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What's Rochelle like?

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 21, 2005 11:24 PM
What's Rochelle like?

Last I heard, it was champagne, cocaine and rich guys with Mercedes convertibles . . .

Old Timer
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Posted by eolafan on Friday, April 22, 2005 8:29 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

What's Rochelle like?

Last I heard, it was champagne, cocaine and rich guys with Mercedes convertibles . . .

Old Timer


[:D] Nope, just a bunch of "regular guys" and their wives or girlfriends who put up with our hobby.
Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by spbed on Friday, April 22, 2005 8:47 AM
Gee when I was there I did see people like you portrayed in your posts. Where did you get that opinion of the people who visit Rochelle? [:o)][:D]

Originally posted by Old Timer

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by techguy57 on Friday, April 22, 2005 11:11 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer

What's Rochelle like?

Last I heard, it was champagne, cocaine and rich guys with Mercedes convertibles . . .

Old Timer


What on earth are you talking about?
techguy "Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. Lick it once and you suck forever." - Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 24, 2005 10:32 PM
Oh, I must be thinking about a gal named Rochelle I went to school with . . .

Get it now?

Old Timer
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Posted by techguy57 on Monday, April 25, 2005 4:33 PM
Thanks for clarifying[:D]
techguy "Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. Lick it once and you suck forever." - Anonymous
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Posted by Bob-Fryml on Monday, April 25, 2005 5:59 PM
One mid-summer Sunday during 2004 I had the day off from work; so, I went to the Illinois Railway Musuem to tour through the equipment sheds, trek through their "boneyards," and ride my all-time favorite equipment, the "Cincinnati Heavyweight Plushies." [You Chicagoland members of "The Rapid Transit Lunatic Fringe" know what I'm referring to.]

Although I hung around the place until about 6 o'clock, I still had enough time to get to the Rochelle Railroad park and enjoy the passage of maybe a half dozen trains through the diamonds before appreciable darkness set in. As the place is laid out, I should think that lighting conditions might favor the morning photographer. The way the park's "wedge" fits into the way the two railroads cross each other at grade...well...it's generally on the east side. The area seemed very safe to me, and there were an appreciable number of visitors, young couples with families, and a few photographers there. Go, you won't be disappointed.
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Posted by CopCarSS on Monday, April 25, 2005 6:24 PM
I've always thought the photo oppurtunities were kind of "ho hum" from the pavilion. If you wander around a bit, they do improve greatly. It kind of depends on the time of day, so I can't give you too many pointers.

The other thing I do love about the place is the peaker plant across the street. I used to work on generators, so it's kind of cool to me. I even managed to get in one day, and get a tour (one of the operators was there and looking kind of bored). That was pre 9/11, though. I'm not sure if they would do anything like that today.

If you're making the trip out there, you do owe it to yourself to get a Delorme atlas, and follow the tracks a bit. There's some neat stuff along US 30 heading to Rochelle. After Shabbona, it gets a bit trickier to follow the tracks, but there's a couple good locations (I always liked Steward. There's a neat line of grain elevators there. If you have time to head west from there, there's some more cool locations. Oregon is cool (and you can head into White Pines State Park and get some shots along a couple trails (Whispering Pines, Lookout, and Sleepy Hollow). Savanna is REALLY cool. And there's some good shots along the bluffs that line the Mississippi.

If you need more ideas, drop me a line. I used to spend many weekends railfanning from Aurora west on the BNSF and the UP.

Chris
Denver, CO

-Chris
West Chicago, IL
Christopher May Fine Art Photography

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 25, 2005 7:22 PM
I have heard a lot about Rochelle from 2 of my club members who took a trip from Delaware to Colarado. They enjoyed it and took some pictures web site is www.sepgrs.com look on the side with all of the moving words, and click on railfanning with the guys. Hope you enjoy it

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