DECATUR & EASTERN ILLINOIS
(reporting marks DREI) is
Watco Cos.’ newest short line,
beginning operation in fall
- It operates 126 miles of
trackage, most of which is a
former Baltimore & Ohio line
between Hillsdale, Ind., and
Decatur, Ill. That line inter-
sects at Chrisman with a for-
mer New York Central line
that runs south to Paris, then
southeast to Terre Haute, Ind.
Main interchange is with CSX
Transportation at Terre Haute.
Grain and chemical traffic are
the main commodities handled.
Train sizes are increasing as
the company seeks new busi-
ness. Unit grain trains are also
in the future for handoff to
Eastern Illinois Railroad at
Metcalf, Ill.
The railroad operates daily
road trains between Decatur
and Terre Haute.
A seven-day-a-week Deca-
tur local works the yard, inter-
changes with Canadian Nation-
al, and serves Archer Daniels
Midland via trackage rights.
In addition, a Monday-
through-Friday local at Ficklin,
Ill., serves three chemical plants.
The local also travels east to in-
terchange with the CN’s former
Illinois Central main line and
Union Pacific at Tuscola.
Another local based in Paris
serves several customers, the
largest being Cargill Dry Corn
Ingredients on Jefferson Street.
LOCATION: Based at the
former CSX yard office
in Decatur.
TYPICAL DAY: The road
train out of Decatur
usually departs between 7 a.m.
and 9 a.m. and works at
Roster
Nos. 3896, 5514, 5551,
5554, 5569, and 5576
Model: GP38-2
Lineage: ex-Norfolk South-
ern, originally GP38s
No. 4002
Model: GP40-2LW
Lineage: ex-Canadian
National
Nos. 4210 and 4212
Model: GP40-2
Lineage: ex-Iowa, Chicago
& Eastern, originally
Southern Pacific
No. 4234
Model: SD40-2
Lineage: ex-Burlington
Northern SD45
Watco’s newest operations take the reins from CSX in the Prairie State
Short line: Decatur & Eastern Illinois
Map
area
ILLINOIS
Terre
Haute
Paris
Vermillion
Grove Mine
Chrisman Hillsdale
Metcalf
Tuscola
Ficklin
Pierson
Decatur Station
Decatur & Eastern Illinois
UP
UP
NS
NS
NS
INR
D
EIRC
DT
DC
DREI
DREI
DRE
I
CSX
CSX
CS
X
CSX
CN
CN
CN
CN
Monticello
Railway Museum
INDIANA
ILLINOIS
Arcola
N To
Bloomington,
Ind.
To Nashville
To Indianapolis
To Memphis
To Chicago To Chicago
To M a t t o o n
To Fort Wayne, Ind.
To St.
Louis To St. Louis
To St. Louis
To Springfield
To P e k i n
Not all lines shown © 2019 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson
0 Scale 25 miles
CN Canadian National
CSX CSX Transportation
DREI Decatur & Eastern Illinois
DC Decatur Central
DT Decatur Terminal
EIRC Eastern Illinois
INRD Indiana Rail Road
NS Norfolk Southern
UP Union Pacific
Lake
Decatur
To Neoga
54 OCTOBER 2019
TRAIN-WATCHING
The Tuscola Turn prepares to
make a setout at Topflight Grain
Co-operative at Pierson Station,
Ill. Lead unit No. 4234, an SD45
carbody, is the star of the road.
Three photos, Steve Smedley