Freight traffic seems to be down on most railroads so I was wondering how busy Rochelle, IL is now. We stopped into Rochelle on the way to Madison, WI on a Tuesday afternoon about 2 PM earlier this month, and only two trains (one westbound BNSF and one eastbound UP) passed during the hour or so we were there. I had expected to see more trains. I am wondering whether this level of traffic is normal for a Tuesday afternoon at Rochelle? Did I run into a time when there was a lull in traffic? Or were work windows in effect on either railroad? I realize freight trains often do not run on specific schedules, and their may be some lulls in traffic. Nevertheless the Railroad Park in Rochelle, IL is a good idea, and it shows that railfans are welcome in Rochelle. We topped off the tank inour rental car, and we bought some snacks in a convenience store in town since the store next to the railroad park is closed on Tuesday.
I heard that usually anywhere from 12 to 2 is slow but after that it picks back up.
I think you hit a lull. It is rare to see only two trains in an hour at Rochelle. Usually, you will see a couple of trains in the first fifteen minutes you are there.
Hi Rudy, The UP does run more trains at night and also they did have work windows the past few weeks, so there were lulls in the afternoon. I took a friend to Rochelle on 10-07-01. We arrived at 11:30 pm and saw 40 trains by 5:30 am. Needless to say we did not get any sleep. The UP runs about 63 trains a day though Rochelle and I hope you have better luck next time. Dave