Central Illinois Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Central Illinois Railroad is a shortline railroad
in Illinois
. The switching and terminal railroad
operates trackage near Peoria, Illinois
. The Central Illinois Railroad was established in 2000, operating on track leased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF).
The railroad previously operated around eighteen miles of track owned by the BNSF near Chicago, Illinois, but on 30 July 2010 announced that due to financial losses on those lines, BNSF would resume handling operations on those lines on 9 August.
The CIRY is owned by the Railroad Services Group, which also provides contract switching services and track maintenance.
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The switching and terminal railroad
Switching and terminal railroad
A switching and terminal railroad is a freight railroad company whose primary purpose is to perform local switching services or to own and operate a terminal facility. Switching is a type of operation done within the limits of a yard...
operates trackage near Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. The Central Illinois Railroad was established in 2000, operating on track leased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF).
The railroad previously operated around eighteen miles of track owned by the BNSF near Chicago, Illinois, but on 30 July 2010 announced that due to financial losses on those lines, BNSF would resume handling operations on those lines on 9 August.
The CIRY is owned by the Railroad Services Group, which also provides contract switching services and track maintenance.
Equipment
Railroad Services operates eight switching locomotives, some of which are operated by the CIRY and some of which provide contract switching.- 1005 DRSX/CIRY 1005 is an EMD NW2EMD NW2The EMD NW2 is a 1,000 hp , B-B switcher locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The NW2 was manufactured from February, 1939 to December, 1949, and 1145 were produced – 1121 for the U.S., and 24 were exported to Canada. Starting in late 1948...
. 1005 is currently stationed at the Kellogg CompanyKellogg CompanyKellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
of Battle Creek, MichiganBattle Creek, MichiganBattle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
.
- 1202 CIRY 1202, formerly DRSX 1202 and IC 1427, is an EMD SW14, an Illinois Central Gulf rebuild of an EMD SW9EMD SW9An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing ....
. 1202 was based at Centex Industrial Park in Elk Grove Village, Illinois until May 2007. After Central Illinois Railroad lost its contract with Union Pacific to the park to Chicago Terminal RailroadChicago Terminal RailroadThe Chicago Terminal Railroad is a switching and terminal railroad operating over former Milwaukee Road/Canadian Pacific and Chicago and North Western/Union Pacific trackage in northern Illinois. The railroad began its operations on January 2, 2007...
, the 1202 was shipped down to Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, IllinoisPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
where it worked the south end of the Kellar Branchline.
- 1203 DRSX/CIRY 1203 is a former Grand Trunk Western SW1200. It has reportedly been repainted into a scheme similar to that of CIRY's 1202 and 1207. It is employed at Mittal Steel in Hennepin, Illinois, which is closed and engine is stored out of service.
- 1204 DRSX/CIRY 1204 is an ex-Southern Pacific SW1200E rebuild. 1204 is currently stored out of service at Barilla Pasta in Ames, Iowa.
- 1206 CIRY 1206 (formerly DRSX 1206 and BRC 520) is an ex-Belt Railway of ChicagoBelt Railway of ChicagoThe Belt Railway of Chicago , headquartered in Chicago, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by six Class I railroads — BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union...
EMD SW9EMD SW9An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing ....
. 1206 is currently employed on Central Illinois Railroad's Lumber District Branchline. The engine's crew recently repainted it in a CB&Q themed paint scheme, celebrating the line's heritage. 1206 is arguably the railroad's most famous engine, recently being featured in Trains Magazine soon after receiving its new paint job.
- 1207 CIRY 1207 (Formerly DRSX 1207 and BRC 521) is an EMD SW9. 1207 is currently based on the Kellar Branchline in Peoria Illinois.
- 1208 DRSX 1208 (Formerly BRC 522) is an ex-Belt Railway of ChicagoBelt Railway of ChicagoThe Belt Railway of Chicago , headquartered in Chicago, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by six Class I railroads — BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union...
EMD SW9EMD SW9An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing ....
. 1208 is retired on the Lumber District. 1208 has suffered from heavy vandalism and mechanical abuse and neglect.
- 1209 DRSX 1209 (Formerly BRC 523) is based on the Illinois Northern branch. 1209 is a former Belt Railway of ChicagoBelt Railway of ChicagoThe Belt Railway of Chicago , headquartered in Chicago, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by six Class I railroads — BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union...
EMD SW9EMD SW9An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing ....
.