07-20-2009, 08:40 PM
...well, actually from the northern part of Illinois, which is still south of where I live in southern Ontario.
As some of you have seen elsewhere on the Forum, I recently visited the Illinois Railway Museum, a large site with lots to see and do. If you get the chance, visit it in person - you'll surely enjoy it. However, if you want to have a really great time, see it with someone who really knows the place - I was very fortunate to hook-up with a couple of good friends who showed me around. Here's a shot of all three of us - I call it Three Amigos, but a bystander quipped that we looked more like The Three Stooges. Larry is on the left, and I'll leave it up to you to decide the identities of Moe and Curly:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-9.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-9.jpg)
I saw lots of stuff new to me, including this CB&Q SD24, on which the paint was barely dry:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuseume.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuseume.jpg)
A Milwaukee Road dynamometer car:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-2.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-2.jpg)
A Milwaukee Road Northern, under power (well, okay, electric power):
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-4.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-4.jpg)
One of my favourite steam-era heralds, in mosaic tile, no less:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-3.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-3.jpg)
We rode Ceres, the diner of the Nebraska Zephyr, behind an E5 (we were all dying for a coffee, but when I looked in the galley, the chef was nowhere to be seen):
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-8.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-8.jpg)
I learned that Burlington Northern was unable to take advantage of Kadee's close-coupling for Stewart F-units, and had to improvise for their "Executive Fs":
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-6.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-6.jpg)
You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'd strayed even farther south, but this SP "Cadillac" is far from its Los Angeles base - the lovingly applied weathering gives it a real "in-service" appearance, though
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-7.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-7.jpg)
I also thought that I'd found romance, but we were unable to load this lovely lady into the trunk of my Mazda:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-1.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-1.jpg)
Another shot of The Three Amigos:
![[Image: CopyofPhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayM.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/CopyofPhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayM.jpg)
On the way home, I stopped at Owosso, Michigan, site of Railfest 2009 later this week. Unfortunately, the place was locked-up, with only a glimpse of PM 1225 available. I did see, though, through the fence, this restored F-unit lettered for the Cincinatti, New Orleans & Texas Pacific - Southern's famed "Rathole" Division.
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-10.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-10.jpg)
All-in-all, a great (if too-short) trip, made even better in the company of friends - thanks Deano and Larry!
As someone once said: "I'll be back!".
Wayne
![Wink Wink](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/wink.png)
![Goldth Goldth](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/goldth.gif)
As some of you have seen elsewhere on the Forum, I recently visited the Illinois Railway Museum, a large site with lots to see and do. If you get the chance, visit it in person - you'll surely enjoy it. However, if you want to have a really great time, see it with someone who really knows the place - I was very fortunate to hook-up with a couple of good friends who showed me around. Here's a shot of all three of us - I call it Three Amigos, but a bystander quipped that we looked more like The Three Stooges. Larry is on the left, and I'll leave it up to you to decide the identities of Moe and Curly:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-9.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-9.jpg)
I saw lots of stuff new to me, including this CB&Q SD24, on which the paint was barely dry:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuseume.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuseume.jpg)
A Milwaukee Road dynamometer car:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-2.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-2.jpg)
A Milwaukee Road Northern, under power (well, okay, electric power):
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-4.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-4.jpg)
One of my favourite steam-era heralds, in mosaic tile, no less:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-3.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-3.jpg)
We rode Ceres, the diner of the Nebraska Zephyr, behind an E5 (we were all dying for a coffee, but when I looked in the galley, the chef was nowhere to be seen):
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-8.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-8.jpg)
I learned that Burlington Northern was unable to take advantage of Kadee's close-coupling for Stewart F-units, and had to improvise for their "Executive Fs":
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-6.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-6.jpg)
You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'd strayed even farther south, but this SP "Cadillac" is far from its Los Angeles base - the lovingly applied weathering gives it a real "in-service" appearance, though
![Icon_lol Icon_lol](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/icon_lol.gif)
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-7.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-7.jpg)
I also thought that I'd found romance, but we were unable to load this lovely lady into the trunk of my Mazda:
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-1.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-1.jpg)
Another shot of The Three Amigos:
![[Image: CopyofPhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayM.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/CopyofPhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayM.jpg)
On the way home, I stopped at Owosso, Michigan, site of Railfest 2009 later this week. Unfortunately, the place was locked-up, with only a glimpse of PM 1225 available. I did see, though, through the fence, this restored F-unit lettered for the Cincinatti, New Orleans & Texas Pacific - Southern's famed "Rathole" Division.
![[Image: PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-10.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Pictures%20from%20the%20IRM%20-%20including%20re-sized/PhotosfromtheIllinoisRailwayMuse-10.jpg)
All-in-all, a great (if too-short) trip, made even better in the company of friends - thanks Deano and Larry!
![Cheers Cheers](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/cheers.gif)
Wayne