Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 12 minutes ago

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Round three with the SP.

For the past week or so, UP 6318 has been making runs from the North Antelope Mine in Wyoming to the power plant up in Sheboygan, WI. Yesterday she was set to head back South on the return trip to the mine, however a lot of complications including the DPU not having working PTC and the crew running out of time at Butler lead the train being delayed to today, so I made my way to Des Plaines to intercept them there before heading west to Dekalb to get them going under the soon to be demolished coal tower. In addition to that, I also managed to get some trains around La Grange, Franklin Park, and West Chicago too. Not a bad day and with some great weather to boot. Enjoy!

Now here are the trains in order.

Des Plaines, IL.

Train 1: SB Coal Train
Power:
UP C44ACM #5934
UP C45AC #7874
DPU:
UP SD70AH #8744

Train 2: NB Intermodal
Power:
CP AC44CWM #8117 *ex-CP 9612*
Mid-Train DPU:
CP AC44CWM #8149 *ex-CP 9619*

Train 3: SB Coal Train
Power:
UP AC44CW #6318 *ex-SP 280*
UP SD70ACe #8555

Franklin Park, IL.

Train 4: WB Sand Train
Power:
KCS ET44AC #5002
CP AC44CW #9735

Train 5: WB Mixed Freight
Power:
KCS ES44AC #4782

La Grange, IL.

Train 6: EB Intermodal
Power:
BNSF ET44C4 #3844
BNSF ET44C4 #3911
BNSF ET44C4 #3768

Train 7: Outbound Metra
Power:
METX F40PHM-3 #189
METX CabCar #8585

Dekalb, IL.

Train 8: EB Intermodal
Power:
UP C45AC #7792
UP ES44AC #5370

Train 9: WB Coal Train
Power:
UP AC44CW #6318 *ex-SP 280*
UP SD70ACe #8555

West Chicago, IL.

Train 10: WB Mixed Freight
Power:
UP AC44CW #6786
UP C45AC #7603
Mid-Train DPUs:
UP C45AH #7994
UP C45AC #7783

Train 11: WB Coal Train
Power:
UP AC44CWCTE #5728
UP C45AH #2599
DPU:
UP C45AH #8014

Taken on 2-15-26