Passenger Trains > Metra in Galesburg, Illinois.

For many years, Chicago Metra would send a commuter train to Galesburg for their Railroad Days event.  This is in June 29, 1997.  The train would make numerous trips around the BNSF Galesburg yard to give riders a great view of the operations.  First clip the train is southbound on the Quincy main that runs along the east side of the yard.  Second clip the train is returning eastbound on the Passenger cutoff main back to the passenger depot.

Thanks for viewing.

Ron Hirsch
Springfield, Mo.

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I see a BNSF Unit with a baggage and a Slumber sleeper in the Second video clip

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

I did that one year when I lived in Blue Island.  It's possible to do a loop around the yard by leaving on the Brookfield Sub, taking the Graham Connection
over to Cameron, and onto the Ottumwa Sub back to Galesburg--or vice versa, of course.  They ran several trips a day.  I don't know why it stopped.  Wouldn't be surprised to hear that it had something to do with the company lawyers, though.

And the horn on the cab car:  it's broken, LOL!

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did that one year when I lived in Blue Island. 
> It's possible to do a loop around the yard by
> leaving on the Brookfield Sub, taking the Graham
> Connection
> over to Cameron, and onto the Ottumwa Sub back to
> Galesburg--or vice versa, of course.  They ran
> several trips a day.  I don't know why it
> stopped.  Wouldn't be surprised to hear that it
> had something to do with the company lawyers,
> though.
>
> And the horn on the cab car:  it's broken, LOL!

They still do yard tours at Galesburg RR days but it is on a school bus . They also do a limited attendance VIP tour that gets you into more restricted areas

Thanks Ron, for the neat vintage videos of the '97 GBB RR Days.
I just checked their Website- they say they'll make an annoincement on 4/15/21 as to what's happening (or not happening)
with the 2021 RR Days Festival.

Sadly it didn't happen at all last year and we all know why. I've been to several of them, mostly in the mid 2000s. I took the
School Bus Tour which gave us a nice look at the inner Yards and the Tie Plant. The Metra Tour would have taken the cake, though!
Will probably never see that again.

OldPorter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Ron, for the neat vintage videos of the '97
> GBB RR Days.
> I just checked their Website- they say they'll
> make an annoincement on 4/15/21 as to what's
> happening (or not happening)
> with the 2021 RR Days Festival.
>
> Sadly it didn't happen at all last year and we all
> know why. I've been to several of them, mostly in
> the mid 2000s. I took the
> School Bus Tour which gave us a nice look at the
> inner Yards and the Tie Plant. The Metra Tour
> would have taken the cake, though!
> Will probably never see that again.

Back in the old days the Yard tours were done in gondolas pulled by a BN diesel. That would be great

I never was involved in one that went all the way out to Graham; that's pretty cool.  

The ones I rode went down through the yard then back to the depot on the Quincy main.

Good videos!

Andy

> Back in the old days the Yard tours were done in
> gondolas pulled by a BN diesel. That would be
> great

Hi Spoony! Agree 100% - I remember some of my old Galesburg friends (all old timers) who
loved, and took those Gondola Tours you mentioned around the Yards. Surely a simpler time,
and more fun, in so many ways. I miss those times.

GP25 Wrote:
-That was the Employee Appreciation Special that operated across Iowa. It was parked off the Passenger main to clear the commuter and likely other traffic.------------------------------------------------------
> I see a BNSF Unit with a baggage and a Slumber
> sleeper in the Second video clip

Posted from Android

As a kid, my family would take the Metra tour of the yard pretty much every year we went. It was one of the highlights of RR Days for me.