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[Anonymous]

I have a quick quistion about the UP in Rochelle IL where did they put there new Intermodal ramp i read about it in a trains that they are building a new one around there the only reason iam asking this is becasue i have noticed alot of westbound Intermodals blacking the diamonds on the rochelle webcam for like 5-10 mintues iam sure it has to tick the BNSF off becasue they cant get there stuff around it if the UP is working and blocking the diamonds. if somebuddy knows where this facilaty is let me know. thanks

[ndbprr]

If I remember correctly it is slightly southeast of town. That would make it 2-3 miles from the crossing.

[Anonymous]

Its less than a mile from the diamonds. Theres the connecting track and then the leads to global III

[Anonymous]

I agree that UP's Global III facility is less than a mile west of the Rochelle, IL, Trainwatchers' Park. But it's probably two miles long in and of itself. The facility is easy to find (coming off I-88 at Rte. 251, take the first traffic light to the left--the one well marked "Intermodal Drive"); but it's hard to enter--stringent security makes casual sightseeing impossible.

In no sense of the word does the UP's dominant economic presence in Rochelle hinder the movement of BNSF's Savannah sub trains. History is the reason you'll usually see four-five more UP movements than BNSF's: it was the old C&NW Overland Route, while the BNSF is a more modest regional line.

The diamonds are under standard block control, and it's strictly first come, first served. No BNSF trains are discriminated against in favor of Global III origins or thru trains on the UP.

If you want to see nothing but BNSF and Amtrak, head for Mendota, about 45 mins. to the southwest. It's on the Southern Transcon, and you'll see a lot, but probably not the nearly non-stop entertainment that Rochelle is capable of.

For more information, use the Search function at trains dot com home, and search for "Rochelle." There are a great many TRAINS magazine articles archived, including one from 12/03 that is all about Global III -- it generates some pretty impressive statistics.

Happy railfanning!
[:D]