Color, Diversity and ‘Oh, Wow!’ at Blue Island

In a weekend full of great catches a lash up shown below that I caught at Blue Island this past Sunday tops them all.

While shooting an Iowa Interstate local freight I heard another train coming.  I raced to get in position and see what it might be.

At first glance I saw yellow paint and assumed Union Pacific. Then I saw the green stripe and went “Oh WOW!”  Then I saw the second engine and went double “Oh WOW!”

 The lash up turned out to be Chicago & North Western 8701 and 8646, Canadian National 5419, a GE cowl unit;, and LTEX 210, a former Duluth, Minnesota & Iron Range SD 38-2.

I couldn’t take enough pictures as it slowly went by. 

 After this train rolled by I checked Heritage Units.com. I had had been checking all day and had not seen any reports of this lash up. 

Well the last report for these CNW units was dated Aug 10 when they took a transfer from Homewood to Proviso.  Goes to show the Internet isn’t perfect.   

I’ve included this lash up and some other photos from Blue Island that afternoon. It’s tough to describe the traffic here.

We have nothing in Ohio to compare it with, maybe Marion when the EL was running or Berea but supersized. Still it was a great place to spend the afternoon.

Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon

Tags: C&NW motive power, Canadian National locomotives, CN motive power, DM&IR motive power, Indiana Harbor Belt motive power, Railfanning at Blue Island Illinois, Union Pacific motive power, UP motive power