Around the Clock in Centralia

Join George Redmond in a look at 24 hours of railroad action in his hometown of Centralia, Illinois. In May, 1998, George set about to do something he had always wanted to, film a full days worth of railroad action. All three big players in town, Illinois Central, a full year before the CN takeover, BNSF and Norfolk Southern are seen in action, along with Amtrak’s Illini and City of New Orleans as they make their station stops.

Several surprises are in store, including a former Rock Island SD40-2 in lease service on the BNSF and a former Chicago Central GP10 rebuild, still sporting its patched orange and white ICG paint scheme. A total of 41 trains are seen passing through town in this Illinois hotpot and most trains are identified. While George recorded the symbols of the Norfolk Southern and Illinois Central trains, none were recorded for BNSF traffic.

Enjoy a full days of railroad action in “Around the Clock in Centralia” and enjoy the sights and sounds of railroading action as they were in the late 1990’s. NOTE: This program has no narration.

This is vintage nineties footage, shot using nineties equipment. It is not as sharp as programs shot today. Still, these are interesting scenes of long-gone railroads and equipment.