Finding out about the Lackawana heritage unit leading one of the two Norfolk Southern triple crown roadrailers left on the system the night before, I made the decision that it was totally worth driving up to Springfield, IL to see after work. If only it worked that way.
After getting off work (an exhausting day with what I do), I hurried home to grab the camera and then proceeded north towards the town of Curran, IL where I wanted to intercept this at. Upon arriving in the town of Curran, I found out that I had missed it by five minutes (if only I had the camera with me already). The chase was on. Not knowing the NS Springfield-Hannibal district all that well, I went west to the first town I knew of that had a nice angle in it. Griggsville, IL! I arrived in Griggsville and waited for about fifteen minutes while it proceeded west. Unfortunately, the results were not good. Deciding that there was a place down the tracks approximately ten miles or so, I proceeded on the chase again. Traveling down one lane roads that were nothing but loose gravel was what I experienced the whole time. Fish tailing and bouncing all around, I finally arrived thinking that the train had beat me. About that time, however, there it came rendering this result. Much better!
All in all, I drove over 86 miles one way and by the time I arrived home was exhausted. Luckily I did not return empty handed however.
NS's 255 rolls westbound en route to Kansas City, MO with a full string of roadrailers in tow through the town of Hadley, IL along the NS Springfield-Hannibal District.
The EMD SD (special duty) series are a strong and reliable kind of locomotive which still serve America's rails today. They have proved themselves reliable by clocking in several million miles of freight service over several decades.
