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RAILROAD SIGNALS HOME
Location / Name:
Tuscola IL, Douglas County
What's Here:
Diamond
Small and short siding
Grain loading facility
Former TY Tower
Data:
GPS Coordinates: as needed
Phone A/C: 217
ZIP: 61953
Radio Freqs:
-- CN (ex IC) 161.190 [72]
-- UP (ex MoPac) 160.410 [20]
-- CSX 160.230 [8]
Access by train/transit:
None
Geography:
Flatish
Approximate # of trains per 24 hours:
46: CN 20, 6 Amtrak, UP 24, CSX 2?
The Scoop:
Tuscola is located in East-central Illinois, 26 miles south of Champaign. Three railroads cross in town just west of the central business district. The CN (ex IC), The UP (ex MoPac), and the CSX (ex B&O). Some railfans I know describe Tuscola as NOT very photogenic but with enough trains to please many. On 5/10/2014 Tuscola had a small celebration and displays for Amtrak's Nation Train Day, no report on 2015, but hopefully that will continue in the future.
There is a simple siding wedged between the UP and CSX Tracks between Niles St and Prairie St.
On the west side of the diamond and US-45, there is a grain loading facility with a rather large loop track.
I need good pictures of ALL of the signals in the area. Do I have any takers? Does anyone want to be famous? :-)
Eatin:
Fast Food: McDonald's, 1005 E Southline Rd
Ice Cream: Dairy Queen, 1100 E Southline Rd
Pub and Grub:
-- Proud Mary’s, 1003 E Southline Rd
-- IT'LL DO Bar & Grill, 600 S. Washington Street
Full Service: Love's at exit 212.
Lodging:
Super 8 $$$ ($100.00), 1007 Southline Rd
Baymont Inn, $$$ across the road.
Best Western in Monticello on I-72, 40 mile drive NW, about $30 cheaper than the Super 8
Visitor Info:
Tuscola Trip Advisor
Acknowledgements:
This guide was originally created by Denver Todd
Aaron Ryherd
Richard Koenig
Harold J. Krewer
Google Maps
Facebook Groups
Websites and other additional information sources of interest for the area:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB6aXYNwhD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTuCvzYpmhM
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILLRRHISTORYBUFFS/posts/3202485576644253/ (1)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037840258424570/posts/1140981424777119/ (2)
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1881198981896398&set=gm.2361346457424840 (3)
https://www.railroadsignals.us/basics/nomenclature/index.htm what the symbols on the interlocking chart mean
Exit #212 off of I-57.
Exit 212 is ~22 miles south of I-74, which,
Is about 120 miles (191km) west of Indianapolis IN.
The Tuscola Triple-Diamond and TY TowerGPS Coordinates: 39.79850, -88.29102 (diamond)
Must have been a maintenance headache in the old days, huh?
Looking west towards Decatur on the B&O (straight across), from the CE&I Historical Society.
Richard Koenig, 1991 Richard Koenig, 1991
Harold J. Krewer, undated, but the tower was still open.
Posted by Matt DavisView from the 1920's. The C&EI is still double tracked, with their depot in the background. The C&EI pulled up their second track in 1943.
Robert Daly, looking west, October 25th, 1969
(3)
Loop Track for Grain Car FillingGPS Coordinates: Just west of the diamond
The
1916 Interlocking Diagram
WB Diamond SignalsGPS Coordinates: 39.79870, -88.28959
Well, at least one of the sets of signals is easy to get pictures of from the streets!
SB Diamond SignalsGPS Coordinates: 39.79887, -88.29097
NB Diamond SignalsGPS Coordinates: 39.79797, -88.29110
Need Good Pictures
EB Diamond SignalsGPS Coordinates: 39.79844, -88.29119
Need Good Pictures
Xxx
The
Xxx
The
Xxx
The
Sparse time lime for Tuscola (from bits and pieces I find, as I find them):
1900 - Interlocking installed
1943 - C&EI pulled up their second track
1990's - TY Tower closed
1993 - Diamonds consolidated (3) ME
1994 - TY Tower closed and razed (3) ME
Railroad history shorts:
1972 - Baltimore & Ohio became the Chessie System
1976 - Chicago & Eastern Illinois absorbed by the Missouri Pacific
1982 - Missouri Pacific absorbed by the Union Pacific
1987 - Chessie System became CSX
1998 - Illinois Central became the Canadian National
2018 - CSX sold line thru Tuscola to the Decatur and Eastern Illinois RR
Courtesy USGS, click here for their index page.
"They" apparently didn't do much with mapping out Illinois well until the (at least) the 1980's, and then, the maps done weren't done to their long standing standards.
Disclaimers:
New format 10/26/23: Please check out my disclaimer page for my standard dribble and contact info here
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