WAPELLA, Ill. — Short line Illinois Terminal Belt Railroad has added to its fleet of former Illinois Central Gulf Paducah rebuilds with the addition of Midwest Locomotive Leasing (MWLX) No. 602, a former GATX Rail Locomotive Group diesel built as Illinois Central Railroad No. 9130 in January 1956. The 65-year-old locomotive was rebuilt as ICG GP11 No. 8709 in the Paducah Rebuild Program in 1979.
Motive Rail Inc., operator of the Illinois Terminal Belt, leases a 10.7-mile section of the Illinois Central Railroad Charter Line known as the Heyworth branch. The company serves two grain elevators, both Tate & Lyle Grain Inc. operations, at Wapella and the end of the line in Heyworth, Ill. The line interchanges with the Canadian National at Clinton, a former Illinois Central Railroad division point.
‘’Eventually we will leave the 8334 at Heyworth, as it has a hot start system on it,” said Les Respondek, vice president of business development. “ This unit will be a part of the consist for a while.”
Steve Smedley REALLY needs to read what he has written before publishing. “Eventually we will leave the 8334 at Heyworth…”. What does the 8334 have to do with this story?
What is the difference between Les Respondek of Motive Rail running a railroad called “Illinois Terminal Belt” out of Clinton Illinois and Jerry Respondek of Respondek Railroad in Newburgh, Indiana running one called “Illini Terminal” out of Litchfield IL.
I really don’t mean to troll Steve Smedley, who I’ve met, but don’t really know. His article from yesterday’s news wire concerning Monticello was fraught with a lack of editing. Today? Excellent work.