Considering a day trip from Naperville to Galesburg via Amtrak out and back and a day of train watching while at Galesburg. A few questions please: (a) How many trains a day, on average, pass the Galesburg depot, (b) Suggestion(s) for restaurants within a block or so of the Galesburg depot, (c) any other information would help. We plan on NOT having a car in Galesburg (as you may have already guessed) so everything must be within a very short walk. Thanks to everybody who can help.
You will see trains in Galesburg, don’t worry. The best resource is the Galesburg Railroad Museum which is next to the Amtrak depot, a must if you are visiting Galesburg. During lulls you can catch up on reading old issues of Trains. Seminary Shops will keep your non railfan spouse busy. It is a short walk there. There are restaurants within walking distance. You won’t be the only railfan watching trains there.
At the depot platform you’d see all the Amtrak trains, and everything on the former CB&Q from Chicago and Minneapolis toward Burlington (Denver and Texas) and Quincy / Kansas City (and Bushnell and Beardstown), plus yard switching that sometimes has to go considerably north on the main.
Walk a few blocks north and you are at Peck Park where the former Santa Fe east west main (probably the busiest tracks in Galesburg) passes under the former CB&Q just there it splits to Chicago bound and Twin Cities bound.
An hour or two at Peck Park is worth the 15 minute walk.
Most of the fast food places are on Henderson Street which is many blocks to the west and probably too long a walk plus you might miss trains. Others are on Main Street , walkable but you might miss trains. There are a few on nearby Seminary Street. Jimmie Johns is on Main Street within sight of the crossing and they are freaky fast (they say). For a nice dinner the packinghouse across from the museum and depot can be pricey but nice food. It is a former rail-served Swift packing house.
Railroad Days in Galesburg is coming up in 2 weeks and that would include yard tours by bus and a shuttle to the model train show at Carl Sandburg college, leaving from the depot, but at this late date hotel rooms are probably at a premium, if not all gone. For a pure day trip at Galesburg RR Days there is food right at the depot.
Dave Nelson