Union Pacific Sterling Grain and BNSF Chillicothe Sub Action (UP and BNSF)

Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision was relatively busy today.

This morning, I learned that an empty northbound and a loaded southbound grain train would meet at Pottstown, so after comfirming a favorable signal indication at W. Farmington Road, and rejecting the increasingly poor lighting, I moved to Pottstown. As soon as I arrived, Union Pacific train GSPGRK-10 was approaching the double track. 

I waited another 20 minutes for train GSRKCP-12 to show. Apparently, it was parked well north of Reservoir Boulevard, and ran at 10mph on Track 2 until the crew could confirm the green signal at the end of the double track. (I'm sure I've caught similar meets there in less time before.)

Both were Sterling grain trains, empties returning for more loads and a loaded train having just departed from Rock River Lumber & Grain Co. there earlier this morning. A third movement, a ballast train, likely appeared by mid-afternoon, but I didn't see it. 

CAPTION: An empty northbound grain train rolls by Pottstown, Illinois on Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision late-morning Sunday, November 12, 2023. KCSM 4894, UP 5634 and UP 5814 has 106 cars. Shortly, a loaded southbound grain train resumes its run at the same location. UP 8502, UP 7519 and UP 7861 has 112 cars; UP 6840 is DPU. 

I headed north with a desire to capture some action on BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision, with particular interest in either or both Union Pacific stack trains;  Z-CIG4 and Z-G4CI. I caught the former at Edelstein. When my camera quit filming on account of no room on my memory card (too many 4k videos, I guess), I raced to Blue Ridge Road, just west of Chillicothe, and shot the whole train. 

CAPTION: Union Pacific train Z-CIG4 (High Priority Intermodal, City of Industry CA to Global 4) rolls by Edelstein, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, November 12, 2023. Later, we see the whole train by Blue Ridge Road near Chillicothe. UP 3093, UP 5295, UP 5455 and UP 6260 were on the point; UP 2693 and UP 6431 were mid-train DPU. 

Later, I went to the old Santa Fe clubhouse/Amtrak depot and managed to capture a parade of six trains, all intermodal save for the last one. 

CAPTION: Six BNSF trains - three eastbounds and three westbounds - rolled by Chillicothe, Illinois in within 40 minutes during early- to mid-afternoon Sunday, November 12, 2023. All are intermodal except for the last, a vehicle train. 

David P. Jordan