My first trip was August 7th/8th.
First train of the trip was on CSX, M684 crossing the diamond in Effingham with a rough looking UP leader.
CSX M684, Effingham,IL 8/7/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrAnother CSX eastbound followed that'd been working in Effingham, though my photos of it were not optimal.
After getting a hotel room and stopping to eat, I checked the Amtrak status maps and found that northbound 392 would be due into Effingham at 5:54 local time, which was a half hour out. I went north of town to Sigel, and didn't have to wait long for 392 to come blasting through.
Amtrak 392, Sigel,IL 8/7/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrI went back to the hotel, and thought about maybe going to see southbound Amtrak 393, which was supposed to be in Effingham at 7:47. Discovering the tracks were a mile down a side road from the hotel, I went down to catch them as they came into town, almost right at sunset.
Amtrak 393, Effingham,IL 8/7/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrAfter leaving the hotel I drove south, somewhat close to the CN line(maybe a quarter mile between us due to buildings) until I saw an opening where I could see their yard. A pair of Illinois Central SD70 "Death Stars" were sitting in the yard along with some other power, I was half tempted to use the drone but didn't. I looped around the building to see if there was a better location to shoot, but by the time I came back, they'd moved. Guessing they might go north I went to a crossing at the north end of the yard and waited for a bit. Another CN standard cab was working the yard, but the IC units sat for a long while with a headlight on. I soon found out why they were waiting, another northbound, CN train M33571 was approaching, and was my first train of the day.
CN M33571, Effingham,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrShortly after, the train with the IC units started moving. This was A40791, leaving Effingham.
CN A40791, Effingham,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrAfter getting the shot here, I decided I'd go north to try to get ahead of them. Using I70 briefly, the train was already ahead of me as I got on U.S. 45. A slow driver didn't help matters, and it took me six miles before I finally decided to pass them, just north of Sigel. (Of course they turned not long after, go figure). I managed to get ahead of A407 but found out they were slowing down, M33571 had to stop and flag a crossing up ahead in Neoga. Deciding not to sit long in Neoga, I went to a crossing south of town just as A407 started to move north again.
CN A40791, Neoga,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrFifth out on A407 was Chicago South Shore #2000, the first time I'd ever seen a CSS unit in person.
Chicago South Shore 2000, Neoga, IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrAfter scouting roads that stayed trackside for a mile or so north of Neoga, I went back into town and made a quick stop at the local gas station. At this point the signal in town lit up yellow for a southbound, so I moved south to find a crossing to get a picture. I missed northbound Amtrak 390 in the process, unaware they were coming. Amtrak status maps hadn't shown me anything when I checked it earlier. After finding a crossing I liked, I waited for A408 to show.
CN A40891, Sigel,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrI followed A408 south, determined to get a few more shots. Taking the interstate to avoid Effingham's traffic completely(though I'd nearly caught up to the head end of A408 by the time we reached the north end of town, 8 miles of chasing), I wanted to shoot at one of the small towns I'd driven through the day before. I got to Farina just as a northbound CN train blasted through town. Two or three minutes later and I could've managed a decent shot of that one too. After waiting and waiting, and listening to a train cross a defect detector on the nearby Bluford Sub, I finally heard the detector a mile north of Farina go off.
CN A40891, Farina,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrI wanted a third shot if possible of A408, and thought Centralia might be good. However I wasn't 100% sure on where I should get it, and seeing detour signs on I-57, I decided to swing off at the Odin/Sandoval exit. I'd been to Odin about 5 or 6 years ago one morning to see Amtrak go through, but hadn't come in the way I did this time. I managed to cross over the CN tracks just as A408 was a mile north of town. I snagged a photo of it as it passed, with cars towards the rear going over what was once the B&O from Cincinnati to St. Louis.
CN A40891, Odin,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrDriving down to Centralia, I pulled in and decided to look around. Amtrak's schedule hanging on the sign was a bit misleading. It said the southbound Saluki would be in at 12:16, which was ten minutes from the time I looked at the timetable. After waiting a bit, and no train, I checked the Amtrak status maps, and the arrival time has apparently changed from 1216 to 1244. So after waiting a bit more, 391 finally showed.
Amtrak 391, Centralia,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrHalf an hour behind 391 was CN train A432, with a pair of CN GEs.
CN A43291, Centralia,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrBNSF local YCEI101 was my last train in Centralia, running with a freshly painted GP60.
BNSF YCEI101, Centralia,IL 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on FlickrI followed Norfolk Southern's Southern East District east towards Indiana, missing 224 as I passed through Wayne City. Nothing else seemed close until I got to Princeton. A couple of NS trains were sitting in the yard, but I heard CSX train R591 heading south, so I decided to head that way, as it would put me on I-64 and a quicker way towards home. Getting near Evansville, I could see the skies had opened up with rain a mile or two down the road, so I made a right off US 41 when I could onto a side road. It crossed the tracks, but not a very photo-worthy spot. Going north, I got back into sunlight and found a road that paralleled a field with the CSX right-of-way out across it. R591 was my final train for the day.
CSX R591, St. James, IN 8/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
