There's Trains And Locomotives Of EVERY KIND In Galesburg, IL!

In todays video, we see rare locomotive models, foreign power, yard operations, and a very overpowered Amtrak.
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[@GOLDENPKG]

the C44-9W with the square cab from like GP40-2Ws made my brain feel like “task failed successfully.”

[@ih1440]

The 2955 is the lone 4-axle trimmer unit that lives at Galesburg. Sometimes it is used to build trains. It usually works the Y GAL104, 204, and sometimes 306 jobs, spotting customers within yard control limits. Still a Y symbol, not an R or L symbol. They have tried to get rid of the 4-axle a few times over the years, but some industry tracks like over at Westrock require 4-axle power.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Interesting, is a trimmer unit different than a switcher unit?

[@ih1440]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Trimmer is what we call the yard jobs that build the outbound trains. The Hump takes inbound cars off the receiving tracks (R&D's) and pushes them over the hump into the bowl, sorting them into "lanes." Then the Trimmer pulls cars out of the bowl and assembles them into outbound trains on the Departure tracks. Basically, the hump handles inbound cars and the trimmer handles outbound cars. The 104, 204, and 306 jobs are trimmer jobs that usually are tasked with serving local customers in town, spotting b/o cars to the RIP, doing miscellaneous support chores to keep the terminal running smoothly like spotting the sand car at the service track, sometimes spotting the fuel cars, and occasionally building smaller trains when needed. Sometimes, on windy days, there will also be a trimmer unit to clean up the south end of the bowl, when the wind sometimes stops cars early, before they can couple into the other cars on their bowl track. The Hump and Trimmer units are different from each other in that they are set up for the type of service they perform. The Hump units are set up to maintain a constant ground speed (think, pacesetter or cruise control) and the trimmer units are set up control the power output of the locomotive while flat switching (you can press the gas harder for more acceleration, so to speak). The Hump units are also set up with transponders and pullback protection, and the hump lead is an RCL zone - so nobody has to protect the point when pulling cars down the hump lead. They have CANAC software that is specific to their type of service, operate on specific radio frequencies, and have different beltpacks for hump and flat switching use. They are all CANAC RCL units, specifically assigned and set up for our terminal. The Hump and Trimmer units have their plows raised - mandatory on the hump units because they regularly go over the retarders, but we try to keep them raised on all the yard units in the case that a trimmer unit would have to make it over the retarders also. This requires a waiver from the FRA to be placed on the blue card for each of these units. In theory, any unit can be a switcher unit - even a brand new GE unit. The bottom steps on all of them is an FRA-compliant "switching step." But the units that are used in Hump and Trimmer service here are specially assigned.

[@achannelaboutplayinggamesa2025]

​@@Southern_Plains_Railfan the gen set switchers belonged to Port terminal railroad i saw them before but where are the other ones

[@stephensalloum7763]

​@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Ive Seen An Old CN Dash 9 with The Canadian Cab

[@VeritechCEO]

Fun little fact. The UP Roseville Yard, in California, still has a turntable, but the Roundhouse is gone. You can even see it in Google maps, at the engine shops on the north end of the yard.

[@railsofontario3029]

CN still uses Cabless/Slug units in shunting service or small local freights. Also the CN C44-9WL is a cool locomotive I’m glad I’ve seen one still in BC Rail colours!

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Interesting, I’d like to see one. Same, I caught BC Rail 4644 at Galesburg a few month back.

[@Cnw8701]

Nice! I caught two C44-9WLs myself: one in BC colors, and one that was repainted into CN colors, but with BCOL reporting marks on the sides of the cab. Of all places to catch those rare units, I caught one on the BNSF El Paso Sub and the other on the UP Sunset Route where I live in El Paso, TX.

[@kens.3729]

Galesburg is definitely BNSF Country and it’s Cool the Transcon makes it’s way through this Area. 👍🙏

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

I totally agree!

[@MikeG42]

Excellent video. I love the old CN 9-44CWL unit in the North America map paint scheme. 😁👍

[@kevinrichards3288]

It's awesome to see so many engines in different color paint schemes.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

For sure!

[@bnsfgevoproductions]

I've actually seen a Cascade Green BNSF covered hopper, actually quite a few. One time when I was in Elementary school, I'd lookout and see oncoming trains during Recess with this one time that I saw a Cascade Green BNSF covered hopper as a buffer car on an oil train.

[@easternrailproductions]

awesome catches! 7601 in your catch had a different panel. They must of token it from an H2.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you! Yeah, I noticed that, reminds me of that H2 engine I saw one time with a BNSF warbonnet door.

[@beeble2003]

That local with the Geep is pretty interesting. Your eye was caught by the green BN hopper, but there's also an ATSF hopper (which seem to be much rarer than BN) and a bunch of condemned cars.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Yeah, I would have liked to mentioned all that stuff but the video was starting to run long.

[@beeble2003]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Fair enough!

[@NorthernAlbertaRailfanner]

4:49 you are right about that, but the C44-9WLs have been common here ever since september last year and it was amazing, i even got 2513 leading a train and the horn was awesome. the C44-9WL action stopped this year and i only seen two. I'm thinking that they will be scrapped real soon from what i hear.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Dang, that sucks. At least you got to see a good portion of them before they’re gone for good.

[@NorthernAlbertaRailfanner]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan I agree, not 100% sure if they will be scrapped yet but they are pretty old so I'd have to assume they probably will soon. So yeah, it's nice to see them before they are gone.

[@Kansas-Trains]

Very Cool Video Brother and I used to work for the CN/GTW Railroad out of Chicago at the very beginning of 2000 for years and it was one of the best Class 1's I ever worked for as a Locomotive Engineer. Not that it matters to anyone but it was an experience of a lifetime for sho 😊😁🙏🇺🇸

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

That’s awesome! What made it such a good railroad to work for?

[@Kansas-Trains]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan We were in the middle of the Illinois Central merger into the CN and we worked on local Collective Bargaining Agreements vs The National Agreements that most of the Class 1's were working under. 13 Paid personal days a year in addition to your vacation time. $38 an hour for the first 10 hours and every minute after that was OT until you tied up. Regular assignments with at least 1 day guaranteed off a week.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Awesome video from the Galesburg Illinois area. Lots of rail action in that area for sure. Have to get back down there soon it's been a couple years. Enjoyed watching and have a wonderful rest of your Friday.(Steve)

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you! For sure, there’s barley time to sit down there’s so many trains! You enjoy your Friday as well!

[@DRrailfanning3115]

You are right about the C44-9WL, but I am pretty sure all of CN's C44-9WLs are in the map scheme

[@ih1440]

The BRC units have been moving between the BRC and NRE Mt Vernon for work

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Interesting

[@Masklavafox]

The Mpi 1500D are EX PDRA with MPRX reporting mark number 9606 and 9618

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Oh ok, thank you.

[@CRR211]

It’s always a good day when you upload! (And an even better day when you’re at Galesburg)

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you so much!

[@RNP688]

1:55 Woah look at that N in the BNSF

[@ph11p3540]

Pretty rare to see a mixed manifest CN trains in my City. Most are all unit tank car trains, sea land stackers and non stop hoppers. Thats because most trains are reassembled in my city as cross country trains. My city is full of chemical and oil refineries and its common to set up 200 tank car trains out of Edmonton through Winnipeg before going straight to Sardina Onterio or shouth towards Louisiana

[@NoewerrATall]

You have a good way of explaining how things work of the railroad. Would you be willing do do a video all about hand signals?

[@yogiperogy]

The 2-unit locomotive set at the beginning could have done without the wye had someone had the sense to connect them tail-to-tail instead of nose-to-tail.

[@cxmx3295]

Those are some sweet catches.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you!

[@Toyotaprius78]

​​@@Southern_Plains_Railfan0:39 looks like that train got into a wreck if you noticed it it's half h3 and h2 so bnsf is kind of slacking

[@cxmx3295]

That was engine that was turning around on the Y

[@santafewarbonnetproductions]

1:34 the old roundhouse and turntable used to sit right next to the Wye

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Really? When was it torn down?

[@Runt3132]

Some of the cars behind 2955 have stickers that read "CONDEMNED" and also have their reporting marks crossed out. This means that they are at the end of their service life and will be scrapped at a railcar scrapyard which is owned by Progress Rail south of Galesburg. The gondolas on the return trip are likely full of scrapped railcars off to be recycled and turned into new products.

[@cxmx3295]

And also, I just noticed this the first engine the N in BNSF is golden instead of black.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Yeah, that panel came off an H2 engine.

[@cxmx3295]

Cool

[@TheRealRajo6466]

0:32 kinda intresting that gevo use a engine door panel from a stock Dash 9

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Yeah, sometimes the railroad just uses whatever they have lying around.

[@Toyotaprius78]

​@@Southern_Plains_Railfan they can be quite lazy sometimes but idc lol

[@TheRealRajo6466]

​@@Toyotaprius78 most of the class 1 railroads are indeed lazy for the most part :P Nowadays only money they care, they dont really care with thier locomotives and even thier employee's

[@c44-9w9]

That first train the gevo had a h1 door

[@ih1440]

MPEX for that 9606 and 9618

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Are those the red Gensets?

[@ih1440]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Yes. They're not getsets though, they are conventional diesel electric locomotives. MK MP1500's

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

@@ih1440 oh, ok. I’ve never seen anything other than Gensets with that body style. Thanks for the info!

[@AlikStansberry]

I know that BNSF usually uses GP60Bs on locals with their GP60Ms counterparts while the SD40-2Bs are in hump sets often. It’s still great to see B units in use all together. I always like seeing Canadian cab Dash 9s like that and wish they weren’t so rare. Do you have any status updates for that one yellowbonnet GP60? I forgot its number, but I’m guessing it’s just being rebuilt.

[@ih1440]

169 is the GP60 you are talking about. It was rebuilt at Topeka and placed into local service without getting paint because there is a crunch for 4-axle PTC power with the HLCX leases expiring.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Yeah, BNSF likes to make regular use of their b-units (that are still in service at least) Me too! Out of the thousands of locomotive I’ve seen, I’ve only ever seen 3 Canadian Cabs. Yellowbonnet 195, the one in my intro? Sorry, I don’t have any updates on it. That’s my guess too, it’s either being rebuilt or scrapped.

[@thatcallisto]

Fantastic video! Good lord, that’s a lotta P42s - the Amtrak that blows through here usually only has two going north in the morning (usually a P42 and one of the brand new ALC-42 Chargers, we had the first one #300 back in October) and a lonely SC-44 on the southbound.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you! Yeah, I’ve never seen that many engines on an Amtrak before. How come y’all’s Amtrak only has one engine on the southbound but two on the northbound?

[@thatcallisto]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan if I had to guess, either the times I saw two on the northbound were anomalies, or they're two different trains running to/from different points entirely?

[@stephensalloum7763]

​@@thatcallistoThe P42's Will Still Remain in Service On Corridor Routes

[@SD40-2]

Amazing video we get good action here to in Utah

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Thank you! What railroads are in Utah other than UP and BNSF?

[@SD40-2]

We have Utah railway, Amtrak, Front runner and and a lot of switching railroads like SSRX or UCRW

[@yogiperogy]

Where I’m from the nuisance of using a wye is obviated by having loco pairs used tail-to-tail so there’s a cab at both ends.

[@Gunnartucker9]

The Canadian national locomotive looks like arkansas and missouri locomotive with bell front of cab

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Interesting, I didn’t know they had bells on the cab on the A&M.

[@Gunnartucker9]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan yes

[@BNSFUNIONPACIFIC23]

The 1st BNSF engine has a mix matched long hoos

[@redtrainproductions]

0:39 what going on with 7601’s logo 😂

[@Afoamer]

10:23 The 2 Red Genset Switcher locomotives Are Former PTRA Units That Used to operated here in South East Houston

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Interesting, thanks for the info!

[@Afoamer]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan NP

[@beeble2003]

Isn't the loco you call a "bluebonnet" actually a yellowbonnet? I thought bluebonnet was the previous Santa Fe all-blue paint scheme?

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

The way I understand it, the term bluebonnet and yellowbonnet are interchangeable these days.

[@imakerandomvideos14]

Hi there! Have you ever caught an Arizona & California? they have good engines themselves but gonna replace the EMD with non-logo dash 9s.

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Hello! The only thing I’ve seen from the Arizona and California railroad was a Genset and a GP-40 sitting in a yard in San Diego. That’s cool that their getting Dash-9’s, I like it when small railroads use large road engines like that.

[@johnnydodd9919]

Can you do a vidio sometime about how a wye works

[@williamflowersrailfannerpr3808]

Ex Burlington Northern hopper

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Possibly, it could also be an early merger hopper, like BNSF warbonnets with Santa Fe cigar bands on the nose.

[@Cnw8701]

I'd hate to be an annoying nerd who keeps correcting people, but GEVOs have 12-cylinder engines. But still, yelling commands would be a pain over the roar of those engines! 🤣😅 Where I work, it's loud enough sometimes to where you can't even hear anyone over the radio, so you literally have to get in someone's face and shout at them!

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Oh, I thought all modern road engines had V-16’s. Thanks for letting me know.

[@Cnw8701]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Nope. GEVOs have GEVO-12 prime movers. The Dash 8s, Dash 9s, and AC Series units all have 16-cylinder 7FDL-16 engines.

[@AceGuy3102]

GEVOs have v12s 1:10

[@kaisanhoque6976]

Steam engines: I guess I’m nobody 😢

[@domin8r12]

2nd!

[@Toyotaprius78]

6:57 I hate how those cars are not aligned AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÀ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÀ

[@lyrikplaysroblox]

did bnsf ban aces from leading train [yes or no?]

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

They only banned ACEs with non-isolated cabs (aka thundercabs) from leading trains, because of noise complaints from the crew.

[@lyrikplaysroblox]

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan k

[@dananderson2073]

big N BNSF

[@Southern_Plains_Railfan]

Yeah, that panel came off an H2 engine.