The start of a damn good trip....

© All Rights Reserved

BNSF's coal line from Galesburg down to Paducah (Beardstown Sub) crosses NS' Illinois Dvision (Decatur-Hannibal, MO) in Jacksonville.....each railroad in town still retains searchlight style signals.....BNSF needs to repaint this peach....

© All Rights Reserved

The Beardstown sub ducks under KCS' line over to Springfield, IL just east of Rees, Il......Im standing on the ledge of an old road overpass.....

© All Rights Reserved

Yes...its true...the KCS does own track in Illinois....they own portions of the old GM&O....they run fom Valley Jct in East St. Louis north up to Roodhouse, IL where they can contine north to Springfield or make a left turn towards Missouri....on that route they cross two major rivers....the Illinois river...here at Pearl....and the Mississipppi at Louisiana, MO.....got it? good......

I really did not feel like I was in Illinois while following this line...very senic....

© All Rights Reserved

In addition to the Savanna to St. Paul portion of the BNSF the Burlinton, IA to St. Louis, MO line (Hannibal Sub) paralells the mighty Mississippi.....while not as busy as the line up north....the Hannibal Sub still produces a decent amount of action.....

© All Rights Reserved