The crew of Union Pacific 7814 leads a northbound autorack as it crosses the Kaskaskia River on the UP Chester Subdivision at Brewerville, Illinois in Infrared on August 28th, 2021.
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, sensor converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 70-300 @220mm, f/8, 1/500, ISO 200.
The conductor and others on the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 crew keeps an eye on the tracks ahead as they round the curve after crossing the Kaskaskia River bridge on the UP Chester Subdivision at Brewerville, Illinois, as they make the way to St. Louis, MO, the last stop on this leg of their journey.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 165mm, f/5, 1/1600, ISO 200, August 28, 2021.
Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes over the Black River as it approaches downtown Corning, Arkansas on Friday, August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Poplar Bluff, AR.
The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one.
According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.
In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades.
It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.”
The Big Boy is currently on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming before heading home to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th. For the route and schedule visit: https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm to see if it’s stopping near you!
Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100, August 27, 2021.
CN Illinois Central Heritage Unit meets KCS at Dexter, MO
Canadian National (CN) Illinois Central Heritage Unit 3008 passes a crew change on a SB crew change on a KCS unit, as it leads empty oil train; ONUCS-01 north on Union Pacific’s Chester Subdivision, after making its own crew change at the Union Pacific Terminal at Dexter, Missouri on December 2nd, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Canadian National Illinois Central “Death Star” heritage unit 3008, passes the searchlight and dwarf signals as it heads north on the Union Pacific Chester Subdivision with an empty tank train on December 2nd, 2020 at Scott City, Missouri.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 240mm, f/5.3, 1/1000, ISO 200.
Canadian National Illinois Central “Death Star” heritage unit 3008, rounds the curve under the signal bridge just past McClure, Illinois as it heads north on the Union Pacific Chester Subdivision with an empty tank train on December 2nd, 2020
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200.
Today fellow railfan Cooper Smith and I along with a lot more were blessed because as of the night before this unit was supposed to pass through our area in the darkness of night! Fortunately we got word from fellow railfan Terry Redeker down the line that the train got recrewed earlier than planned and it would be to us in daylight!
Our first stop on this chase on December 2nd, 2020 we caught Canadian National (CN) Illinois Central Heritage Unit 3008 as it lead empty oil train; ONUCS-01 north on the Union Pacific’s Chester Subdivision, past the Martin Grain Company grain silos at Dexter, Missouri headed for Superior, WI.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 7493 brings up the rear as the DPU of a loaded southbound grain train at Gorham, Illinois on the Chester Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific
April 6, 2019 – Burlington Northern Santa Fe, 4178 leads a northbound grain train at the signal bridge at McClure, Illinois on UP’s Chester Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific #bnsfrailway #bnsf
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 5376 passes under a signal bridge at Jonesboro, Illinois as it leads a grain train southbound on UP’s Chester Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 8161 leads a mixed freight over the Mississippi River on the Thebes Bridge at Thebes, Illinois as it makes its way south on UP’s Chester Subdivision.
According to Wikipedia: The Thebes Bridge is a truss bridge carrying the Union Pacific Railroad (previously carried the Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific, in a joint operation) across the Mississippi River between Illmo, Missouri and Thebes, Illinois. It is owned by the Southern Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company, now a UP subsidiary.
The Southern Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company was incorporated in Illinois on December 28, 1900 to own the bridge and 4.64 miles (7.47 km) of connecting rail line. It was initially owned equally by the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, Illinois Central Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railway, St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, and St. Louis Southwestern Railway.
The designer of the bridge was Polish-American engineer Ralph Modjeski. The Missouri Pacific and SLIM&S merged in 1917, and in 1945 the C&EI sold its 1/5 share to the Missouri Pacific, giving the latter company, since merged into the UP, a majority interest. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific
April 6, 2019 – Burlington Northern Santa Fe, 3887 brings up the rear as the DPU on a northbound grain train as a southbound Union Pacific intermodal passes it at the signal bridge at McClure, Illinois on UP’s Chester Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific #bnsfrailway #bnsf
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 7743 heads up a southbound intermodal, as it passes UP 8652 and 6849 on a waiting northbound loaded coal train at Gorham, Illinois as, it heads southbound on UP’s Chester Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #uprailroad #unionpacific
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 678, GP38-2, heads up YDU21 (Y-Yard DU-Dupo 2-2nd Shift 1-Ramp Job) uses the Material Track at the UP yard in Dupo, Illinois as it passes the tower while building an intermodal train. YDU21 pulls and spots intermodal cars on the ramp and builds two outbound trains, one for North Platte, NE (IDUNP) and points beyond and second train is UPS for Mesquite, TX (ZDUMQ). – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #unionpacific #dupoillinois #uptrain
April 6, 2019 – Union Pacific 8161 leads a mixed freight over the Mississippi River on the Thebes Bridge at Thebes, Illinois as it makes its way south on UP’s Chester Subdivision.