Trains – October 2019

DECATUR & EASTERN ILLINOIS

(reporting marks DREI) is

Watco Cos.’ newest short line,

beginning operation in fall

2018. 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