Troy Grove, IL: Sand Mines

Techni Sand: (Satellite. they add a resin coating to the sand to make better foundry casts.)

Manley Brothers: (Satellite, it looks like a slope mine)

Covia/Unimin Corporation: (Satellite, is this a shaft mine?)

There is a grain elevator, but it does not look like it is rail served.

C&NW used to have a branch from DeKalb to Spring Valley to serve coal mines down by the river. UP still maintains this branch to Troy Grove because of sand mines. These mines provide the high-quality silica sand needed for glass, foundry casting, water treatment, fracking, etc. [ManleyBros]

DNE 31 Flickr

Triumph, IL, has some railfan action of the sand trains on this branch.

I didn't notice that there was two loadouts until I noticed two yellow critters (probably Trackmobiles), each with their own cut of cars.

Satellite

5:54 video @ 1:12
Apr 2, 2010: Y704 is a local that runs almost everyday from West Chicago Yard. Here it is near LaFox, IL. At Dekalb it will turn south on the Troy Grove branch.

Because of all the snow that it is plowing, it is hard to see that this train consists of covered hoppers.

0:54 video @ 0:32
"Union Pacific's sand train on the "Valley Line" going south out of DeKalb, IL, officially the Troy Grove Sub, slugs through the deep snow at University Road near Shabbona, IL, on 1-26-14."
[How many local trains have four locomotives? After they roll by, you can see that hoppers that carry sand have just two bays instead of the usual three bays. That is because sand is heavier than grain and the cars are shorter.
I noticed it has just crossed a BNSF/CB&Q mainline.]

While I was in DeKalb taking photos of the coaling tower, I caught a sand train curving off the mainline onto the Troy Grove Sub.

20150913,16 4657

I also got a closeup of a 2-bay sand car.