Illinois road trip!!!

[LJK004]

I'm heading to Rochelle and Galesburg this weekend to watch/photograph trains. I'll be stopping at the railpark in Rochelle and Peck Park in Galesburg. Any other spots that I have to go to? Any other great "out of the way" photo spots that I should try? Any other info I need to know (where not to go, where to eat, other neat things to do, etc.?)

I'm also thinking of driving over to Fort Madison, Iowa to perhaps get some shots coming across the drawbridge spanning the Mississippi River or Burlington, Iowa to photograph something coming across the Mighty Mississippi there. Which one sees more traffic? Which one has better place to take pictures? Which would you think is a better choice? And, yes, both is a valid option!

Lastly, anything else that I shouldn't miss while I'm in the area?

Thanks in advance, and if anyone happens to be around and sees a big 6'4" bald guy with a Nikon hanging around his neck and a Detroit jacket, say hi!
LJK

[Saturnalia]

Go SW to Galesburg...Cameron. There is a dirt farm access road that crosses the ATSF and goes up to the BN. Right at the Jct...prolly 150 per day combining both lines and connectors.

I think Ft Madison is more accessible, and busier than Burlington.

For a good idea on the Transcon in IL, watch my "BNSF's Chillicothe Sub: A Modern Superhighway" on YouTube. I covered things pretty well, including the trestle at Media. That might give you a few ideas. I shot at the Cameron spots (plus the flyover), Media and Ft Madison. It is towards the latter half, as the program works west from Corwith. You may find some other spots to check out east of Galesburg as well.

Good luck! Any other questions just ask...lots of good stuff out there!

[SteveHiuzenga]

I like all the curves through Wheaton...on the west side of town is a bike path that crosses over the tracks and you can get some nice shots facing east

[railohio]

There's a really good shot on the UP in the morning from the first road east of Creston:

UP5646CrestonIL4-26-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr


In Rochelle proper there is (was) a good shot of the BNSF signal bridge on the east side of town that people seem to ignore:

BNSF5486SignalsRochelleIL4-26-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr


At Flagg, there are good views from the overpass that crosses the UP:

UP6860TeleFlaggIL10-28-12 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

UP3586RochelleIL10-27-12 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr


And west of Ashton, there's a dirt road that's good for pacing if someone else is driving:

UP7489CabFranklinGroveIL10-28-12 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr


But the best photos come when you seize the opportunities before you:

BNSF7514RochelleIL1-18-14 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

SideBySide2PrincetonIL9-22-12 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

FromTheTopChicagoIL9-17-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

BladesSideEarlvilleWI7-6-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

SignalBridge43ChicagoIL6-7-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

OverTheRiver1BurlingtonIA7-7-13 by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr

OneHangingAshtonIL9-29-12.jpg by Brian Schmidt, on Flickr


In other words, f/8 and be there.

[LJK004]

Awesome ideas! I'm going to add all of those to the agenda.

Great video, MQT, I'll be watching it again when I get there for reference!

Thanks, Steve, That should add a bit of variety to the weekend.

Great shots, railohio. Great ideas, too. I'm with ya on f8 and be there, but if I seize any pics of snow this weekend, I'm not gonna be happy!

I'll be checking this thread (and maybe adding some shots if the wifi at the hotel is worth anything...) all weekend, so if anyone has more or new ideas, please keep 'em coming!

Thanks for all the reply's again!
LJK

[Bulby]

I second the notion of going out to Cameron, here's a photo taken from the west side of the flyover at Cameron:



If you go to Rochelle, the Illinois Railway Museum is open for the summer, and FRISCO 1630 is out and running for this weekend

[JStryker722]

Go SW to Galesburg...Cameron. There is a dirt farm access road that crosses the ATSF and goes up to the BN. Right at the Jct...prolly 150 per day combining both lines and connectors.

I think Ft Madison is more accessible, and busier than Burlington.

For a good idea on the Transcon in IL, watch my "BNSF's Chillicothe Sub: A Modern Superhighway" on YouTube. I covered things pretty well, including the trestle at Media. That might give you a few ideas. I shot at the Cameron spots (plus the flyover), Media and Ft Madison. It is towards the latter half, as the program works west from Corwith. You may find some other spots to check out east of Galesburg as well.

Good luck! Any other questions just ask...lots of good stuff out there!

In reference to the Galesburg area,I own Trains of Galesburg by Greg Scholl Productions. I would definitely reference that movie for spots to shoot from,especially around Cameron.

[LJK004]

Time to update... It was definitely an eventful trip. I got to Rochelle Friday morning and went to the railpark. It started out fast, a two train meet on the Union Pacific side right as I got out of my car!!! I stayed in the area for most of the afternoon and saw quite a few trains.

That evening is were things turned eventful. I broke a shifter cable 400 miles from home... I had it towed over to Sawicki Chevrolet and have to compliment them! Of course, there wasn't a shifter cable any where near there, so I had to cut the trip short, but the guys in the service department went above and beyond in getting me back on the road.

In conclusion, I saw lots of trains in Rochelle on Friday, broke a shifter cable, had to drive home Saturday morning before I could get to Galesburg and points west.