This past Saturday I was enjoying breakfast (pecan pancakes) at a
nice restaurant in Isanti, MN (a few miles north of where I live) that
affords me a nice view of the BNSF’s Hinckley Sub. Usually when I
eat there I see nothing on the line, but Saturday I saw something
interesting.
I saw a southbound unit grain train pulled by two BNSF six-axle GE
units (the lead unit being a silver & red ex-ATSF Warbonnet) doing
maybe 35-40 MPH, heading towards Northtown Yard (the pancakes
and the grain train arrived simultaneously - a “meet” I guess).
The rolling stock was almost exclusively made up of CN, WC, IC and
a few Canadian Government covered hoppers,so much so that I’m
convinced it must’ve been handed-off from the CN at Superior via
the old DW&P.
Because the train was on the Hinckley Sub, I’d have to believe that
it was destined for the west coast. The reason I say that is if it were
headed east or towards the Gulf Coast, it’d have remained on CN
trackage (former WC) to Chicago (and then if destined somewhere
south it would head-down the CN-owned IC).
Might anybody know of any BNSF/CN unit grain train service and/or
if my assumptions about the destination of the grain are correct?
I am probably referring to a dirrent BNSF/CN unit grain train service. But the IC/CN operates a unit grain train (I think 3 a week) out of the grain states, and I know it uses a substantial amount of BNSF trackage rights before getting to Illinois. Maybe the grain cars were a product of that cooperation?
I know that geographically, there is enough distance there not to matter.
I know the trackage rights over BNSF go through Peoria and merge with the IC line at Centralia, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I wish I knew more about it.
I do this in northwestern Illinois. When the trains come from Dubuque off the CN/IC to BNSF CN owned engines will be leading it down towards Galesburg. On the way back it usually has BNSF engines leading onto the CN/IC at Dubuque.
Government of Canada cars are grain only cars. Any unit pota***rains out of Canada is usually CANPOTEX or Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan covered hoppers.
This train is then crew changed at Galeburg and run to Peoria where it is tied down between the TZPR(where it crosses the Illinois river) shortline and the I&M lines(right by crescent yard). That is where a CN (I think) crew picks it up. But I know that that is where our crews stop running it.