I was in St Charles, a suburb of Chicago for a cousins wedding yesterday, so I thought as long as I was there that I would head over to the diamonds. I probably got there at around 10am and left about 3pm and the whole time i saw only 5, thats right FIVE trains in FIVE hours when I was expecting 120ish a day. Im just wondring if anyone else has had let downs like this one while railfanning?
-Tom
They’ll do that to ya sometimes.Its happened to me too.
You should try going to Galesburg,IL…I went there today and saw 91 trains in 24 hours…all BNSF trains.
I’m sorry you got such short shrift after looking forward to Rochelle. Your experience is unusual when judged against mine. On Thursday I was there for an hour and a half – roughly 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. – and we got six trains (seven if you count the meet), or a train every fifteen minutes or so. I’ve been there on Thursdays, Fridays, weekends and Monday the Fourth of July and saw trains at about that same rate, though there can be dry spells that last an hour or more. (There does seem to be some opinion that Tuesday is usually a slow day.)
Galesburg is indeed a wonderful alternate choice and Mendota (45 mins. from Rochelle) is quite good too, and for the same reason: Southern Transcom. Actually, you could have done worse than to head east, to Elmhurst, where you can see both freight and Metra.
Another good spot for metra railfans is the curve going east on the west line, there is a gazebo and a great spot right next to the rails. Anyway Up in coal city there should be at least 275 trains passing a day . My dads camp grounds are right by there so , i Sat there with my camera there for 3 hours and saw 15 trains(first dissapiontment) …all conrail on a BNSF Line (second dissapiontment)
Last Oct when I was there I saw 10 trains in about 3 hours. [:o)][:p][:)]
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Originally posted by tomnoy3
Are you sure you were at the right diamonds? Five in five hours is hard to imagine. I guess it depends on the day and there is some luck involved. Track work, terminal delays, crew shortages, trains stopped in emercency, etc. all play a part. Fridays are usually ver busy on the UP.
CC
Sometimes there are lots of trains and other times nothing. I’ve had the same experience in Berea, Ohio where you can count on something like 100 trains in 24 hours between NS and CSX. Then there are times when it can be unusually slow.
Peaks and valleys can happen anywhere.
Dale
The reason why you got shafted was…Because the UP is installing Concrete Ties over on the East side of Denison,Iowa. Because Westbound Traffic is verrry slooow! Almost many hours with no Trains at all. Allan.
Well, don’t give up on Rochelle, next time will be better! Heck, if it makes you feel any better, I usually spend at least a few hours waiting for just ONE TRAIN on certain lines of certain railroads in my area. Well worth the wait though…
-Mark
www.fuzzyworld3.com
It’s happened to me too. I once saw 8 trains in 7 hours. [:(] But other times I went, it was very fun and busy. [:)]
must have been track maintanice,last time I was in Rochelle I saw 50 trains in 14 hours.Also Galesburg there is the BN and the SF line try watching the SF its better than the BN.
kevin
How about watching both at Peck Park.Awesome place to watch trains…BN’s Bakersfield Sub and Chicago Sub come together and go over the ATSF Transcon.
Tom, there is a lot of track work going on between Geneva and Rochelle–it’s possible that there was some stoppage for that.
Having said that, I hope you used Highway 38 to get to and from Rochelle–a clue to your deficiency might have been found in the number of standing freights you saw along the way.
Yes, when I was in the town of Wellington, Ohio last weekend. It is where the crossroads of the Wheeling & Lake Erie main crosses the CSX main. You should expect about 12 in 2 hours, but then there was only 2. The next 3 hours had only 3, and like you, I only accomplished a maximum of five trains.[|(]