BNSF Railway Switches Gates Corp. Spur in Galesburg, IL




I got lucky Tuesday.

BNSF Railway's Peoria Subdivision is now void of active customers save for two industries on Galesburg's east side. Gates Corp. manufacturers rubber at a plant opened in 1961 and receives carbon black by rail on a regular basis. Progress Rail Services, which purchased Galesburg Iron & Metal Co. about 2008 and had a new spur built on its property ten years ago, receives retired rolling stock for dismantling. 

While in the Galesburg area yesterday, I happened to catch a BNSF local job switching Gates Corp's spur east of town with snoot nose SD40-2 1905 and TEBC6 54 (a slug built by RELCO from an SD9). The first twelve cars were for Progress Rail Services' nearby facility (where retired rolling stock goes to die) and the three carbon black cars were switched to or from Gates Corp. 

Other industries on this line in recent years were Caterpillar's "tire plant" in Peoria, which closed in 2017; the rarely-served Caterpillar Edwards Demonstration Grounds at Browning Switch, last reported switched in 2012; A. Miller & Co's Alley Track scrap yard in Peoria, last served in January 2002; and Spoon River Valley FS at Maquon, last reported served c. 2000.


- David P. Jordan

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