Bloomer is a rather famous shortline because it uses a CB&Q inspired livery.
Ken Morrison posted three photos with the comment: "Bloomer Line train spending the holiday weekend in beautiful downtown Charlotte, IL (NOT NC, lol)."
Paul Jones Just wait till Tuesday when 4 motors and 70 cars head south to Sibley to scale and top off before heading back to the CN in Gibson City.
Dennis DeBruler Thanks for the insight that not all rail served grain elevators need railroad scales.
Paul Jones Dennis DeBruler Bloomer and Alliance Grain are looking into up grading two elevators and the tracks to them so cars can be loaded to full capacity at each instead of part way then topping off at another. Probably won't happen for a year or so but is in the planning stage as of now.
Dennis DeBruler Paul Jones I forgot that it is not just a scale issue. The track needs to be able to handle 286,000 pound cars for full capacity.
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| 1 [That pile of rail gives true meaning to the term "railfan."] |
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| 2 [The wooden elevator is north of IL-9.] |
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| 3 Siding occupied by weed-sprayer. Absent a speeder, probably towed by hi-rail truck? |
When a railroad still exists because of a grain elevator, the elevator doesn't need a loop track to serve unit trains because the whole mainline of the shortline is available as a siding to serve that elevator. However, loading a train must block the local roads for a while.
Update:
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| Junior Hill posted Bloomer Line RR 7549 is getting ready to pull on a big cut of mtys at Alliance Grain, Charlotte, IL. 1/13/2011 |
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| Johnny Hansen Photography posted During subzero temperatures, The Bloomer Line is viewed heading south into Charlotte while enroute back towards homebase in Gibson City after they had just finished a full day of loading grain in Cullom. Three locomotives are in charge, with a 1957 built GP9, BLOL 7591 in the front of two LTEX GP38-2s, 3801 and 3802. Due to slow trackspeeds and a full day of loading grain, they would tie the train down at Risk Junction and then continue the rest of the trip to Gibson City the next morning. Charlotte, Illinois. Photo Date: February 12, 2021. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Johnny's post I'm glad you caught this scene because the wood elevator and the steel bins are now gone. https://maps.app.goo.gl/fxbmPzZqqFiEhrbo6 Johnny Hansen: Dennis DeBruler oh wow I did not know that. Always enjoy documenting history before it’s gone! |
This is not only another example of an Illinois town that is more elevator than town, it has the functionality split by the "mainline."
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