“Today’s Railroads” in the late ‘90s and early 2000s were still the days of EMD Dash-2s and GE Dash-8s, and the EMD F40ph was just being phased out at Amtrak. Today, the EMD 70-series and GE Gevo series engines are the frontline power. while the GE P42 has been the standard at Amtrak since the original disc was released.
Here are the current sounds of railroading today, recorded in the first half of 2016. With the new Tier-4 locomotives just beginning to arrive in quantity, perhaps a new volume will be in order in another few years!
Track 2 - At Goreville, Illinois, a pair of G.E. ES44ACs lead an empty unit coal train over the crest of the hill. The train picks up speed and by the time the EMD SD70ACE on the rear passes, the train is riding the dynamic brakes down the other side.
Track 3 - The ES44AC is good for more than just coal trains. At Gorham, Illinois, a single Union Pacific unit is pulling hard as an intermodal train accelerates away from a slow order.
Track 4 - Working upgrade on the approach to the Mississippi River bridge at Thebes, Illinois, a southbound U.P. freight behind a mix of G.E. power passes the SIMBCO crossovers.
Track 5 - Racing down the Mississippi River Valley at Ware, Illinois, a southbound U.P. train passes behind EMD SD70Ms.
Track 6 - The wind is blowing through the growing cornfields north of Champaign, Illinois, as Amtrak’s northbound Illini passes at speed bound for Chicago.
Track 7 - The microphones are next to the crossing gate mechanism at Reynoldsville, Illinois, as a northbound U.P. train passes with a summer thunderstorm in the background.
Track 8 - With that same growing thunderstorm in the distance, a series of four Union Pacific freights pass McClure, Illinois. Two are headed north and two headed south.
Track 9 - Nearing the top of the hill at Cobden, Illinois, Amtrak’s southbound City of New Orleans passes on a muggy summer night.
Track 10 - In front of the one time Illinois Central and Pennsylvania Railroad passenger station at Effingham, Illinois, a pair of Canadian National G.E. ES44DCs lead a southbound freight across CSX’s former Conrail / PRR line from St. Louis to Terra Haute, Indiana.
Track 11 - Shortly after the previous scene, another ES44DC leads a train of northbound empty tank cars over the Effingham diamonds.
Track 12 - At Tuscola, Illinois, a northbound C.N. mix of G.E. Dash-8 and GEVO power gets underway after waiting for a signal at the U.P. and CSX diamond at Tuscola, Illinois.
Track 13 - Shortly after the C.N. train passes, G.E. power leads a short northbound U.P. intermodal train across the Tuscola diamond.
Track 14 - Heard from across a field Amtrak’s southbound “City of New Orleans” is heard near Balcom, Illinois.
Track 15 - A mix of EMD and G.E. power leads a northbound U.P. freight up the Mississippi River Valley north of Reynoldsville, Illinois, in the Union County Wildlife Area.
Track 16 - A second northbound Union Pacific freight passes behind a set of EMD 70 Series power.
Track 17 - Another recording of the southbound “City of New Orleans” as the train races at track speed through Ullin, Illinois.
Track 18 - South of Wolf Lake, Illinois, a northbound U.P. freight races up the Mississippi River Valley.
Track 19 - At the small town of Wolf Lake, a southbound U.P. freight approaches and passes behind a set of EMD SD70M-2s.
Track 20 - At a rural crossing north of McClure, Illinois, a set of U.P. SD70Ms race northbound.
Track 21 - At Anna, Illinois, the southbound “City of New Orleans” whistles through town on its daily run from Chicago to New Orleans.
Track 22 - After meeting the southbound at a siding 13 miles to the south, the northbound “City of New Orleans” whistles through town and brings our program to a close.
Sounds recorded and edited by Mary R. McPherson on a Xoom H4n recorder and an Audio-Technica AT-8022 stereo microphone. Edited digitally on Audacity.
Copyright 2016
A Diverging Clear Production
Running time 79 Minutes
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