Life Throws a Curve (or two) || T-Shirt Winner || Rochelle Recon

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:05]Well, guys, it's about time I got this video out.

[00:00:08]I shot the footage on here over a month ago.

[00:00:12]Uh, I went down.

[00:00:14]I'm just dying to catch out, and I went down to Rochelle, Illinois, where the, you know, the famous rail park is, where the diamond, where the Burlington Northerns, Northern Transcon, and the Union Pacific's overland route cross at the fantastic Double Diamond there.

[00:00:39]I went down there, because I kind of wanted to see if maybe that was a place I could catch out from without going all the way to Chicago.

[00:00:49]So I just kind of wanted to go down and investigate.

[00:00:52]And it's fascinating how that area works, because it's what's they consider to be a first come, 1st serve, crossing.

[00:01:02]So whichever train happens to get to the signal first gets to cross first.

[00:01:09]And so a lot of times, trains get trapped there.

[00:01:13]waiting for their turn to go across a diamond.

[00:01:16]And I really was wanting to see how the trains are westbound, where they stop, exactly, so that if I did go down there, I would know where maybe I could catch out from.

[00:01:29]And I kind of sorted that out a bit, Global 3 is located there, and you'll see in the video.

[00:01:38]It was a big intermodal facility, but now it's much less of an intermodal facility, and much more of just a block switching operation.

[00:01:48]And there is a couple of trains, I guess, I should say, there are a couple of trains that originate there.

[00:01:54]One, I believe, goes to North Platte on a daily basis, and I could probably catch out on that and make it to at least Clinton, Iowa, and wait for another train there.

[00:02:06]But anyway, uh, the reason I haven't been posting or riding trains is because it's been a, uh, a tough year so far for Terri.

[00:02:20]She's really gone through a couple of things that have required hospitalizations, and just not good.

[00:02:31]Anyway, it's been a very difficult time for her.

[00:02:36]She's gone through some delirium.

[00:02:39]Um, they think maybe because of uh, UTIs, which I didn't know could affect your brain, but apparently it's quite common in uh, older women for to have that happen, that when you're old, like both of us are, uh, anytime you have an internal infection, the blood brain barrier isn't what it used to be, and because of your age, and it makes you susceptible to delirium, from in And, uh, it's affected her twice, and she doesn't know who she is, where she is.

[00:03:18]I thought she was having a stroke, but, uh, anyway, both times, it's required hospitalization, um, intravenous antibiotics, antibiotics, and then it's a couple of days until she even begins to be herself.

[00:03:37]And then, uh, you know, I think both times she's been hospitalized four or five days.

[00:03:42]And then once she gets home, it's another few days until she's herself.

[00:03:48]But in any case, it's gotten to the point where she has a very difficult time.

[00:03:56]operating on her own, and she depends on me.

[00:04:00]So, uh, I won't be going anywhere for a while.

[00:04:03]My kids, fortunately, are educators, and do get time off in the summer.

[00:04:10]And they will act as caretakers in my stead.

[00:04:15]So, you know, fingers crossed.

[00:04:19]I'll be catching out.

[00:04:20]Anyway, the rest of the video is about Rochelle and my trip down there.

[00:04:28]And then I will do some rail fanning as I get the opportunity and post some videos about that as I do these recon operations to figure out where I'm going to go, because I can't wait.

[00:04:40]You know, it's just one of those, one of those things.

[00:04:43]In the meantime, I'll do a drawing and post a name in the video.

[00:04:49]edit it in for somebody that's won a t-shirt, and I'll keep that drawing going, because I do have some t-shirts left.

[00:04:56]And I just got to say thanks to Andrew Russell, who sent me the shirt I'm wearing now.

[00:05:02]I don't know if you can see it.

[00:05:03]It says, uh, Tipperary pub on it.

[00:05:07]And on the back, it says, making “pour”, you know, “pour” decisions since 1971.

[00:05:14]And he sent me another shirt also, a beautiful, heavy, long sleeve, gorgeous red shirt from his marine construction company, and just, and a pocket knife, just little things he sent my way, thinking of me.

[00:05:31]So Andrew, thanks.

[00:05:32]I do appreciate that.

[00:05:34]very much.

[00:05:36]Anyway, I'll keep that entry going for T-shirts, and I hope that everybody's doing well, and fingers crossed, Terri will keep improving, and maybe, who knows, maybe you'll get lucky, and I can get out, before this summer.

[00:05:55]But we'll see.

[00:05:57]anyway.

[00:05:58]Stay tuned for the rest of Rochelle.

[00:06:01]I was gonna do some drone footage and just goof around here.

[00:06:09]I'm curious where the Union Pacific trains stop when they're waiting on the diamond.

[00:06:17]This Burlington train stopped right in the right in town.

[00:06:23]But it's a short one, so it wasn't blocking any rail crossings.

[00:06:38]But anyway, it's crazy windy today.

[00:06:46]So I'm not gonna get the drone out.

[00:06:51]I don't think.

[00:06:53]We'll see.

[00:06:54]If it calms down a little bit, I will.

[00:06:57]Well, I can see a train.

[00:07:01]Headlight, way down there.

[00:07:03]So there's a train gonna be coming.

[00:07:07]Oh, let's go pick a spot out to watch it here.

[00:07:12]I'm pretty sure it was beyond the bridge down there.

[00:08:01]Unloading number there.

[00:08:07]A little yard of some kind over here.

[00:08:14]To reverse, switching flags.

[00:08:26]So going south after crossing the Union Pacific tracks, the Burlington Northern tracks turn and go south after crossing the diamond, and we're running along, those tracks are off to my right, off to the west side of the road here.

[00:08:43]And this is kind of an industrial area for Rochelle, so there's some railroad yards here, where the Burlington Northern, and the Burlington Junction and the Union Pacific, interchange cars.

[00:09:00]So they both do work here in this area.

[00:09:03]But over here in this part of town.

[00:09:08]where the Burlington Northern trains stop and wait their turn.

[00:09:12]We're coming to that area where I saw him stop here in a second.

[00:09:36]BNSF 7897 West, calling foreman Campbell Forman Campbell, in charge of form B 44, 92.

[00:09:44]Today's date, Aurora, South, between my post, 82.8, mile post, 86.6, main tracks one and two BNSF, 7897 West, may exceed, max speed limit, and otherwise, it's signals outside the red board, mile post 82.8, main track one, all mean and equipment in the clear over.

[00:09:58]All right, forman Campbell's given the bnsf 7897 west, main track one permission, to do pass restrictions 44, 92, Aurora sub, today's date, between, mile post, 86.8 Okay, battery, flag, 82.8, without stopping, maximize, restricted, man.

[00:10:19]That is all correct.

[00:10:21]Have a good day.

[00:10:21]All right, cheers away.

[00:10:22]Thank you.

[00:10:26]Dispatcher forman Campbell, over Foreman Campbell answering Like to normal that switch at flag center over. Okay, to normal the switch at flag center over. Roger Roger So I can see he's got a high ball.

[00:10:57]on that signal right there.

[00:11:03]But he's sitting down here.

[00:11:09]Here he comes now.

[00:11:45]Once he gets into town, it's no horns, in Rochelle.

[00:13:22]So this is Global 3, just outside of Rochelle.

[00:13:28]I'm just kind of scoping everything out to see... if there's places that are... easier to catch out of than Chicago.

[00:13:40]This looks pretty secure, though.

[00:13:43]Everything's fenced in.

[00:13:45]I've never seen them actually working containers here.

[00:13:52]But I see lots of empty containers.

[00:13:55]I just don't see any equipment to load them or unload them.

[00:14:04]So I think they use this yard more for block switching operations... than actually doing intermodal work.

[00:14:21]But obviously, I don't know.

[00:14:41]So looking back towards Rochelle... There was one intermodal string.

[00:14:56]It looks like it was maybe loaded here.

[00:15:05]Hard to tell.

[00:15:27]Well, they just... disconnected the power off that string.

[00:15:39]I'm guessing it's clear down on the other end.

[00:15:42]Let's take a look here.

[00:21:11]I think this is the North Platte train, leaving out a Global 3.

[00:21:15]If I'm not mistaken, it's a daily train.

[00:22:12]What the green sign says down there?

[00:22:16]I’ll see if I can zoom in on it enough There's quite a bit of... activity around Rochelle.

[00:22:44]So I noticed that there was a UP stack train blocking the diamond.

[00:22:48]I think they were pulling into the Global 3 facility, maybe to pick up some cars or drop some off.

[00:22:54]And so, because that diamond is blocked, burlington northern has to stop somewhere while they wait their turn.

[00:23:04]And this seems to be the spot right here.

[00:23:10]A little gas turbine generator right there.

[00:23:16]But it's an industrial area of Rochelle here.

[00:23:20]So... the Hub City does seem to be a bit of an industrial hub here.

[00:23:29]There's some meat packing and other food processing out here.

[00:23:34]That facility I'm looking at right there is loads refrigerator cars, I see.

[00:23:43]So they must be a cold storage place of some kind.

[00:23:50]So, yeah.

[00:23:52]Interesting thing is.

[00:23:56]It looks like the signal... for that train... is yellow... but it's sitting.

[00:24:10]So I don't know if they have to have some kind of verbal go ahead to cross a diamond, or how that works, or why that signal would be yellow, as opposed to red.

[00:24:21]red red And I see a freddy flashing down there.

[00:24:30]Who knows?

[00:24:32]We'll go back down by the diamond.

[00:24:35]We'll catch this guy come across when UP clears it.

[00:24:38]I think the wind's died down enough, I can get the drone up.