2010...My How Times Have Changed! (Or Have They?)


A couple of days ago, I was reminded of an eastbound Norfolk Southern train out of East Peoria which I recorded with my miniDV camcorder on June 25, 2010. Watching it roll through Goodfield, Illinois and then approaching its home terminal in Normal, Illinois, I thought how much things have changed in a little over seven years.

Or have they?

The train carried the symbol, "D49," which was one of two roadswitchers based at Good Yard (the other was D47, on duty at 0700 daily except Sunday). On duty at 2300 hours Monday thru Friday, D49 could often be seen on the return leg leaving East Peoria well after sunrise. 

That October, increasing business prompted Norfolk Southern to put on a third roadswitcher, "D46." The new train, on duty at 0800 each morning, made the East Peoria "turn" Sunday thru Thursday to start, but by summer 2011 was running Monday thru Friday. Train D47 shifted to a 1500 on-duty time and D49 relieved D47. 

Fast forward to December 2015 when auto assembly operations ceased at Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America. For a couple of months, Decatur-Normal locals D32 (north) and D36 (south) had their runs extended to East Peoria after D46 was abolished. By February, D32 and D36 returned to their prior routine and D49 once again made the East Peoria turn five nights a week. 

So D49 is running to and from East Peoria in 2017 like it was in 2010. About the only equipment that dates the video is the pair of ex-Conrail SD50s still in blue paint. 

- David P. Jordan

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