So BNSF has 3 lines into Chicago - the Chicago - Twin Cities line, from from Chicago to Kansas City it has the CB&Q line and the ATSF line.
Regarding yards, for general freight you’ve got Galesburg and Eola, and Joliet, and for intermodal you have Corwith, Cicero, Willow Springs, and Logistics Park.
Now, I’m assuming any trains coming from the Twin Cities would go to Eola or Cicero, simply because the other BNSF yards are not ready accessible from that line.
However, coming from Kansas City, how is the determination made:
Whether the ATSF or CB&Q is taken to Galesburg
Is a manifest train sent to Galesburg, or directly to Eola or Joliet and why
How common is it for through trains (those not stopping at Galesburg) to switch from the CB&Q to ATSF at Galesburg (or vice-versa)
What intermodal trains are sent to Cicero, vs Corwith or Logistics Park or Willow Springs and why, plus whether they take the CB&Q or ATSF to get there
I know willow springs only handles trucks with chassis attached - no containers. Do any of the other intermodal yards also do trucks with attached chassis or does all that traffic go exclusively to willow springs?
How much manifest traffic does BNSF have going directly to Clearing or IHB Blue Island, and what are the common routings to get there?
First off, trains from the Twin Cities and the West Coast don’t all go to Cicero or Eola. A couple trains get on the EJ&E at Eola and take that south to Joliet, where they jump on the ATSF and head for Logistics Park.
From Kansas City and Galesburg, it depends on who the train is going to. Generally manifests on the CB&Q side are going to either the Belt Railway at Cicero or to the NS Chicago Line at Western Avenue as that line directly connects to both of those lines. Trains going down the ATSF side are generally going to and from the CSX at Barr or the IHB as trains can jump on the IHB at McCook and head over to those yards. There is no connection off the CB&Q side for eastbound trains to get onto the IHB. The only connection allows westbounds to get onto the IHB, not eastbounds.
West of Galesburg, the CB&Q line seems to be mainly coal and manifest while the ATSF is mostly high-speed intermodals.
The BNSF runs several trains to the Blue Island and Clearing, as well as to Barr Yard. The routings are what I mentioned above.
For intermodal, anything from the Northwest generally goes to Cicero, with the exception of the previously mentioned trains that jump on the EJ&E and head to LPC. Anything coming from say L.A or down in Arizona generally heads to Corwith, Willow Springs or LPC.
The connection at Cameron is mainly used for trains going to and from the ATSF to Galesburg Yard, as well as Amtrak’s Southwest Chief.
Trains going to or from interchange in Chicago are usually what goes east of Galesburg, a lot of BNSF manifests from the west terminate at Galesburg is it acts as BNSF’s main yard in the state of Illinois.
Eola is mainly used as a crew change point, a local base and a major interchange point with the CN/EJ&E, as well as the interchange with the Illinois Railnet. Some road freights going to Galesburg and Northtown do set out/pick up cars at Eola too.
Joliet Yard is mainly used for locals that service the refin
Streator is more of a SIT tracks for Plastics for a Custom mixer of Plastics Resins anymore. He even has NS doing the Same thing. He has a total track spotting capacity of 210 cars. Also Streator is used for the Pasco WA ConwayYard PA and the IIRC FTWayne to Galesburg trains. Both of pass 1block from my house on a 10mph connector track linking the old NYC now NS line with the Transcon mainline. However that 15 Degree curve at the end is a Btch for the crews. Yet they still get everything thru normally.
Storage in Transit basically. His customers want a custom mix of certain resins and he has them in the Covered Hoppers. He can then go out to the yard get the mix needed and load it into the trailer and ship it out.
Is the Vactor plant still there on the south side of Streator? I used to service that plant and would often see ATSF and later BNSF trains either on the connection or thru town there by the old Illinois Fruit and Produce warehouse.
Yep Vactor is still there I live 5 houses from there and I can set my clock and know when it is 1435 as that is when the 1st shift heads North and a high rate of Speed. S lets just say my kids are inside at that time.
BNSF Would Use Eola And Joliet And Galesburg As Well As The Western Avenue Train Yard For Manifest Which The Intermodal Location You Have Correct.
The Western Avenue Train Yard Would Be Located Around Pilsen Which Would Be Located Around Union Station Which Would Be Around The Corner From Western Avenue.
A Train From The Twin Cities Would Go To Galesburg Which Later A Train From Galesburg Would Go To Western Avenue Train Yard Which A Western Avenue Train Would Take To The Belt Railway Of Chicago Clearing Yard.
The ATSF Purchased The CB&Q So The Track To Galesburg From The Chillicothe Subdivision And Mendota Subdivision (Later Would Connect To The Chillicothe Subdivision) Would Be Former ATSF.
A Train From Kansas City Would Go To Either Yard Which The Train Crew Would Be Told To Go Where The Train Crew Would Go Each Time.
Cicero Would Be Used For Road As Well As Elwood And Corwith Would Be Used For Road Which I Think For Each Train Yard A Train From The West Coast Would Come To Each Yard.
I Know The Main Intermodal To Cicero Would Go To And From Cicero And Seattle.
Elwood (LPC) Would Be Used For California Train As Well As Corwith.
Correction: ATSF Did Not Purchase CB&Q. BN Purchased CB&Q So A Train From Corwith And Elwood Would Use BN And Cicero Would Use ATSF.
The Willow Spring Train Yard Is The One Train Yard Around Chicago That Would Use Just Chassis As The Others Would Use Container.
I Think There Would Be An Inbound And Outbound Train Around Blue Island Which This Would Be The Same For The Other Listed Train Yards You Mentioned.
The One Train Yard You Missed Would Be The Western Avenue Train Yard Which Would Be Located Around Union Station Which This Would Be A Small Train Yard Used For Local Train Movement To The Former Central Illinois Railroad Lumber District And The Belt Railroad.