Before the SP recieved their massive order of GE's they begged, borrowed, and stole whatever power they could find to move their trains. Case in point on this train.

Southern Pacific's Bloomington yard job, with engineer Jim Byrd ''J Byrd'', kicks cars using a former commuter unit in the new paint scheme. STEVE SMEDLEY PHOTO

IC SD40A #6018 rests alongside a GM&O F3 at Bloomington, IL in 1975.

GM&O F3 #803A under stormy skies at Bloomington, IL. [6/75]

''The Loop'' was an Amtrak operation that was aimed at drawing Chicago Springfield traffic. Here she is arriving Bloomington Union Depot after meeting train 300, at far right. STEVE SMEDLEY PHOTO

GM&O SD40s 913 and 914 in Bloomington, IL. [6/75]

GM&O 807A under stormy skies in Bloomington, IL. [6/75]

Norfolk Southern's train 30R isn't running all that fast, however the motorcyclist is still running the crossing which has been activated for several seconds at Allin Street in Bloomington, Illino... (more)

Union Pacific train M BNAS (BLOOMINGTON-ALTON SOUTHERN) sports the Mopac and Chicago & Northwestern Heritage units as crew pulls south awaiting a signal at Bloomington, Illinois on a fantastic spr... (more)

A Norfolk Southern crew approaches the crossing flashers which have been activated at Morris Avenue on the west side of Bloomington, Illinois, with a loaded grain train that had stalled earlier on... (more)

Load'n grain at Bloomington. The job of the guy in the background (on top of the grain cars at the loader) has to be dangerous.

Former Conrail SD50 5432 leads train D30R down the hillon the Norfolk Southern's Peoria District.

Three Norfolk Southern Dash 8-32B's, 3549-3556-3540, an unusual matched set of the four axle General Electrics, drag a D5J loaded grain extra up Bloomington Hill early on a Wednesday morning July ... (more)

Its a sweltering August evening, as Southern Pacific 7493 south departs Bloomington, Illinois. Everything but the track in this photo is gone. Union Depot, the Front Street overpass, and BN Target... (more)

Illinois Central Gulf Railroad train # 32 departs the Bloomington yards in March 1987 STEVE SMEDLEY PHOTO