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| Al Pawloski posted Hines Emerald Dragonfly! |
The nature preserve is the home of three endangered species:
Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, Blanding's Turtle, and Spotted Turtle. (Update: a different source lists the species as the Indiana Bat, the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, and the Blanding's Turtle.) [IndustrialHistory]I learned this line was called the "Bug Line" and "The Flats" in the comments of Al's Facebook postings.
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| Al Pawloski posted Al Pawloski posted Found this old pic I took a long time ago. Can you guess location? [It is so appropriate that it is a picture of a deer instead of a train in this nature posting about endangered species.] |
I guessed the correct location --- it is the triple track south of IL-7, photographed from "somewhere south of the route 7 overpass in Lockport, and facing south." [Al Pawloski] However, we cannot explain why the curve of the track is so much more dramatic in the photo than it appears in the satellite image.
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| Satellite |
The fact that some of the endangered animals are turtles provides more significance to one of the comments:
Skip Lind My all time favorite place to go, The flats, ease up there, turtles crossing.
Michael Bachmann commented on a posting:
Rick tells the bug story best but was a environmental nightmare and the woops transportation and M/W had to jump through. Just on story about it. Rick W. And I had to hi rail the line because the next day the bug watcher (tree huggers) were going to make one of their regular inspections. As we are traveling down the track, we see a dead turtle in the middle of the track and Rick asked me if we should throw the carcass into the weeds. I said no I did not see any reason, turtles get caught in the gage of the rail all the time. Well a couple of weeks later the tree hugger sent a letter requiring us to install turtle crossings with signs indicating the location of the crossings. A whole chapter of a book could be written on this alone.
Joel Kirchner Doesn't surprise me. It does take all the liability off the railroad if the turtle doesn't use the markefd crossing however. The attorneys those turtles hire are ruthless
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| safe_image for BABY BLANDING'S TURTLES DOING WELL ON ROAD TO RELEASE The Blanding's turtles were about the size of a quarter when they arrived and as they get bigger, live food will be introduced. They'll eventually be released into the wild as part of a regional effort to help this state-endangered species. |
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| Taken by Dillon Harrison in May, 2016 "on the end of what was the 'Bug Line' or Romeoville branch." |
'll tell you what I know about operating on the "Bug Line."Michael Bachmann When Will County began their venture of wanting to have coal delivered by railroad cars, it was barged in before that, the track and yard had to be built. We all ready had track to Material Service, the J sold the track to what was Comm Ed at the time, I think, from going down the hill by our main and the coal facility for $1 dollar so they could use a contractor to build and rebuild the track. Anyway before construction could start, permits had to be secured and that is when the Emerald Green Dragon Fly came into our lives. So because of the bug, engine speed in the environmental sensitive area had to be reduced between May and September, diapers on the locomotives, no tree or brush cutting unless the tree huggers approve it and if a oil spot was discovered on a tie or ballast, we would have to walk all the environmental track with a bucket and wipes to clean it up. One more note, all the ties used in this area were to be steel ties as opposed to treated wood. Remember one thing, these tree huggers were analysis out this area. There was a strike at the generation station one time and we used management people to move the coal in and out so I was playing conductor at night on a couple runs and it was hot, mosquitos in the headlight of the locomotive were thick but yet the bug people were out there taking some type samples.
The tracks only went as far as the limestone quarry in the beginning. The 3 tracks in the flats were used to set out empties and pick up loads of limestone. The quarry had their own engine that would move the cars to and from the quarry. Then Joliet yard crews would pick up at the flats and take the loads to the Joliet yard and drop off empties to be loaded.
Then the decision was made to extend that track down to Romeoville coal dumper. Almost the entire area from the time it leaves the J main line to the dumper is an environmentally sensitive area. It is a nature preserve for much of it and there is always wildlife present. I was only aware of the Emerald Green dragonfly but I've since read that there are two other endangered species involved.
Beginning on a certain date in the spring and ending on a certain date in the fall (I don't remember the dates) trains are only allowed to operate at 7 mph, down from the normal 10 mph. This speed reduction was apparently a compromise with the environmental people so trains could operate through there. I've never talked to an environmental person down there but I can tell you that to my knowledge every J crew that operated at 7 mph thought it was a bunch of BS. We were supposed to believe that those dragonflies were unable to avoid a train at 10 mph or maybe there were other reasons I don't really know.
Now for some fun. I had a student running the engines and we were returning back to the J mainline lite. So the student asks me, "Have you ever seen one of those endangered Emerald Green dragonflies?" I jumped up out of my seat and stomped on the floor as if I was killing one and said, "There's one of those little green bastards." He was taken aback at first but then he caught me laughing and the answer was, yes I had seen a few.
We had another environmental situation in West Chicago. The J and the Union Pacific wanted to put in a wye from the Union Pacific yard to the J mainline right near the J tower. This would make the interchange between the two railroads much easier than having the UP shove out onto our siding. Now I don't know the exact story here but I was told that the UP knew they would be denied permission to put the track in because they would need to go right through a swamp to install it. I'm not sure if they applied for the permit first or not but what they did do was put down the base and ballast to lay the track on, apparently without permission. The area stayed just like that for a couple of months and I hear the UP went to court, paid a $10,000 fine and since the damage was done, then got the permit to complete the work. Pretty cagy and it looked to me like they had played that game before.
Just another day on the J.
If anyone wants to correct my facts please do in the interest of getting it right.
William O'Neal StringerWilliam and 2 others manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Friends of The EJ&E RR. In some areas the ties would pump and create "mud volcanoes" there were several of them.
Michael Bachmann The steel tie had a 2 - 1 inch weep hole on top and since this area was a swamp, just like you said, a volcano.
Mike Schattl I would've thought it be much easier for UP to build the interchange track alongside Rt.38 (Roosevelt Rd.) and have it connect with the J north of Wilson Road......This would fit in with the proposed Global 3 yard and as a bonus, trains would've been able to access the east end via the now abandoned BN branch into town but, alas the NIMBY's took the idea and ran with it
William O'Neal StringerWilliam and 2 others manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Friends of The EJ&E RR. Don't forget the bean counters, they influence things quite a bit as well.
Mike Schattl I do remember that switch being put in north of JB Tower after UP had to give up having Global 3 in West Chicago......It sat there for at least 9 months before the wye was built. As for the wetlands issue, I was under the impression that they were contaminated moons ago by Kerr McGee with radioactivity so a rail line through it would've been the least of their concerns.
William O'Neal StringerWilliam and 2 others manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Friends of The EJ&E RR. When they went through there and decontaminated the area they didn't get as far as the tower so that might not have been an issue.
Dillion Harrison posted the question:
I recall reading an article a while back about units that were “equipped with special drip pans” and were the only units allowed to run down the Bug Line through the Marsh. I understand there was a special species of dragon fly that was down there. What was real with this special “drip pans”? Were these on the former DM&IR units?
Bob Tarlini Yes, they started on the DM&IR units so they did not drip oil in the environmentally protected area. They were tanks added to the bottom of the locos. They were eventually added to all the locos.
Jeff Delhaye Sounds like tanks to capture the oil and condensate from the "air box drains" on EMD's. On most early EMD's, there was a tiny tank built into the block, that was "supposed" to be drained on a fairly often basis, but would overflow onto the ground if it got full. Most railroads nowadays have added larger tanks, down near the fuel tank, to capture this overflow.
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| Dillon Harrison commented on his posting The reason why I was confused was the fact that they were labeled “drip pans”, In my 3 years of working on units, I never came across any sort of drip pan. They’re Eco Tanks. They are welded directly on to the rear end of the fuel tank and are plumbed to the Sump. Rather than the sump dripping right onto the ground, The drippings, Oil, Water what have you, Drain into the eco tank. Here’s the Eco tank on the 814. |
Halsted Pazdzio posted seven photos with the comment: "Well you don't see this very often. A pair of IC SD70's head down the Romeoville lead to grab a couple of covered hoppers from Hanson Material Services. The line stretches to Romeoville and connects to the Leithton Sub in Crest Hill. 3/24/19"
[Hanson Material Services must now be Rocks Etc because they are the only material usage facility along here that still has tracks. And this is a reminder that CN bought both IC and EJ&E. Halsted grabbed several photos of the locos because they are rare. Not only do they still have an IC paint livery, the SD70's have standard (skinny) cabs.]
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The second photo was taken looking north from IL-7:
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| Street View |
Thomas Fabianski posted two photos with the comment:
The Bug Line.
ATCS showed something go out of CN's Joliet Yard and onto the Romeoville Branch, and since I was already in the area, I figured why not check it out. Assuming it was UP Power going to pick-up the as needed Coal Train from the Will County plant, I didnt think much until I saw a Repainted IC SD70 with cars for Material Services. This local runs as needed and sets out empty covered hoppers to fill with Coal Ash, then picks up the loads and returns to Joliet Yard.
Taken 4/28/2019
Mark Egebrecht Was this taken off Renwick Road?
Thomas Fabianski
Yes it was off of Renwick (or 9th st whatever its called before 53)
Mark Egebrecht TWhere does that trackage lead to?
Thomas Fabianski The Bug line goes to 2 places:
1 being Material Services which is about a half mile down where the line splits.
2 being the Will County coal burning refinery about 4 miles away.
Its hard to tell all the twists and turns without Google Maps because after Renwick Road, the line is hidden behind trees on both sides.
UP pushing an empty coal train on Dec 16, 2020
Thomas Fabianski
Yes it was off of Renwick (or 9th st whatever its called before 53)Mark Egebrecht TWhere does that trackage lead to?
Thomas Fabianski
The Bug line goes to 2 places:1 being Material Services which is about a half mile down where the line splits.
2 being the Will County coal burning refinery about 4 miles away.
Its hard to tell all the twists and turns without Google Maps because after Renwick Road, the line is hidden behind trees on both sides.
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| Halsted Pazdzior posted GT on the "Bug Line". GTW 4924 pulls a cut of hoppers along the bug line. 12/8/19 Andy Puch Huge train Halsted Pazdzior very huge Ted Fisk How often do trains go through there. Halsted Pazdzior Ted Fisk usually once a week on the CN side. They drop off cars for Hanson and then go further down and drop off coal ash hoppers for NRG/ will county |
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| Halsted Pazdzior posted A loaded coal train heads towards the NRG Will County Generating Station. After having caught the Will County Coal Handling in the past it was my goal to grab the actual delivery by Union Pacific. 2/1/20 Evan Walker It looks like they finally trimmed back the weeds. John Sheskier Only because guys refused to bring cars down there. Adam Powell I'm surprised the UP runs this line to the plant. I thought WCCH power would bring the train in. Those locos look to big for that line.[This photos is not redundant because this is a coal train. I read years ago that the small units were going to be shut down and the big units converted to natural gas. Given Halsted's date, it is obvious that at least one of the units at the Will County Generating Station is still burning coal.] |
UP pushing an empty coal train on Dec 16, 2020
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| Halsted Pazdzior posted Illinois Central 9622 (GP38-2) sorts cars on the Bug Line. It looks like they have been doing some controlled burning as it is much more open these days compared to even a year ago. The bug Line, or Romeoville lead as it is now called, is one of my favorite locations to shoot. The Bug Line is nestled in the middle of Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and is one of the more scenic lines in the area. 3/29/20 Evan Walker Did they finally clear up the tracks here? Halsted Pazdzior Evan Walker controlled Burns. Evan Walker Halsted Pazdzior The line now look serviceable lol Michael Steffen It was originally known as the Paul Ayles Branch. Later, after the gravel pit became Material Service, it was called the Material Service Lead. When the. Will County Generating station was to receive unit coal trains and the branch was sold to MWG the branch became known as the Romeoville Lead. Junior Hill Where do these cars go to? Thought they just ran coal thru here? Great shot. Halsted Pazdzior Junior Hill covered hoppers go to NRG Will County for coal ash, open hoppers are for Hanson/ Rocks Etc. Tank car I'm not too sure. Michael Steffen The yard was known as the Flats when the railroad was still the J. |
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| safe_image for The Journey to Save a Turtle "Dan Thompson, right, with his team in the DuPage County marshes. Photo courtesy of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County." A great story on the regional Blanding’s turtle recovery program, which aims to help this state-endangered species. We're so glad to be working together with other organizations on this important project. We get hatchlings, then care for them for about a year, helping them grow big and strong before they are released into the wild. By giving them a head start, we increase their chances of survival in the wild. |
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| "Thompson, center, at a 2017 hatchling release. Photo courtesy of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County." |
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| "By the end of the year, Thompson predicts that his program will have hatched nearly 3,900 Blanding’s turtles. Photo courtesy of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County." |
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| safe_image for Helping the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly |
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| 1 of 13 photos posted by Forest Preserve District of DuPage County The amazing canine Finders and their human Keepers from Conservation Dogs Collective joined us again this week to conduct training! They're helping us hunt for endangered Blanding's turtles in the forest preserves - specifically, gravid females. We want to be able to find them before predators are able to take their eggs. By recovering eggs and raising hatchlings in captivity, they will have a much higher rate of survival that they would otherwise. So how do you train a dog to find a rare turtle? Well it involves a lot of treats (including cheese). Dogs are given a treat after they smell the Blanding's turtle up close. It then turns into a game of hide and seek, as the turtles are hid in the grass and the dogs have to find them. Their behavior keeps getting reinforced until they learn that finding a turtle results in a reward! Training is only the first step. They'll be back later this year to hopefully find Blanding's turtles in the wild, and ultimately help this rare reptile recover their population numbers. 🐾🐢💚 |
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