, I decided to switch spots at the last minute. Bad choice. Maneuvering my way around the country roads, I see the 54 on t... (more)

NS 181, powered by NS 2522 and 7663, crests a small hill just west of Philo with my personal favorite, an NS SD70, in the lead. After getting cloud screwed in Philo, he was luckily going slow enou... (more)

The NKP signal that guarded the diamond between the NKP and PC stands tall at Oakland as the ILSX 180 pulls a grain train south to clear the switch so the HLCX 3834 can hook up to the north end of... (more)

CN 2128 leads CSX train W248 as it gains speed after slowing for a 10mph speed limit at Newman. This train is on the final leg of the trip to Danville. It came from somewhere in Canada, went down ... (more)

A Wabash era Searchlight stands tall, without replacements, just north of Bement, IL as NS 9896 leads a southbound 61U potash train from The Anderson's just west of Champaign.

Took a stop by the Eastern Illinois Railroad Company's "headquarters" in Charleston, IL yesterday. Not expecting to run into anyone, I talked to their manager for over an hour about oper... (more)