So, I’m thinking of a trip over Labor Day weekend.
How does the BNSF run between Savana, IL and Galesburg, IL.?
The “Illinois Rail Map” shows a 90 degree turn at Denrock, IL. Do they use this route or do they use trackage rights closer to the Mississippi River?
Where the heck is Denrock? Not shown on my atlas.
Denrock is not far from Prophetstown if that helps. And it is not far from Tampico which I think is Ronald Reagan’s birthplace.
The best way to trace the route from Galesburg to Savanna is to use Google maps, but start at Galesburg and work your way up. This is the route that eventually brings in the Twin Cities trains. North of Galesburg it essentially follows 150 through Rio, Alpha (home town of Erik Bergstrom!) and Orion, where it splits off from 150. It goes near Highway 6 which parallels the old Rock Island route. Then it heads for Colona and Green Rock where it splits, shifting west to the quad cities.
Dave Nelson
They still use it. You can see it a little bit south of I-88 east of the Quad Cities. It follows 88 east from the Quad cities until the above mentioned turn where it goes under 88 and heads north. towards Savanna. Almost everytime I am out that way on 88 I can look south and see a train heading usually north (morning run?).
On a side note my favorite spot on that route is the bridge over US30 and UP Geneva sub between Clinton, Ia and Morrison, IL.
Ah yes, I’ve been past that spot many times. I’d love to stake it out someday and get a BNSF over/UP under shot, that is if I have any luck at all. Do you have any shots like that?
Unforunatly no. Haven’t been by there since I got my camera.
Its a nice route to railfan on. I think there is about 10-15 trains a day. Last year I was able to chase an empty taconite train the entire sub, Galesburg to Savanna. Caught it 7 times. Dozens of locations around Savanna. Its one of my favorite places to go. I’ll probaly be out that way over Labor Day weekend too. Be staying in Galena.