I drive over the EJ&E tracks on I-90 Tollway every day in Hoffman Estates. There is a long siding there and I have seen a lot of SB traffic in that siding. Lately I see BNSF power pulling empty coal unit trains. My question is 1) where is that unit train coming from. I usually see UP unit trains heading north around O’ Hare Field that go up thru Glenview and onward to a power plant in Wisconsin by Racine or Kenosha. Or I see UP unit trains going north on the “J” coming from West Chicago. But never BNSF. 2) How are BNSF empty unit trains getting back on BNSF tracks if they are on the EJ&E. 3) last Friday afternoon I saw a unit train made up of smaller cars, and it looked like coal, not ballast being pulled by CN power. Does anyone know what kind of a train that was. Maybe it was carrying granite ballast, but that product looked black to me, not purple or red.
There has long been an interchange between CB&Q/BN/BNSF and EJ&E/CN at Eola, which is just west of Naperville.
Is that near a road or is there a place where it is visible for viewing. I would think that it would be a busy place to watch. Getting to my point of using the J, when I am in LaGrange, I see a lot of the unit trains going through on their way east toward downtown. Does the BNSF usually cut power and have UP pick up to go to Wisconsin. Or do those trains unload in Chicago or points east, like Indiana? That would be a pretty circuitous way to get to wisconsin?
Seems most likely to be Powder River coal from Wyoming which would run BNSF from the mines, to Alliance, NE to Omaha, Burlington, Chicago area (Eola), to the EJ&E, around the outside of Chicago then to points north, such as to Mundelien - to the CN line north to Fond du Lac, to Green Bay.
Speaking of the J…CN is running 390/391 via Joliet. That train used to originate at Glenn Yard (at one time). So, has it transferred to Joliet for origin/destination? Or is it running down from Glenn and then back east on the J.
CN has a BNSF coal train which is now going via Joliet. The westbound empties today (CN707) went that way. The old route was ex GTW down to CN Jnct (IC at Harvey) and then north. I also believe 395 is running to BNSF around the J. Train 392 seems to be originating at Markham.
With trains 396, 397, 398, and 399 going from Griffith to Mattson via the J, plus 390/391 and 395 (possibly 394) and the BNSF coal trains, the J is starting to get a few trains.
Anyone with better info, please correct this.
Not sure what is running to Kirk Yard.
Ed
I suspect that what you saw was one of the Pleasant Prairie coal trains that BN runs most of the way from Wyoming. It probably gets on the EJ&E at Eola, and takes the EJ&E as far as Rondout, then the CP to Pleasant Prairie.
Just yesterday I was out at Eola and saw/heard a BNSF loaded coal train (bound for Wisconsin Public Service) eastbound go into the Eola “west yard” and up the “hill” to the northbound CN (EJ&E) for points north…this seems to be happening a lot more lately as noted by the guys above.
The BNSF is running coal trains north / empties south on the CN ex-EJE for a power plants in Green Bay (Wisconsin Public Service) and Pleasant Prairie. The BNSF delivers to / receives from CN the Green Bay trains at Eola. The Green Bay trains go north / south on the “J” between Eola and Leithton using BNSF run-through power. The Pleasant Prairie trains would have to go to Roundout. There isn’t a connection between the “J” and the CP in either the northwest or northeast quadrants of the crossing meaning that a backup move would have to be made for trains headed in both directions. If anybody has more information regarding how the BNSF coals trains transfer between the “J” and CP, please provide the details. Also, I don’t know what the crew arrangement is for the BNSF trains that use the “J”.
thanks Chris 30. I believe that anything headed for Pleasant Prairie goes up the UP LIne which interconnects near Lake Bluff, right, near 176 and 41. Maybe the BNSF does the same thing, but continues north to Green Bay
I couldn’t imagine a unit train backing up at Rondout to make that other move. we will havve to see what other people see
Ed: thanks for the info. How do you know of the train numbers. is there a scheduled timetable?
aand if you know the answer to that, would anyone out there know if there is a timetable for the Freeport Sub on the CN, between Rockford and Cicero, Ill. I see a ethanol train coming from the west every other day or so. How can I find out this.