Gritty, Industrial Railroading: Union Pacific at Bloomington & Lincoln, IL 3-5-22

Gritty, industrial railroad on the Union Pacific begins with action begins at the Bloomington, Illinois yard, and moves to Lincoln where the local switches the Internatonal Paper Co. box plant.

The crew of MASBN (Manifest, Alton & Southern to Bloomington IL) arrived well before sunrise, but their duties weren't yet complete.  After dropping the train in the yard, they took UP 7012, UP 1066 and WRIX 1229 and turned them at Prairie Central Cooperative's Cayuga elevator loop, which is located just north of Pontiac.

All three units faced north, so they needed to be turned: UP 7012 because it would lead counterpart MBNAS south that evening; UP 1066 because the other local power, UP 1148, was facing north; and WRIX 1229, because its new home, AgRail LLC, wanted it to face south. When this was accomplished, UP 7012 was moved to the other side of the yard and tied up, and the crew went off duty.

Shortly, the crew of LSF54 boarded UP 1066 and delivered WRIX 1229, an SD18M which once belonged to Western Milling Co in Famoso, California. This Bloomington-based local works north to Wilmington, Coal City and Global 4 (Joliet Intermodal Terminal) Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and south on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Next, the crew coupled to UP 1148 and ran north to fetch two boxcars for International Paper Co. at Lincoln. After southbound Amtrak No. 301 cleared, LSF54 headed south. The crew used both units to switch International Paper, which is located on a remnant of the old ICRR Havana District, because there is no short siding to runaround here.

The last scene shows LSF54 back on the mainline at Lincoln returning to Bloomington with three empties.

- David P. Jordan