On June 10, 1984, Burlington Northern’s local operating from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois, pauses just north of Earlville. The branch used to cross Chicago & North Western’s Troy Grove line... (more)

Buffalo & Pittsburgh EMD GP40 number 3101 is on point of the Rochester & Southern's Brooks Ave Yard to Silver Springs train as it works its way south out of Brooks passing the newly installed powe... (more)

A Burlington Northern local rolls through Illinois farm country between Compton and Paw Paw on June 10, 1984. BN operated this former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville... (more)

Atlanta & West Point GP40 #731, assigned as power for the local switcher, idles behind the depot. #731, built in May 1970, later became Seaboard System/CSX 6651

Rochester and Southern train BL-1 has BPRR 2030 leading as it works its way southbound out of Brooks Ave yard, passing Genesee Junction. Waiting for BL-1 to pass in Genesee Junction is the Liviona... (more)

40 years ago the Rock Island shut down. In this 1973 image a pair of units are at the run through service pit at the Silvis yards and shop complex.

Illinois tree tunnel
A Burlington Northern local approaches a “tree tunnel” as it slowly makes its way eastbound east of Shaws, Illinois, on June 10, 1984. BN operated this former Ch... (more)

I was too young, and Rock Island was just out of reach, for me to have photographed the railroad in its last days. I sure wish I could have, but only saw bits and pieces of it as the years wore on... (more)

A 1966-built GP40 lends a hand to Amtrak, as the Capitol Limited passes Q-Tower and the Sand Patch helper pocket.

This group of employees of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific are working their last day at the Silvis shop. At 3PM second shift will go on duty and punch out at 11PM. At 11:59PM the Rock was gone... (more)

Conrail 3007 leads an eastbound freight at milepost 215 on the old Water Level Route near Little Falls, NY. GP40 number 3007 was originally built for the New York Central in 1965.

Buffalo & Pittsburgh GP40 number 2030 works hard as it leads Rochester & Southern train BL-1 through the woods in Scottsville, NY.

With the sun finally peaking out of the clouds, the last Wisconsin Central GP40, number 3018, slowly pulls out of Markham Yard with a long string of intermodal traffic behind it. This locomotive i... (more)

Raised signal boxes, climbing vines and the Public Belt = New Orleans.

Small town Illinois
A Burlington Northern local rumbles through Harmon, Illinois, on June 10, 1984. BN operated this former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville... (more)