I have been a Railfan for at least 40 of my 50 years, but until last week I had never been to a place that catered to the true railfan, Rochelle, Illinois. Sure it was quite a trek from Boston to Rochelle (about 1,100 miles) but the touch of heaven that I experienced there was worth the distance.
The facility had picnics tables under a covering (what the webcam sits on) as well as a barbecue area, seperate real bathrooms for both genders (no port-a-potties here) and the police let you stay all night with no hassle. The road that brought you to the entrance of the Railpark had seperate crossing gates for each road (UP and BNSF) and depending on which road was going through the diamond, only their gates would go down.
The people I met there were awesome and were from all over (New Jersey, Missouri, Michagan, to name a few) and like myself, were there for the scenary in which 70+ trains went by in the 24 hours I was there (about a 3 to 1 ratio of UP over BNSF, with BNSF slamming through the diamond, and UP doing just the opposite at least for the engines, but by the time the end of the train reached the diamond, it was moving at a good clip).
Someone said there was another place in Astoria, Ohio that had the same type of facility like Rochelle as well as plenty of train watching. Does anyone else know of other places that feels no matter how far you have driven that once you arrive, you are glad you came??
Next time you drive to Rochelle, take about two hours out of your way and go to Tuscola Illinois. UP, CSX, and IC converge there. There are no picknic tables. But the surroundings are friendly and the access is good. Probably 50 trains a day.
I was just up in Boone, Iowa and it is definitely a railroad town. I haven’t seen in Boone like they have at Rochelle but the city has railroad themed things in a lot of places. I have enjoyed railfanning there and the people are really nice. Fostoria, Ohio is on the list of places to go. Enjoy.
Fostoria is good. On the way stop in Deshler. The welcome mat is always out and you never know what csx will have for power or which train will be first through the diamond.
stay safe
Joe
Try Porter, IN. There are no picnic tables or coverings except for the trees. Non-stop rail action with 60-70 trains a day, maybe more. You will see NS(Main), CP/SOO, CSX, BNSF/BN/SF, Amtrak, ex-CR, WC/CN/IC, and UP/CNW/SP. You can see anything and everything. The community is an Operation Lifesaver Community…even though everyone drives around the gates when a train comes. Check it out sometime.
Try Porter, IN. There are no picnic tables or coverings except for the trees. Non-stop rail action with 60-70 trains a day, maybe more. You will see NS(Main), CP/SOO, CSX, BNSF/BN/SF, Amtrak, ex-CR, WC/CN/IC, and UP/CNW/SP. You can see anything and everything.
This sounds like a place to see - i like the diversity.
And to Joe and SubwayJeff, I knew when I wrote Astoria, Ohio that it wasn’t right. Fostoria is the place some people I met at Rochelle were going to go on their way back to New Jersey. Thanks.
You can’t beat Fostoria or Rochelle for quantity with variety.
If you’re interested in quantity without variety, but with plenty of amenities, I’d suggest LaGrange (BNSF/AMTRAK/Metra, and IHB with a short walk) or Elmhurst (UP/Metra), Illinois. Both are in a suburban setting, viewable from public areas, and have good eating places nearby. No picnic tables…use your lap and the platform benches. Elmhurst also has a great hobby shop.
Be careful at Porter. They were very strict at one time about trespassing at the junction itself. There’s a nice public park at Chesterton, just east of Porter, which is bordered on one side by the ex-NYC Water Level Route (now NS), the busiest of the three lines that converge at Porter. The park is being improved this summer.
I have never gone into the area by the junction. I always park one block down on the south side of the tracks right by the storage units underneath a large tree. The police have never said anything, the owner of the storage units is very friendly as long as you don’t make a mess and you can still see all three lines.
Manchester, Georgia, has a “railroad deck” overlooking the CSX route between Atlanta and Florida. There is also a line running to Birmingham, Alabama. The area is covered, has picnic tables, and a scanner on a timer. It’s about 500 feet away from what appears to be a divisional change point for CSX.
For those inspired by Bill’s story about Rochelle, some advice from someone who goes there once or twice a year. First there are things worth exploring in the surrounding area. A short drive north of Rochelle, Davis Junction is an interesting spot, and on the north edge of Rochelle itself is Flagg which is also a junction with an Illinois shortline – their CF7 is often parked there.
South of Rochelle is Stewart Junction with an old restored depot worth checking out. A little poking around in the weeds shows where the Milwaukee Road branched off the CBQ main and headed due south. And the entire south east corner of Rochelle proper, where the BNSF has a yard and where the huge food facility is located, is worth driving around. Both the UP and the CBQ depots are intact in Rochelle and make for a good picture. There are a couple of public access places where Global III can be viewed, particularly with telephoto lenses or binoculars.
A few miles east of Rochlle is DeKalb with the old concrete coaling tower.
Bill did not mention it but the hobby shop/store at Rochelle has model trains, railroad collectibles, food and drink, film, and information about railfan events. I got some good deals on maps and track charts there, and buying an old Trains magazine is a good way to fill up the moments where there are no trains.
By the way … another location to check out … the railfanning is not exactly intense but the scenic vistas are stunning – Grandad Bluff in LaCrosse WI looks over the BNSF main that goes along the Mississippi River. You are high above the main and can see for miles. In the fall it is impossible to tear yourself away. Bring binocs or a telephoto lens
Dave Nelson
Yes, of course…I’ve been at the Porter crossing by the storage outfit, too…forgot about the tree!
Porter was the place to go for train-watching before Conrail was broken up. The reasonable explanation for this would be that CSX siphoned off some of the traffic. Yet you don’t hear about what a great train-watching spot Willowcreek is (nice park setting there, but I guess the old “Porter Branch” isn’t used much).
For me, the best of such places are the ones where nobody else goes and you can camp for the night with a panoramic view of the action and not be disturbed by cops or weirdos. In terms of the daytime kind of places you’re talking about, there’s Hill 582 on Cajon Pass. Trees, benches, remoteness, easy to reach but known to just a few, 360 degree view of all three tracks.
I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned Horseshoe Curve. It has it all: panorama like no other, drama with heavy trains struggling up the hill and screeching, smoking brakes and flanges downhill, facilities for everyone, food, souvenirs and more. All it lacks is diversity, having only NS and Amtrak. But that’s really not bad. As a bonus, Altoona is very nearby, and that is a whole another railroad world.
A few years ago, when I worked in Houston TX, I liked to visit Alvin, a small town a few miles south on route 35. Alvin has a junction with UP and BNSF that’s pretty busy. There are Santa Fe trains of molten sulfur going to Galveston and lots of UP tankers and hoppers serving the chemical coast. You can follow UP trains down to Algoa where they make a hairpin turn to the right and head straight to Angleton. You can pace the train most of that route with 10 to 15 miles of trackside road. No facilities for the public but there are safe places to view the action without trespassing.
Yes[^],and Fullerton,California as well.Great place to watch the trains at the station,and you can get a bite to eat at the Santa Fe Cafe[:P][dinner],that is in the station,without having to go far away from the action,as its all right there,at the train station.[bow]
Folkston,Ga. where 90% of the freight goes into Flordia.50 - 80 trains a day inc. 8 amtraks. nice shelter with overhead fans, lights overhead and lights illuminating trains going by. also modern restroom,bbq grill,right downtown
where eats avail and film,ect. a restored depot with great photos and maps
and info of old interlocking tower here years ago all in small museum free.
great photos off bridge overpass north of town where traks wishbone to waycross and n.y. you can stay all nite in vehicle also. nice town. 2000 people
Tehachapi Loop and Cajon Pass. I’ve been to The Loop, and also Cajon and Summit on Cajon Pass. To get to Summit on Cajon, you have to take dirt roads, have a very detailed map, and get lost a few times before you arrive (the maps don’t show all the dirt roads). I’ve never been to any of them at night.
-Daniel
If your talking about the line that branches off the the southwest towards Chicago, it is true. The line never sees action except for the melted steel train and maybe if you are lucky a frieght train. I have been going there twice a year for the last three years and only seen one frieght train on the line. I go there for usually three days too.
I see nothing wrong with Porter today. I don’t know how it used to be back in Conrail days but I know I sure like it today. Plenty of variety and lots of trains.