Gibson City, IL: Grain Elevators

Alliance Grain and One Earth Energy: (Satellite)
Cargill: (Satellite)
Original Alliance Grain: (Satellite)

I've already documented the soybean processing plant in this city.

Alliance Grain

Junior Hill posted
Two Bloomer Line RR Geeps and a GP35 leaser work the big elevator at Gibson City, IL, on a frigid January day. 1/4/2018
Junior Hill Dennis DeBruler It's just west of town along the NS[/NKP/LE&W]. Bloomer actually has to briefly run on NS to get to this isolated section.

Satellite

I presume it shares the railyard with the ethanol plant.

I wonder if it also shares the two locomotives.

Satellite

Cerita Sakura posted

Running what you got, The Bloomer Line's SW1200 isn't what you would expect to find pulling a loaded grain train with a pair of GP9s but it works for this flat land based granger operation. BLOL 92 is pulling their train through the grain elevator to interchange the train to the ICRR at Gibson City, Illinois. April 17th, 1997.

Photo Credit to Paul M. Rome.

Richard Fiedler shared

Jesse B. Hill posted
Bloomer Line RR has just dropped a cut of covered hoppers at Alliance Grain and is now heading out of the plant lite so they can retrieve more cars. Gibson City, IL. 1/4/2018

Michael Krejci posted four photos with the comment: "First post. I hope the group approves. On my way home from Florida I was looking around Gibson City and noticed this elevator. I went to get a picture and saw the locomotive. Not sure of what I found I checked the emergency sign a little north of town. At home I Googled Bloomer Lines and found some interesting info. https://www.alliance-grain.com/fccp-the-bloomer-line-17013"

Paul Jones: That's the 7549, it's a former NYC unit, still has its 24rl brakes, drum controller, long hood forward set up, steam boiler replaced by a big block of concrete in the short hood and water tanks underneath are additional fuel tanks now. Built in 55 runs daily switching the ethanol plant and loading grain at the elevator.

Tom Dueringer: My Hometown elevator. Also in Gibson City is an ethanol plant (One Earth Energy) a Cargill Elevator & DuPont Nutrition & health plant

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Along Rt. 47

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Interesting transload spot.
Paul Jones: That's a unloading auger for over weight rail cars. Track scale .

Noah Haggerty posted

AEQX 810200, Ex-KO 182437 Exx-CNW 182437

September 16, 2023

Gibson City, IL

Cargill

Paul Jones commented on a post: "Cargil in Gibson City loaded 100 car trains back in the 60's and 70's also developed the first 100 ton hoppers in conjunction with the I.C. I believe."

Cargill has access to both NS/NKP/LE&W (top) and CN/IC (bottom).

Satellite

Original Alliance Grain

Satellite

This must have been the original Alliance Grain elevator and the one out west is a greenfield expansion.

Street View

Given the little switcher and the fall protector, the Bloomer Line must do some rail service here. That is an advantage of a shortline railroad, many are willing to build a unit train by servicing smaller elevators. Servicing the eight Alliance Grain elevators on its route is one of the main missions of the Bloomer Line. [alliance-grain]

Street View

Sam Carlson posted
4/17/19 at Gibson City, IL

Miscellaneous

Sam Carlson posted
Bloomer in Gibson City, IL.n Arrrpril 17, 2019. This really sounded GOOD!