Canadian National L557, Union Pacific MBNAS 6-1-23

I've been working two hours over since yesterday, and Friday as well, so I'm going to miss Union Pacific's MPECL. So when I get a heads up on a local train movement, and am not too tired to take advantage of it, I go for it. 

Mid-afternoon Thursday, I learned through social media that Canadian National's L557 local was on duty at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. I figured that if the crew did the usual switching at Pekin, I'd have a shot at catching it there or somewhere south. I ended up driving down I-155.

About six minutes after a friend confirmed that it was through Delavan, I saw it approaching the highway underpass between Emden and Hartsburg. I decided to head north on I-55, exit onto Rt. 66 and then parallel the Union Pacific to N. Kickapoo Street. Had I exited on the west side, Lincoln's traffic lights and slow speed limits would have ruined my plans. I arrived at the N. Kickapoo Street crossing moments after L557 received permission to cross the UP. 


CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls through Lincoln, Illinois early evening Thursday, June 1, 2023. CN 8892 and CN 5799 pull BUGX 1607 (picked up at Pekin) and eleven cars. 

Although Logan County is technically out of area, the train originated in the Peoria area. That can't be said for Union Pacific's MBNAS, but I stuck around Amtrak's Lincoln depot to record its passage. (Video blurs slightly at times due to low light conditions and the train's speed.)


CAPTION: Union Pacific train MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern) races by the Amtrak depot in Lincoln, Illinois early evening Thursday, June 1, 2023. UP 4985 and UP 4656 have 59 cars. 

David P. Jordan

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