T.G.'s Photography Blog

BNSF 4779 leads a grain train north under I-255, on the Chester Subdivision at CP D009.   Back in 2006 it was common to see BNSF trackage rights trains on Union Pacific's Chester Subdivision . I'm not sure if it is still the case today, as I've been away from the St. Louis area for many years now. Above, BNSF 4779 is leading this northbound grain train at Control Point (CP) D009 at Columbia, Illinois. A short while later, the train passes under CP D006's old Missouri Pacific cantilever signal bridges at UP's Dupo Yard. BNSF 4779 passes under the cantilever signal bridges at CPD006, at Dupo Yard. Photographs taken on July 23, 2006, at Columbia, IL., and Dupo, IL.

LLPX 2285 and UP 2531 - Dupo, IL Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX) 2285 and Union Pacific (UP) 2531 sit nose-to-nose in Union Pacific's Dupo Yard , along the Chester Subdivision. The locomotives were idle while awaiting their next switching duty in the yard. The tracks in the foreground, one of which is only partially show, are the two mainline tracks of the Chester Subdivision. LLPX 2285 and UP 2531 LLPX 2285 has been owned by a number of railroad companies. It was originally built for the Penn Central Railroad as, PC 7963. It was also owned and operated by Conrail, as CR 7963, when Conrail took over the failed Penn Central Railroad. It has also served as EMDX 763 (an EMD demonstrator unit), and was at one time owned by Union Pacific, as UP 1920. Both LLPX 2285 and UP 2531 are EMD built GP38-2 models. LLPX 2285 was built in June 1972, while UP 2531 was built in January 1966, according to information at RR Picture Archives. Dupo Yard Dupo Yard was originally a Miss...

UP 8108 at Dupo Yard While waiting for a new crew, Union Pacific 8108 sits at the north end of Dupo Yard on an empty coal train. Once the train has a new crew it will proceed north on UP's Chester Subdivision to Valley Junction in East St. Louis, IL. From there it'll head west for the long trek back to the Powder River Coal Basin in Wyoming. November 2, 2005. Dupo, Illinois. Photo © Tom Gatermann. All rights reserved.

After waiting for a new crew, Union Pacific 6510 gets the green signal to proceed south under the old cantilever type signal bridge , on UP's Chester Subdivision at Dupo Yard. This old signal bridge was still standing the last time I was in Dupo, circa 2014. It is located along Main Street, at Lindeman Avenue.  Photograph taken on November 2, 2005, at Dupo, Illinois.

Union Pacific 6510 sits on the point of a loaded coal train that is sitting on the mainline in UP's Dupo Yard. The train had been waiting for a new crew before heading south on the Chester Subdivision. Photo take: November 2, 2005. Dupo, Illinois. Photo © Tom Gatermann

November 2, 2005. Dupo, Illinois. As a stack train rolls south under the old cantilever style signal in Dupo Yard, UP 6510 sits waiting for the green so its train can also head south on the Chester Subdivision. The train streaking by is a stack train, however, I can't remember if it was going north or south. Photo © Tom Gatermann.

March 18, 2006. Dupo, Illinois. Union Pacific 1982 (the MoPac heritage unit) sits on the point of train IHOYC-17, in UP's Dupo Yard. The train was waiting to depart and head north to Yard Center, near Chicago, Illinois. Photo © Tom Gatermann.

March 18, 2006. Dupo, Illinois. Union Pacific 1982 sits on the point of train IHOYC-17, in UP's Dupo Yard. Photo © Tom Gatermann.

UP 1982, UP 1988, and UP 4859 - Train IHOYC-17 - Dupo Yard Union Pacific (UP) 1982, UP 1988, and UP 4859 are on the point of train I-HOYC-17, as the train sits in UP's Dupo Yard . UP 1982 and UP 1988 are two of Union Pacific's heritage locomotive fleet, and commemorate the Missouri Pacific Railroad and Missouri, Kansas, & Texas Railroad ("The Katy"). I-HOYC is an inter-modal train  that runs between Houston, Texas, and Yard Center (near Chicago, Illinois). The train's normal routing brings it through the St. Louis area via Dupo, Illinois. Photograph taken: March 18, 2006, at Dupo, Illinois.

UP 9513 - Dupo, IL On a cold winter's day, Union Pacific (UP) 9513 rolls north toward the tower in UP's Dupo Yard , on the Chester Subdivision. From here the train would make its way north toward the TRRA's Valley Junction in East. St. Louis, Illinois. Photo taken: January 9, 2005, at Dupo, Illinois.

Y696 and UP 7240 next to the Dupo Yard tower - Dupo, IL. Union Pacific (UP) Y696 works a switch job in UP's Dupo Yard in January 2005. In the distance is UP 7240, on the point of a southbound train that was being re-crewed. Once the train has a new crew it will head south on UP's Chester Subdivision. Dupo Yard is Union Pacific's intermodal facility for the St. Louis area. Photograph taken: January 9, 2005, at Dupo, Illinois.

UP 5963, UP 7011, and UP 5995 Union Pacific 5963 and Union Pacific 5995 sit on the point of their respective trains in the holding yard known as Bixby, on the southern end Union Pacific's Dupo Yard.Once these trains have been refueled and re-crewed, they will head south on the Union Pacific's Chester Subdivision.  Photo taken: December 28, 2004. Bixby, Illinois.