#p30ch

Sigel, Illinois (Amtrak)

The next train to come by this same location (Sigel, Illinois, see previous post) was Amtrak’s Shawnee. This train ran between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois.

The speed limit here at that time was 90 miles-per-hour given the cab signals of the Illinois Central. The train is being powered by the short-lived GE P30CH.

Outbound Illinois Zephyr

It’s late afternoon or early evening in Chicago. Knowledgeable people in the rail enthusiast community tell me this train is most likely the Illinois Zephyr, and I will defer to them.

The GE P30CH locomotive on point here was just over a year old at this time. Amtrak was still unsure of its longevity, and so were in the habit of buying large locomotives (such as the SDP40F) that could be sold to freight railroads if it went down. Somehow it’s still holding on fifty-three years after its inception.

Rockford, Illinois (Part One)

This is Amtrak number 372, the Black Hawk, heading for Chicago; it’s seen here crossing over the Rock River at Rockford, Illinois.

This train, the Black Hawk, seen operating on Illinois Central’s Iowa Division, was discontinued on September 30th 1981—the final day of the fiscal year for the U.S. government. Power for the train this day is GE P30CH number 701, which is a little over a year old when this image was made.

James Whitcomb Riley

This is an Amtrak train named for the American poet, James Whitcomb Riley, a Hoosier. It’s seen here at the River Road Amtrak Station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The locomotive, a General Electric P30CH, is about a year and a half old at this stage. The timetable would suggest it is eastbound: I believe the train is running on the Chesapeake & Ohio within the state of Indiana at this point.

The Black Hawk

This is Amtrak number 372, heading for Chicago; it’s seen here crossing over the Rock River at Rockford, Illinois. This train service, operating on Illinois Central’s Iowa Division, was discontinued on September 30th 1981—the final day of the fiscal year for the U.S. government. Power for the train this day is GE P30CH number 701, which is a little over a year old when this image was made.

Yard Power

A former Union Pacific GP9, which would become AMTK 763 and wear silver paint (of various phases), moves a train about. We’re atop Roosevelt Road once again.

I think the train *may* be the Illinois Zephyr; it’s powered by the short-lived GE P30CH. There’s a nice assortment of legacy passenger equipment in the background.

Sigel, Illinois (Part Two)

The next train to come by this same location (I believe Sigel, Illinois, see previous post) was Amtrak’s Shawnee. Train ran between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The speed limit here at that time was 90 miles-per-hour given the cab signals of the Illinois Central. The train is being powered by the short-lived GE P30CH.