Onarga, IL

CN E271 flies through Lynden behind BCOL 4607 and CSXT 8898. I quickly hopped in my car at Copetown and got well ahead of them to snag a second shot.

Still have yet to be rebuilt, CN SD75Is 5695-5779 are still earning their keep, leading Autorack train E271 slowly around the curve at mile 291 Kingston Sub with work ahead at Oshawa Yard before continuing westwards to the states.

After getting the day off from work, I headed over to the CN Mount Clemens sub to intercept CN E271 which had about 5300ft of empty auto racks bound for Flat Rock, MI and the added bonus of CN 3115 the BOCL Heritage Unit as the sole unit. Here we see E271 rolling through the town of New Haven headed south in some nice light.

Three IC SD70s drag M335 past the 1898 IC depot in Kankakee, Illinois after meeting a taconite train and the Amtrak Saluki at Ashkum. It will take the siding again at Peotone to meet E271.

While waiting out for E271, the no.149 train flew by us at Newtonville Road, headed up by the 2791, a former CREX leaser Evolution series motor.

Olympia Fields, IL

Seen through the railings of Lovekin's 120-year-old bridge, unit autorack train E271 swings through the curve into the late-afternoon sun. Their first stop will be a couple dozen kilometres away in Oshawa where they'll interchange with RSOS before continuing on to Toronto.

No better way to end a day in southwestern Ontario than posting up at Copetown West and bagging a class one landbarge.

CN E271 is third in a pack of 3 back-to-back-to-back westbound trains heading up the York Sub after waiting on a few eastbounds to pass. It is hot on the tail of M321 and is chasing clear to stop signals as 321 struggles up the grade at Beare.

CN SD70I 5616 & C44-9W 2661 leading Autorack train E271 at mp307 of CN's Kingston Sub after doing its usual work at Oshawa.

Despite the IC falling over 20 years ago, there are few days that go by where you won't encounter an IC SD70 unit on the Mainline of Mid America even in 2025. With the daily pair of A trains, and occasionally M335 and E271, some days you'll see up to four IC leaders in one day. Here we are at one of these days seeing E271 fly through Ashkum with a nice IC in the lead. The late build SD70M behind with the uncommon notched nose is a nice trailer too.

One of CN's oldest GEVO's leads E271 under the signals at Paris.

E271 blasts through Ashkum under some very weird skies.

CN M305 proceeds through the plant at Whitby, passing E271 in the south service track.

CN M305 / CN E271

CN 3056, CN 2976 (mid DPU) / CN 2722, CN 2501

CN Kingston Sub

Whitby, ON.

CN Q116 doubles up on 7 Lead at Homewood behind a pair of Illinois Central SD70s that came in on E271 the previous night. Despite ongoing speculation that they would continue south towards Champaign, the set was put on the eastbound Q116 back towards Michigan.

CNs Tashereau to Flat Rock empty rack train zips by Milbase on the downhill grade towards the connection with the Oakville sub at Burlington West.

CN SD75I 5714 is about to enter the York Sub off of the Kingston Sub with E271's train.

IC Blue Devil 2460 leads CN E271 south out of Homewood, IL for headroom.

UP 7028 leads E271 after replacing the leading power from an CN SD75iACC to a UP AC6000CW power in Champaign Yard since this train will interchange to Union Pacific around Salem, Illinois.

CN SD40-2 5378 leads CN E271 South onto the old IC in Harvey, IL. This is the third time already this year I've ran into what should be a local unit leading a road train. Strange times indeed!

CN #E271 approaches Newtonville Road on CN's Kingston subdivision, led by SD70M-2 8937.

IC 2460 and CN 2451 lead an empty autorack train towards Copetown West on a sunny Sunday morning.

A well-worn CN SD40-2W leads E271 down the IC at Flossmoor, IL.

CN E271 delivered a trainload of empty multi's to CP at Lambton, then departed with no.549’s usual freight…a little strange? Seeing two CN six-axles at Lambton, in daylight, is quite rare nowadays.

Here is Eric's shot of E271 on the North Toronto sub for headroom: www.flickr.com/photos/92809076@N04/52060338719/

CN 5670 & UP 6236 leads CN E271 under the CN Clarke Signal Gantry.

CN 5724 leads E271 under the signals at Paris Junction.

A surprise CN SD60 leading the Southbound E271 from Battle Creek, Michigan South on the former IC. While out for another train I heard this guy come across the scanner. It was nice to once again see a CN SD60 leading a train.

In the final seconds of sunlight, train E2716103 from Battle Creek, MI heads south along the former Mid Line of Mid America bound Union Pacific interchange at Salem, IL with a beaten and bathered CN North American SD40-2W (5340) leading a SD75I. Seen here leaving the siding at Stuenkel and onto the single track in University Park, IL on the heels of Amtrak 393 on the CN Chicago Sub. Taken: 11-4-23

CN's GTW heritage unit works Markham with E271's train as IC 1015 passes by with CN L537. Homewood, IL

Splitting the classic Illinois Central coaling towers at Gilman, CN train E271 charges south behind a pair of "Canadian-cabbed" locomotives, the leader being SD40-2W 5346, built in 1980. Just over 40 years old and this EMD/GMD locomotive is still out plying the rails. Gotta love it!

CN SD40-2 5378 leads E271 up the ramp and into Homewood adjacent to Metra Electric's mainline to University Park. With work here in the yard, the crew would expire and tie down a mile down on the lead.

Harvey, IL

2022.02.12

Morning switching chores at Coteau were momentarily disturbed by the passage of E271 on the #2 Track as L538 had just push a CSX-bound car on Track #4 and L591 brake testing the west lift in track Q069.

M368 is lined up with a clear signal indication on the #3 Track toward Taschereau yard.

CN E27121-13

8009 2253

Milepost 38.3 Kingston subdivision

Coteau-du-Lac,QC

September 13th 2024.

The GTW heritage unit works at Homewood, IL with CN E271.

5625 - The newest SD70I on CN's roster, is seen leading E271 - daily racks out of Flat Rock, MI down the old IC. With fresh SD70 rebuilds taking over, time is ticking for these old gals

CN SD70M-2 8003 leading CN E271's autorack train thru downtown Ajax heading for Pickering Junction to meet 516 before heading up the York Sub.

After waiting for some congestion to clear at Burlington West, CN E271 flies downhill into Snake with 76 cars behind the single EMD. CN L570 is working it's way down the yard lead en route to wye the power at Bayview.

CN SD75I 5640 leading E271 along the York Sub on approach to Doncaster.

CN 8835 was involved in a runaway incident on the Grande Cache Sub and as a result has recieved a fresh coat of paint and was shining nicely as it lead E271 through Brantford this evening.

On a busy afternoon at CN's Flint Yard, an empty autorack train makes at set-out into Flint's North Yard while the yard switcher waits to make its next move. The auto train, headed for Battle Creek, has a pair of SD70M-2's, while the yard job has an unblemished IC SD40-2.

E27121 (Autoracks- Taschereau Yard [Montreal, QC] to Battle Creek, MI)

CN SD70M-2 #8863

CN SD70M-2 #8806

R94161 17 (Flint Yard Switcher)

IC SD40-2 #6250

Flint, MI

September 17th, 2023

IC SD70 1010 leads CN E271 South through Manteno, IL

Flossmoor, IL

E271 (SN62DJO) Route 178 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital

CN's GTW heritage unit works Markham with E271's train. Homewood, IL

CN's BC Rail heritage unit and SD70I 5604 with E271 at Stuenkel, Chicago Sub MP 31.6.