Railroad Crossings of the BNSF Mendota Sub

The BNSF Mendota Sub runs between Chicago and Galesburg along the old route of the CB&Q. This line has many scenic areas going west from Princeton towards Galesbug. Trains that run this line include many coal trains, sand trains, mixed freights, some intermodal, and 8 daily Amtrak trains.
The Mendota Sub still has many older WCH signals from the BN days that retain the old light frames, bases, and gate mechanisms. Unforunately, like most other BNSF lines, it's filled with mostly GS Type 2 E Bells and Dialight Ball LEDs. There are a few Harmon Fading LEDs and GS LEDS, plus GS Type 3s and 1 Safetran Type 3 to fill in some spots though.
This video features many of the crossings I filmed between 2015 and 2017 while following the Mendota Sub.
Support me on Patreon: / tommybnsf

[@RMG_9000]

0:01-0:55 That was the MOST BEAUTIFUL CATCH I HAVE EVER SEEN!! I loved the backround.

[@mattprestegaard531]

At 23:04. Holy crap. That gate went down quickly.

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

+No bad words!

[@jacobbradshaw6341]

@@USABridgesEASSirens_More the fuck you mean

[@dangelamorris7779]

@@USABridgesEASSirens_More he said crap

[@unknownprofile2830]

mattprestegaard531 that cuz gate mechanism broken

[@LandonDoesRailfanningTrains10]

​@@USABridgesEASSirens_Morecrap is not a swear word

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video! Love all of the old BN equipment, especially the WCH installs and Federal Signal lights! It kinda reminds me of the CSX S&NA North Sub, in that way, with how everything is pretty much modern CSX equipment, but there's still some old L&N equipment and a few pieces of older and rarer CSX equipment. I noticed the first crossing had a broken gate light on it as well, as well as the one at 30:40. Love that high-pitched Safetran Type 3 also! The GS Type 1s at 36:25, 43:20, 50:01, and 53:32 are great as well. I especially like the crossing at 56:25 with the WRRS/Safetran 8 inch lights and General Signals Type 1!

[@rrxing2756]

freebrickproductions the bells are amazing

[@732qwerty4]

56:25 Probably only incandescent signal lights

[@Mzsexyredd1]

O

[@johnritcher5751]

Thank you for the awesome videos Tommy BNSF. Trains are amazing machines.

[@Planeandtrains]

I Love the crossings

[@Planeandtrains]

And why at 23:04 the gate goes down fast

[@RMG_9000]

14:56-15:55 Whats with these catches having such beautiful backround!!!

[@5H5H5H10]

23:00 That one gate was like the athletic kid in our class, and he’d go super fast only to fall just like the gate stand shook

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

39:48 good catch of amtrak 2 in night with that k5la

[@kimtiongson4039]

6u

[@robertcroxtonjr.7623]

my favorite railroad crossing signs are the cantilever styles.

[@jdonw2003]

5:17 A UP locomotive with a BNSF locomotive awesome

[@fornitegood122jr6]

Cool train is good

[@jameslewis1768]

Amazing Video

[@davidsmalldridge870]

TommyBNSF, you realize that I have subscribed to your channel! Awesome catch!

[@hermanuslemmer1695]

27:04: I remember being on an Amtrak train when it stopped. The conductor proceeded to say, "If you look out the window to your right or to your left, you will see that the train has stopped."

[@mfohawk6779]

That was like a "apply all the brakes" stop. Sheesh. They ever mention why they had to? Engineer run a signal and had an "Oh F**k" moment and had to wait to get the ok to proceed?

[@DinoCantBeSerious]

23:04 Woah!! The Gate went down in 2 seconds!

[@unknownprofile2830]

No it’s might broken I think.

[@williamgreene4834]

26:00 is the main street Princeton IL. crossing. I drive over that crossing all the time.

[@brynsbabi]

23:04 woah! It went speeding down!

[@mikeoxlong6996]

It was a broken gate mechenism

[@sana2marachly]

puppylove 269 h

[@sana2marachly]

puppylove 269 hu

[@sana2marachly]

puppylove 269 gy

[@helenwash63]

Sana Maraachli you

[@Railfanner121]

at little rock rd, Nice rare catch!

[@ryanwilson9555]

23:03 You know they say about gate arms. They go down like rocks.

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

23:04 Woah, that gate went down fast…

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

Weird high-pitched bell on that crossing though.

[@unknownprofile2830]

@@USABridgesEASSirens_More Oh that gate broken

[@sethcourtemanche5738]

Odd freight train horn as well

[@kakahtukat]

@@USABridgesEASSirens_Moresafetran type 3 high pitched

[@angelkitten5024]

I love trains I just found your yt and I love it

[@TommyBNSF]

Thank you! Welcome to the channel!

[@T.A.C.W]

Nice video! 😋

[@douglasjohnson1262]

On to Chicago!

[@blaz3rblixgam3z90]

Nice video when you zoom when it's near you

[@jordantherailfanner7506]

Nice video I liked and subscribed

[@joycestevenson9101]

I love you tommy and your videos

[@DanCojocaru2000]

The first level crossing closed surprisingly close to the arrival of the train

[@elainenorman-sutton1031]

Iwowiiw8ewilejwkwkwjjwjwjwjwjwjjwjwiwiw

[@elainenorman-sutton1031]

2j2i2o2

[@elainenorman-sutton1031]

Iwjw

[@DanCojocaru2000]

Elaine Notman Are you having a stroke?

[@andrewrosti7477]

I used to live in this area when I was a kid...

[@dckuk]

Andrew, my uncle has lived there since the 1970s, and I first biked down to the station area back then. Milwaukee and BN crews were there. It has changed a lot. When were you in Mendota?

[@lifeofnbagnunu5661]

Nice Video

[@RailfanNS]

23:00 that gate ain't supposed to do that!

[@victorjrrosas8294]

Hvhjvbmhh,bmbm mmbjg,m. Bnngh6ttiylb, m.h Ml Mlbn hklhjbhjbvffgghbfh

[@extremeneils]

what

[@jeetknowschess]

@@extremeneils Drop down like that and not that quickly either.

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

23:04 woah gate went down fast then bam on the ground

[@SKYWALKER33946]

31:03 That’s the shortest Amtrak train I have ever seen!!!!!?!

[@trucksntrainsfan7559]

Thats an amtrak service that runs from Quincy to Chicago. It usually has a short consist

[@derricktherailfan]

21:00 41:58 These are my really best one because I love the sound of the horn! 36:42 that sound of horn is surreal

[@KevinCruz-jo6uu]

Yeah me too it's more better and quiet

[@coleallen3895]

Why do you think BNSF hardly has any WCH Electronic Bells? Those bells appear to have a louder and more alarming noise than GS E-Bells, which makes sense in places where trains travel at rapid speeds. The million dollar question is - WHY NOT?

[@SunsetRailMultimedia]

Interesting. I like the different variations of crossing bells and light positionings. What camera did you use for this?

[@molossis]

5 years, and *never answered*

[@dvferyance]

I like these videos any chance you will do something like this in Wisconsin?

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

+dvferyance I don’t know but I might do some in SD (South Dakota).

[@Iwillprotectyousogotosleep]

There is some snow

[@SKYWALKER33946]

56:27 that’s so unusual

[@timothyellsworthpsyd3933]

That’s bad place for the bells

[@extremeneils]

can they add signals

[@greatlakesrailfan586]

23:04 That Gate Went Down Fast!

[@eviemedley2075]

RailfanGam

[@rrxing2756]

Wtf

[@arzerus_]

I bet

[@Guest-jt9dl]

RailfanGamer love the Christmas train I videoed it

[@Guest-jt9dl]

RailfanGamer for u

[@T1_Productions]

The Mendota Sub runs from Aurora to Galesburg

[@T1_Productions]

It is

[@rickygonzalez3152]

The Gate at 23:04 when down in just 2 seconds!

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

Samuels Toy Review wow! I really would hate that if I was stuck

[@soyisoh4563]

23:04 *SPEEDY GATE INTENSIFIES*

[@aw2m]

the gate gave it up.

[@railsofchicagoandbeyond8832]

23:00 that was a recent vid wasn’t it?

[@KevinCruz-jo6uu]

9:38 Man that train was scwaken!

[@mcmillinbjopckr]

cool train

[@hugoalvaradovaladez9678]

5:26 That one had it's rival locomotive from Union Pacific.

[@mfohawk6779]

In "Building America" scheme at that.

[@randomdude440]

Comment down below which of the following is your favorite kind of railroad crossing: With signs but no gates, flashing lights, and bells. With signs, flashing lights and bells but no gates. With signs, flashing lights, bells and crossing gates

[@seanchristopherward8205]

Nice

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

Amtrak 2 in the night is cool and I like that horn on the p42dc

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

39:48

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

K5la

[@francislorico4003]

Is this video taking place in Illinois?

[@Gabriel-yo7jl]

They do go down

[@katavalderrama7132]

23:04 Woaaaah Do You List The Sound? Sorry I Dont Speak English

[@protoformuser996]

Kata Valderrama Hablas español?

[@tsg931]

At 10:40 why did the signals flicker when the gate finished rising?

[@notarotomwithhair5637]

The light was at the same framerate as the camera, so it looked like it was off, then the framerate fell back down

[@amjkodaz]

What are those things that hang down from the gates

[@mfohawk6779]

On multi-lane roads....like 2 in each direction + center R-lane, they use longer gates, but because they're so long, they are prone to sagging when down (or swaying around in windy conditions) which can eventually cause damage. To help prevent such, they put small resting poles/stands that on the end so the arm can rest on the ground/be stabilized.

[@jae-sang6077]

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this

[@russian369]

14:59 thats my favorite part

[@Leon-zt5wh]

17:11 they are mad

[@mcchesterblue8773]

There like why you bully me

[@ItzBIULD]

Nah. It's natural for them to go down. Many slap down on vehicles, usually trucks or busses though, most likely meaning a crash.

[@kailanibowden7198]

Good CSX train video 📷📷📷📷📷📸📷📸

[@kjj9701]

That went down really fast I call that a malfunction at the junction

[@nightmarefredcat2352]

11:00, K5ST?

[@christyscooksnbooks4198]

I agree Quentin Ratliff

[@CyberRock1480]

the railroad arm slamed in 22:59

[@DinoCantBeSerious]

Actually at 23:04

[@suecurtis8313]

I LOVE TRAIN SUE!

[@Mario_Sonic_Pro]

Isn't it dangerous for trains to be on the ice?

[@BoneShakerGranny]

Not usually

[@yoshixcrossing2355]

Why did you have to zoom in to the railroad signal?

[@TommyBNSF]

Because I wanted to. I like to provide closeups of the lights to show what kind they are.

[@steadyc9277]

Because the videos are about the crossings themselves, not necessarily the actual trains.

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

Just let TommyBNSF do his thing

[@gavthespav]

dat sick crossing 20:40 blud! av it!!!

[@brenda86ful]

that loud bell who coming

[@randomhuman805]

Everyone: watching the video Me: muting my moms Christmas music

[@James_lirr-ict_catches]

16:30 I like that k5la

[@Mrcharles.]

I prefer the K5HL myself.

[@kevinmiller1985]

I'd like to know exactly how l ong the camera operator act ually had to sit & wait for the lights to come on & the arm- s to come down once he got to a crossing? There's just n o way the cameraman could just pull up to a crossing & h ave the warning bells sound & the arms to come down; h e'd need time to get his cam era set up.

[@TommyBNSF]

The camera operator (me) is usually out photographing crossings, and when he sees a headlight or hears a horn in the distance he knows it's go time. He knows where the nearest crossings are and how far apart they are from where he is and usually starts recording anywhere from 2 seconds to 2 minutes before the train gets there. It's a calculated game that has a big payoff.

[@unknownprofile2830]

20:24 what is this street? Ah wyanet IL.

[@reneewebb3bot514]

Fun 🤩

[@sethcourtemanche5738]

17:40 weird looking lead engine what company insignia is that?

[@liameddy5836]

It looks like an old conrail train but in green or an old bnsf loco back when they did the green locomotives

[@notarotomwithhair5637]

BC rail

[@bobm7250]

9:37 sounds like music from "The Shining".

[@bobm7250]

0:00

[@Goofy_ahh_productionsss]

What was that Amtrak engine number at 41:00 I couldn’t see

[@notarotomwithhair5637]

Lookd like 822 (OOS) or 145

[@Railfanner121]

at 20:24 , Nice type 3 E bell!

[@mfohawk6779]

When they go slightly out of sync, it's kinda memorizing lol

[@Railfanner121]

Yes that’s true

[@unknownprofile2830]

I can’t tell about that street name

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

@@unknownprofile2830it looks like it’s at Main Street in wyanet

[@oscarcarmona7476]

8:48 that train slow

[@ItzBIULD]

It's probably slowing down to a stop, probably near a coal plant or somethin to unload. It happens near my house wity the NS.

[@chrisgillespie139]

I'm surprised this line isn't quad gated.

[@gentryrailroadvideography2990]

4:50 NICE HORN!

[@rrxing2756]

Missouri Trains yup

[@jordantherailfanner7506]

Bro it’s a K5LA

[@sana2marachly]

Missouri and Illinois trains h F

[@TonyCantu2024]

Missouri and Illinois trains was that Texas eagle

[@bnsfbandit9807]

Eww a K5HL

[@AwesomeDesertTrains]

17:36 the heck is that!

[@kyleb06]

Commonly used on the BCOL.

[@ThunderTrain2930]

Oh ew wtf

[@Trackside_magpie_7535]

AwesomeDesertTrains cfsx and cn rail

[@tkprod19]

2 of them are burnt out because there supposed to be both on

[@Steve_Hunts96]

An old British Columbia Rail loco, which are VERY rare to see in the US!

[@generalmoonstone]

CB&Q?

[@amtrakproductions-mx9ib]

56:22 AND WHAT KIND OF CROSSING SIGNALS ARE THOSE!??! 💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@rrxing2756]

At 23:04 why the hell did that gate went down so fast xd

[@modernforever1528]

Fart?

[@brynsbabi]

Lol fart 😃😃😃😃

[@TheMNrailfan227]

Fart lol

[@rrxing2756]

Ok I fixed it

[@USABridgesEASSirens_More]

It was so funny on that gate hope I do not get stuck

[@brynsbabi]

31:36 thats a creepy horn

[@732qwerty4]

No it isn't. Probably the main horn on that leading locomotive

[@thatcorvetteguy2640]

you're damn right

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

Creepy for a Nathan k5la

[@kjj9701]

They should fix that too

[@isaiahrojo1126]

The train was going backwards 😭

[@barronforce2.0_brigadeedition]

What train

[@alainmarceau9866]

Yea that was weird

[@t.farrell6565]

What is the crossing at 20:24

[@kaitlynhanson1434]

Do they run steam engines here?

[@ThePrairiesRailfan]

22:58 the gate 💀

[@jdoggez2083]

14:00 that’s a weird pedestrian gate 🤨🤨

[@mfohawk6779]

Another one seen on the right @ 20:25.... and it's a separate system.... Notice it's direction is the same as that of the gate on the right side of the street.

[@jdoggez2083]

@@mfohawk6779 I’m talking about it cause of how long it is 😂

[@mfohawk6779]

Looking at the satellite imagine of the crossing, the sidewalk(s) are a little farther away from the road.... So my guess is to ensure it blocks them and are a bit longer to be a deterrent to people who might want to walk around them. Dropped pin Near Leland, IL 60531 maps.app.goo.gl/Z62xHwjasXWxfG3y8

[@jdoggez2083]

@@mfohawk6779 yeah

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

It’s the one my dead grandpa played hockey with. RIP

[@RealRusty999yes_lol]

40:56 Sounds like the horn is dead

[@deadbyabigail]

23:04 Lemme just---*Plop*

[@reinamena2743]

This Railroad Crossing Was Recorded in 2017

[@owenli6717]

Why did the train stop at 27:00?

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

There is a station in Princeton where the crossing was filmed

[@emmittbunn8412]

I LOOOOOOOVE TRRRRRRAAAIIIIINNNNZZZZZZZ

[@jacobvill4102]

ilooooooooovetrrrrrrrrraaaiiiiiiiiinnnnnzzzzzzz

[@jacobvill4102]

jacobmommyben

[@owenevans5061]

Me too!!

[@kacylogsdon212]

Peter griffin as jay ninjago holding ladder and Buddi chucky falls into the darkness

[@Misfitboy1969]

I don't get it

[@MrMark85044]

What town is that @27:00 ?

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

Princeton IL

[@tombredestege5317]

I hope the zoom feature on your camera breaks....your films will be much better.

[@quentinratliff6782]

I love the shot of the full moon at 15:32

[@Guineapigboy790]

Quentin Ratliff drh sa. You r

[@swapnakovuri492]

Quentin Ratliff ,

[@carlsamuel5215]

Quentin Ratliff 6

[@elisavlog1057]

ElizabethH,L Trewyn 🐮🐅

[@jordantherailfanner7506]

Quentin Ratliff ikr

[@angeldavidorozco9450]

4:37 My favorite

[@MetraUPNWproductions7202]

Same. I love how engineers ignore quiet zones

[@anton29cseason22]

4 TRACKS??