SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway will donate the turntable from its Cicero, Ill., yard to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America for use at the group’s Silvis, Ill., shop complex, RRHMA has announced.
The 135-foot former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy turntable will become the largest preserved U.S. turntable in the U.S., and is needed to handle Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, under restoration at Silvis, as well as UP 2-10-2 No. 5511. The turntable that once served the Rock Island facility in Silvis was removed years ago, with the turntable pit filled in.
Companies whose support is making the turntable donation possible include T N Track Services of Bartonville, Ill.; Maggio Heavy Lift of Rockford, Ill.; Smith Specialized Heavy Hauling of Dekalb, Ill.; and Hulcher Services’ Chicago location. RRHMA President Steve Sandburg thanked BNSF for the donation and said his organization is seeking donations to support the movement and installation of the turntable; donations can be made at this page on the organization’s website.
Canadian Pacific had previously donated a former Milwaukee Road turntable from Bensenville, Ill., to RRHMA for use in Silvis in 2022 [see “Canadian Pacific donates turntable …,” Trains News Wire, Sept 10, 2022]. That 110-foot turntable will now be re-gifted to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.
wow a nice thing for the burlington northern santa fe to do 😮🙂
“That 110-foot turntable will now be re-gifted…” I know it’s more formal than this but…imagine walking in one morning and finding a 110’ turntable gift wrapped in front of your office.
If you did, that would be a LOT of wrapping paper and tape… and just imagine how big the card would be!
Let me guess, BNSF “donated” it, but you gotta pay them to have it brought out to Silvis at some crazy price, so its being trucked out instead.
You could have used (2) 89 foot flatbeds with pivot stands on each bed. Send it down to Joliet, back it onto the IAIS and let them take it to Silvis.
It is being moved by flatcar. And BNSF has its own route to Silvis.
Fantastic!