The Last Deere Combine Shipments by Rail
Saturday, April 9, 2016, BNSF Railway operated a unit train of John Deere combines through Galesburg, Illinois in daylight. Sadly, this would also be the time such equipment was shipped by rail.
Ending shipments by rail wasn't because BNSF failed to provide adequate service for the famous Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer. It was reported that Deere & Company no longer needed to export combines from East Moline when it began producing the same models in Asia and Europe.
Most shipments were routed to Dundalk Marine Terminal at Baltimore, Maryland. BNSF handed off unit trains to Norfolk Southern at McCook, Illinois for shipment to countries such as France, Germany, Great Britain and especially Russia and Ukraine. Some trains went to Tacoma, Washington, probably for export to China.
The last train was bound for Tacoma, Washington so it is assumed the final destination for the 83 S660-series combines was China.
I was lucky to catch the last train, and in daylight, as most tended to move at night.
Ending shipments by rail wasn't because BNSF failed to provide adequate service for the famous Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer. It was reported that Deere & Company no longer needed to export combines from East Moline when it began producing the same models in Asia and Europe.
Most shipments were routed to Dundalk Marine Terminal at Baltimore, Maryland. BNSF handed off unit trains to Norfolk Southern at McCook, Illinois for shipment to countries such as France, Germany, Great Britain and especially Russia and Ukraine. Some trains went to Tacoma, Washington, probably for export to China.
The last train was bound for Tacoma, Washington so it is assumed the final destination for the 83 S660-series combines was China.
I was lucky to catch the last train, and in daylight, as most tended to move at night.
- David P. Jordan
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