July 3, 1996 and C. R. is south of Streator, IL and near a grain elevator/few homes called Ancona.
Things get interesting with the variety of equipment and use of the crossover.
1) ATSF 677 and 636 C44-9W head east towards Chicago with a stack train.
2) Meantime all westbound traffic is taking the crossover as are ex Santa Fe bluebonnets 5080 & 5159, now MKM leased SD40-2s, leading a westbound auto train.
3) Dash 9s 674, 634 and 637 roll a long double stack west across the crossovers
4) The reason for the crossover shows up on the south track while SD45-2 5812 (MKM) 8159 a C30-7, and Conrail SD 60 6849, glide west with a TOFC train.
5) ATSF 513 (B40-8W), MKM 5372 SD45u, MKM 5931 a F45 accelerate from a dead stop, through the crossover with a really long mixed freight.
6) Santa Fe (MKM) 5264 an ex-Amtrak SDP40F and SD40-2 5063 park on the north track to wait for
7) The Southwest Chief first seen in the distance then banging across the road crossing
8) 5264 received permission to move closer, at a crawl then stops for
9) Dash 9 warbonnets 919, 944 and three other Dash 9s eastbound with a very hot TOFC train
10) 5264 finally receives permission to take her short stack train west but stays on the north track.
11) GP60s 104 & 134 and 7435 B40-8 AND 7435 and a worn B40-8W # 503 will guide their hot TOFC WB train to the south track and quickly meet a Southern Pacific train
12) Cotton Belt B40-8.8088, SSW GP 60 9706, CSX C30-7 7029, 5814 CSX B36-7 head east with a stack using trackage right on the Santa Fe.
13) ATSF 5829 A SD45-2u, another former Amtrak SDP40F 5250.and SD40-2 5191 (all MKM) have a handle on a long eastbound mixed.
14) ATSF 2941 GP35u. ATSF 6374 B23-7 running the local like a hotshot .
Credits: C. R. Miller Archives. All rights reserved.