Formerly a Busy Railroad
Even though it still retains the features of a busy mainline with CTC, 60 mph limits, and 4 large sidings over a 65 mile stretch, the last 40 years haven't been kind traffic volumes on the former Illinois Central St. Louis line. Once a major conduit for midwest traffic bound for the southeast, now a couple of locals and some coal trains make up all that's left of the traffic base.
Based out of Centralia, L544 only has a few more miles to go on the northward leg of their run to the Prairie State power plant at Marissa. Here at the north end of Coulterville siding, the track splitting off in the foreground allows CN trains to utilize a few miles of trackage rights over the UP to access a now-isolated stretch of the old GM&O mainline through Sparta.
Formerly a Busy Railroad
Even though it still retains the features of a busy mainline with CTC, 60 mph limits, and 4 large sidings over a 65 mile stretch, the last 40 years haven't been kind traffic volumes on the former Illinois Central St. Louis line. Once a major conduit for midwest traffic bound for the southeast, now a couple of locals and some coal trains make up all that's left of the traffic base.
Based out of Centralia, L544 only has a few more miles to go on the northward leg of their run to the Prairie State power plant at Marissa. Here at the north end of Coulterville siding, the track splitting off in the foreground allows CN trains to utilize a few miles of trackage rights over the UP to access a now-isolated stretch of the old GM&O mainline through Sparta.