Rails Chicago Series #60- Rochelle, IL (5/24/13)

Did my annual Memorial Day weekend trip to Rochelle Railroad Park and stayed the whole day into the evening. The action was pretty intense up until 5:30-6pm when the action completely died for about an hour which is almost unheard of for this place. I tried some night video which I have never done here. All trains in this video were shot between 11:30am-9pm:

1. NS 8051, 8077 (ES44AC's) & 1040 (SD70ACe) DPU- We start off with one of the frequent NS oil trains on the BNSF Aurora Sub that come back and forth from the Bakken region of North Dakota and unfortunately no heritage units today but we do get a shiny new ACe pushing at the end of this train of empties.

2. UP 8041 (C45ACCTE) & 4754 (SD70M)- Westbound intermodal. Notice the obese railfan showing off his UP shirt as if the crew is supposed to be impressed. This guy was getting in the way all day.

3. UP 7368 (AC44CW), 3793 (SD70M) & 2984 (SD40-2)- Another westbound stack train. I believe the third unit is a recommissioned classic EMD.

4. UP 6017 (AC44CWCTE) & 8344 (SD70ACe)- An eastbound auto rack train is partially blocked by the previous stack train.

5. UP 5642 (AC44CWCTE), 7323 & 7161 DPU (AC44CW's)- Eastbound unit coal

6. UP 7307 (AC44CW), 6013 (AC44CWCTE) & 4834 (SD70M)- Westbound grain train

7. BNSF 9319 (SD70ACe) & 4772 (C44-9W)- BNSF finally joins the fray with an eastbound manifest.

8. BNSF 5071 & 4694 (C44-9W's)- Westbound intermodal on the Aurora Sub.

9. BNSF 4736 (C44-9W), NS 9311 (C40-9W), 2749 (SD70M-2) & 9049 (C40-9W)- More NS power on the Aurora Sub with a BNSF leader.

10. NS 1033 (SD70ACe) & 8092 (ES44AC)- Another empty NS oil train with a sparkling new M-2 on the point.

11. UP 8507 (SD70ACe), 4991 (SD70M) & 8684 (SD70ACe)- Fatty Foamer is at it again, getting in the way of the shot of this eastbound intermodal coming out of Global III.

12. UP 4024, 3905 (SD70M's), 7442 (ES44AC), 4992 (SD70M) & 7451 (ES44AC)- Now Fatty Foamer is standing right on top of the tracks. I can only imagine what railraod employees say about guys like this.

13. UP 8799 (SD70ACe), 4582 & 4449 (SD70M's)- A nice new ACe is on the point of this eastbound sand train.

14. BNSF 6981 (ES44C4), 4909 (C44-9W), 6660 & 7008 (ES44C4's)- Chicago-bound intermodal on the Aurora Sub.

15. BNSF 6208 (ES44AC) & 4744 (C44-9W)- Another stack train bound for Chicago.

16. BNSF 5811 & 4913 (C44-9W's)- And now a rack train heads west as the BNSF matches intensity with the UP.

17. BNSF 4996, 1036 & 4006 & 4775 (all C44-9W's)- Trains were lined up for miles on the BNSF until the late afternoon when the action completely died. Seems like they slammed everything out of Chicago during rush hour.

18. UP 4350 & 4920 (SD70M's)- Westbound manifest with racks and other assorted cargo.

19. UP 7124 DPU (AC44CW)- Missed the head end power on this coal train blocked by the previous movement.

20. UP 8366 (SD70ACe) & 7954 (C45ACCTE)- A stack train slowly departs Global III headed east.

21. UP 4161 (SD70M), 8761 & 8721 (SD70ACe's)- Two new ACes on this westbound manifest but unfortunately neither was leading.

22. BNSF 6852 & 6755 (ES44C4's)- Eastbound intermodal

23. UP 6628 & 6276 (AC44CW's)- Westbound coal empties with a patched SP unit trailing.

24. BNSF 6988 & 6773 (ES44C4's)- Even more intermodal action on the Aurora Sub.

25. UP 8031 (SD90MAC), 4726 & 5212 (SD70M)- A new GEVO is on the point of this stack train out of Global III.

26. BNSF 7495 (ES44DC), 1045 & 1023 (C44-9W's)- A westbound stack train heads into the setting sun with two H1 painted units.

27. BNSF 7818 (ES44DC) & 6865 (ES44C4)- Westbound manifest on the Aurora Sub.

28. UP 4588, 4761, 4188, 4609 (SD70M's) & 8703 (SD70ACe)- A 5 pack of EMD power with an oddball ACe trailing leads a fast moving intermodal past the park towards Chicago.

29. UP 5183 & 4975 (SD70M's)- The sun is setting and my camera is having a hard time adjusting to this eastbound manifest with John Deere tractors.

30. UP 5734 (AC44CWCTE), 6800 (AC44CW), 4512 (SD70M) & 6006 DPU (AC44CWCTE)- More eastbound stacker action as the sun is pretty much down at this point.

31. UP 6629 (AC44CW), ?? & 7219 DPU (AC44CW)- Westbound coal empties with second unit unidentified.

32. UP 7705 (ES44AC), 4254 (SD70M), 7528 (ES44AC) & ??- Eastbound stack train with last unit unidentified due to darkness.

33. UP 7995 (C45ACCTE) & 5228 (SD70M)- We end the day with a westbound stacker.