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On the night of October 7, 2024, Lady Aurora paid a rare and brief visit to the Lower 48, as viewed here just west of Somonauk, IL, about 65 miles due west of Chicago. To give an idea how far south this is for the northern lights, US Route 34 is directly behind me about 50-75 feet.

Technically speaking, a series of strong M- and X-Class solar flares took direct aim at Earth, and while the aurora was visible to the naked eye, for most of the night it was only visible as a slight green glow on the northern horizon. But as substorms hit, one could plainly see visible light pillars as the auroras exploded in magnificence. If memory serves, there were at least two (probably three) substorms this night, that produced the visible light pillars. Featured here is the first and best substorm, which produced the best light pillars. I did not stick around for the others, which would not happen for another 2-3 hours after I called it quits for the night.

As Lady A was dancing into view, I set one camera up to record the entire sequence. Once the light pillars exploded into view, I hastily set up a second camera and used my car as a foreground subject.

And although Lady Aurora would only make a few brief visits this night, she would return a few nights later and stick around for the entire night in the second best geomagnetic storm of 2024. There were reports of the northern lights being visible as far south as Texas and Alabama, and even the Florida panhandle.

On the morning of December 28, 2024, it was reported that Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr, with Phase IV Heritage Unit 164 on point, broke down somewhere way out west and Union Pacific stuck a freight unit on the train to drag it into Chicago. At that time, the train was running over 2 1/2 hours late, which would've put it into Chicago by mid-afternoon.

On this day, I had just started to recover from being sick from the previous two weeks, including Christmas Day, and I needed to get more medication. So I wanted to catch the train when I went to get more meds.

The train continued to lose time due to the reduced speeds of the freight unit. With long lines at the pharmacy, I went for the train first. But the Amtrak app was not updating, and I waited in the cold far longer than I thought. By the time the train passed me in Sandwich, IL, the sun had already set and was now well over 4 hours late into Chicago.

Not only would this be my last train I caught in 2024, these would actually be the last photos I took in 2024. Ironically, standing out in the cold for over an hour waiting for this was actually soothing to my sore throat, and the sickness finally broke the next night.

On the morning of December 28, 2024, it was reported that Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr, with Phase IV Heritage Unit 164 on point, broke down somewhere way out west and Union Pacific stuck a freight unit on the train to drag it into Chicago. At that time, the train was running over 2 1/2 hours late, which would've put it into Chicago by mid-afternoon.

On this day, I had just started to recover from being sick from the previous two weeks, including Christmas Day, and I needed to get more medication. So I wanted to catch the train when I went to get more meds.

The train continued to lose time due to the reduced speeds of the freight unit. With long lines at the pharmacy, I went for the train first. But the Amtrak app was not updating, and I waited in the cold far longer than I thought. By the time the train passed me in Sandwich, IL, the sun had already set and was now well over 4 hours late into Chicago.

Not only would this be my last train I caught in 2024, these would actually be the last photos I took in 2024. Ironically, standing out in the cold for over an hour waiting for this was actually soothing to my sore throat, and the sickness finally broke the next night.

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS as seen from the west side of Somonauk, IL, on the night of October 16, 2024.

This nicely structured shelf cloud is being illuminated by both lightning and the city lights of Sandwich and Plano, Illinois. On the night of June 22, 2024, a line of severe thunderstorms would produce torrential rains and widespread wind damage over much of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. What is captured here is the southernmost end of the warned storm. Some suspicious-looking clouds are being illuminated by the lightning, and in fact would go on to produce radar-indicated rotation over the city of Lisle, about 20-30 miles further east.

Yes, this image is a bit blurry, but it not because it is out of focus. It is because the clouds were moving quite fast by this time, and where I was set up a few miles south of Sandwich was so dark that the only way to bring out cloud definition was with a longer shutter speed, and that was with the ISO cranked up to 3200 (Yes, I could have gone higher, but I did not want to blow out any lightning bolts, which is what I was really trying to capture.)

Going back though the archives, I found this nice little surprise from December 18, 2013. I had gone out to catch Amtrak 42, the Salute Our Veterans unit, on the point of the westbound Southwest Chief, and the timing of which would have put it in gorgeous golden light. Unfortunately, it ran a little behind, and did not hit Somonauk until just after the sun dipped below the horizon. Unlike others I have encountered, I did not pack up when I lost my light and still took the shot. I had not been waiting in the cold for nearly 30 minutes just to sulk my way home. My consolation prize was CSX 342 tied down in the usual holding place (see previous photo). And the Chief even had a nice private car on in for the going-away shot.

Going back though the archives, I found this nice little surprise from December 18, 2013. I had gone out to catch Amtrak 42, the Salute Our Veterans unit, on the point of the westbound Southwest Chief, and the timing of which would have put it in gorgeous golden light. Unfortunately, it ran a little behind, and did not hit Somonauk until just after the sun dipped below the horizon. Unlike others I have encountered, I did not pack up when I lost my light and still took the shot. I had not been waiting in the cold for nearly 30 minutes just to sulk my way home. My consolation prize was CSX 342 tied down in the usual holding place (see previous photo). And the Chief even had a nice private car on in for the going-away shot.

Going back though the archives, I found this nice little surprise from December 18, 2013. I had gone out to catch Amtrak 42, the Salute Our Veterans unit, on the point of the westbound Southwest Chief. Sitting at the holding point on the far west side of Somonauk, IL, on BNSF's Mendota Sub was this manifest train led by CSX 342. Still wearing the "YN2" paint scheme that was the CSX standard for many years. Back in 2002, CSX introduced the much more simplified "YN3" paint scheme. So 10 years hence it was already getting rare to find many YN2 units, much less to find one outside of the usual CSX territory. I didn't know it at the time, but to date this was my last time seeing a CSX YN2 leader of any type out roaming the wilds of BNSF territory.

Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief is passing by the water tower in Somonauk, IL on the BNSF Mendota Sub.

On my way to work one morning, I managed to catch BNSF 4331, aka the "Frankenunit" on account of its combination of Heritage 1 and Heritage 2 paint schemes, sitting crewless on the outskirts of Sandwich, IL. This is by no means a great shot, as it was just a grab shot taken out the car window as I was driving by.

While this old corn crib outside of Somonauk, IL, has outlived the farm it belonged two by twenty years or more, it's not clear how much time it has left. With portions of its east-facing roof missing, it's will eventually succumb to the elements. However, this corn crib is fairing much better than its companion barn, which stands (for now) out of frame to the right. Within the last year or two the barn has lost a portion of its east wall, the roof is sagging, and all the barn doors are gone. It'd be safe to say that it's a couple of strong Midwest storms away from becoming splinters.

UPDATE: This corn crib and the barn next to it were burned as part of a fire department training exercise in Spring 2024, shortly after the barn sustained significant damage to it during severe spring storms and was endanger of full collapse. To see that barn in it's final days, go to my friend Clint Strever's photo here:

www.flickr.com/photos/187550781@N03/53707761017/in/datepo...

He actually has a couple of accompanying photos adjacent to these, so you should check all of them out.

The city of Galesburg, Illinois has been dominated by the railroads for almost all of its existence. So much so in fact that the annual city-wide festival is known as Railroad Days. First, it was the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy (Burlington Route, later, Burlington Northern), and then the Santa Fe (among other smaller, less successful railroads). Those two railroads merged to become today's BNSF Railway. With as much rail traffic that Galesburg saw over the years, and as many grade crossings as it had, train horns could be heard from all points in the city and at all times of the day. And traffic backups were the norm.

Somewhat surprisingly, it took until the 2010's for Galesburg to finally start construction a series of grade separations at the busiest crossings. The first was an overpass over the former Santa Fe main (today's BNSF Chillicothe Sub) on Main Street. Second was an overpass also over the Chilli Sub that connected Seminary Street to Kellogg Street. The third and so far last was an underpass on Main Street that went under the former Burlington Northern main (today's BNSF Mendota Sub). And with the completion of this underpass, the whole town could finally be declared a Quiet Zone.

When these grade separations were completed, it was only natural that they would draw railfans during the Railroad Days festivities for new photo opportunities. Ever since the Seminary Street bridge (formally known as the Bickerdyke Bridge) opened circa 2015, I have had a desire to photograph a train from it. That opportunity finally happened during the final day of Railroad Days 2023. Here we see an eastbound BNSF intermodal train on the Chilli Sub. In this view looking west-southwest, you can see 5 street crossings over Cedar Creek. Only two of these are open today, N. Prairie Street (foreground crossing) and N. Broad Street (background crossing).

The city of Galesburg, Illinois has been dominated by the railroads for almost all of its existence. So much so in fact that the annual city-wide festival is known as Railroad Days. First, it was the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy (Burlington Route, later, Burlington Northern), and then the Santa Fe (among other smaller, less successful railroads). Those two railroads merged to become today's BNSF Railway. With as much rail traffic that Galesburg saw over the years, and as many grade crossings as it had, train horns could be heard from all points in the city and at all times of the day. And traffic backups were the norm.

Somewhat surprisingly, it took until the 2010's for Galesburg to finally start construction a series of grade separations at the busiest crossings. The first was an overpass over the former Santa Fe main (today's BNSF Chillicothe Sub) on Main Street. Second was an overpass also over the Chilli Sub that connected Seminary Street to Kellogg Street. The third and so far last was an underpass on Main Street that went under the former Burlington Northern main (today's BNSF Mendota Sub). And with the completion of this underpass, the whole town could finally be declared a Quiet Zone.

When these grade separations were completed, it was only natural that they would draw railfans during the Railroad Days festivities for new photo opportunities. Ever since the Seminary Street bridge (formally known as the Bickerdyke Bridge) opened circa 2015, I have had a desire to photograph a train from it. That opportunity finally happened during the final day of Railroad Days 2023. Here we see an eastbound BNSF intermodal train on the Chilli Sub. In this view looking west-southwest, you can see 5 street crossings over Cedar Creek. Only two of these are open today, N. Prairie Street (foreground crossing) and N. Broad Street (background crossing).

In the year 2023, it is not often you get to see a former Santa Fe Warbonnet of any variety (Warbonnet, Fakebonnet, Pinkbonnet, Flakebonnet) on point of any train. So it's almost unheard of to find TWO on point. But such was the case on April 17th, 2023, with an eastbound sand train tied down on west of Somonauk, IL. BNSF units 780 (Fakebonnet) and 654 (Warbonnet) looked every minute of their 30 years or lives. When I rolled up, the crew van was sitting there waiting. But with the train having been tied down for several hours already, I do not know why the van was there. About all I can think of is he was waiting for the crew to ready the train before leaving, should they encounter any issues.

In the mid-90s, the professional wrestling stable known as the New World Order was the hottest thing in pop culture at the time. The nWo, as it was known, had a saying, "When you're nWo, you're nWo 4-LIFE!" 25 years later, Amtrak has apparently taken a page out of the nWo's playbook. When Amtrak's heritage unit 184, painted in the "Phase IV" livery in 2011 in celebration of the railroad's 40th anniversary, was painted back to standard "Phase V" in early 2023, everyone thought "Phase IV" was officially done. Then, unexpectedly and from seemingly out of nowhere, in early May 2023, Amtrak released 164 as the new Phase IV heritage unit (albeit missing the 40th Anniversary niceties.) The first anyone seemingly ever knew of this unit was when it suddenly showed up in Chicago Union Station. Two days later it was leading it's maiden voyage on Train #5, the westbound California Zephyr. Here it can be seen passing through Somonauk, IL, on the return portion of this maiden voyage on the point of the Zephyr's eastbound counterpart, Train #6. In tow behind trailing locomotive 54 is a special treat, two brand new Siemens ALC-42 Chargers, 330 & 331, in Amtrak's newest "Phase 7" livery. So it would seem that, like the New World Order, when Amtrak is Phase IV, it is Phase IV-LIFE!.

This is a quick edit of Nickel Plate #190, the famous Alco PA-4, passing through Somonauk, IL, in the wee morning hours of May 5th, 2023. By wee morning, I mean the birds were chirping but the sky had yet to lighten. I ended up staying up all night waiting for the Alco as it heads east to it's new home. This is just a quick edit, but I wanted to get it posted before my energy gives out. I promise to update the information soon, when I'm in a more better state of mind. Even though I fired my flashes a second earlier than I wanted, at least I got the shot.

Amtrak's Operation LIfesaver unit, 203, is once again in charge of the Southwest Chief as it heads east through Sandwich, IL, on the BNSF's Mendota Sub. 203 has been on the Southwest Chief fairly regularly by this date. On this particular April 16th day, it was cold with a cold 40 degree day, with a very cold west wind blowing. Just 24 hours earlier, it was 80 degrees and I was wearing shorts. By Monday morning, April 17th, there would be snow on the ground. That is how April rolls in the 21st Century in Northern Illinois.

Another set of photos from the archives. We go back to April 2010, when I stopped by Earlville, IL, to photograph to former Burlington Route (CB&Q) depot. I had been in town to photograph the famed bluebell flowers at Maple Leaf Park. While I was poking around the depot, the westbound California Zephyr came flying by. At this time, the old Q-era signal bridges and searchlights still guarded the diamonds where Union Pacific's Troy Grove Sub crossed the BNSF Mendota Sub, just behind the grain elevators in the distance. The signal bridge would last just two years longer. Everything else in this scene looks pretty much the same 13 years later.

Another set of photos from the archives. We go back to April 2010, when I stopped by Earlville, IL, to photograph to former Burlington Route (CB&Q) depot. I had been in town to photograph the famed bluebell flowers at Maple Leaf Park. While I was poking around the depot, the westbound California Zephyr came flying by. At this time, the old Q-era signal bridges and searchlights still guarded the diamonds where Union Pacific's Troy Grove Sub crossed the BNSF Mendota Sub, just behind the grain elevators in the distance. The signal bridge would last just two years longer. Everything else in this scene looks pretty much the same 13 years later.

Another set of photos from the archives. We go back to April 2010, when I stopped by Earlville, IL, to photograph to former Burlington Route (CB&Q) depot. I had been in town to photograph the famed bluebell flowers at Maple Leaf Park. While I was poking around the depot, the westbound California Zephyr came flying by. At this time, the old Q-era signal bridges and searchlights still guarded the diamonds where Union Pacific's Troy Grove Sub crossed the BNSF Mendota Sub, just behind the grain elevators in the distance. The signal bridge would last just two years longer. Everything else in this scene looks pretty much the same 13 years later.