MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

SULLIVAN, IL

Always On The Move CN E271 came through the area recently with a surprise - CN 8952, the Grand Trunk heritage unit leading. Probably the nicest of the CN heritage units in all honesty. I got word of its imminent arrival, picked up a friend, and headed up to Rantoul to meet the thing just in the nick of time. Naturally, we wound up chasing the thing for a while, though it did spend a good while in Champaign. We had some shots lined up, but a fast moving train and lighting changing quick, our plans were changing a fair bit too. Looking back, we had some other opportunities we could have taken, but you work with what you've got in the moment. Although we'd expected E271 to head straight through Mattoon, RTC had a different plan and wound up sticking him in the hole at Humboldt. We learned of this when we got to Humboldt and checked the signals out. Amtrak was coming north, so they were sticking him in the siding prematurely. We didn't have enough time to get back to Arcola for a shot, but midway along the Humboldt siding we just nabbed something quick. Golden hour was nearing, but so were long, low shadows that made us have to change plans yet again afterwards. You win some, you lose some, you learn some. Something neat worth noting is the 5-pack of 48ft intermodal well-cars that headed up the train. 48 footers are becoming rarer and rarer, making this just a little more neat than it already was.
Always On The Move Credit: Leo Blackwelder

Moultrie County Historical & Genealogical Society (MCHGS) is located in Sullivan, Illinois. Established in 1978, the organization is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and genealogy of Moultrie County and its surrounding areas. The main focus of MCHGS is to ensure that the county's rich heritage and history are kept alive and to provide a venue for people to research and discover more about their ancestry.

MCHGS offers a variety of services to its members, including a genealogy library, genealogy research assistance, and a monthly newsletter. The library is equipped with a variety of resources, such as census records, books, and other materials related to Moultrie County's history. The genealogy research assistance provides access to databases, documents, and other materials for researching family history. The monthly newsletter is a great way to stay informed about the society's activities and events.

In addition to its library and research services, MCHGS also hosts several events throughout the year, such as the Annual Moultrie County Historical & Genealogical Society Picnic and the Annual Moultrie County Historical & Genealogical Society Banquet. These events are a great way for members and non-members alike to interact with each other and learn more about Moultrie County's history and families.

MCHGS is an invaluable resource for those interested in learning more about Moultrie County and its history. By providing access to materials, research assistance, and events, MCHGS is helping to ensure that the county's rich heritage is preserved for future generations to enjoy.

MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in SULLIVAN IL. US MID #8401700399

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

Always On The Move CN E271 came through the area recently with a surprise - CN 8952, the Grand Trunk heritage unit leading. Probably the nicest of the CN heritage units in all honesty. I got word of its imminent arrival, picked up a friend, and headed up to Rantoul to meet the thing just in the nick of time. Naturally, we wound up chasing the thing for a while, though it did spend a good while in Champaign. We had some shots lined up, but a fast moving train and lighting changing quick, our plans were changing a fair bit too. Looking back, we had some other opportunities we could have taken, but you work with what you've got in the moment. Although we'd expected E271 to head straight through Mattoon, RTC had a different plan and wound up sticking him in the hole at Humboldt. We learned of this when we got to Humboldt and checked the signals out. Amtrak was coming north, so they were sticking him in the siding prematurely. We didn't have enough time to get back to Arcola for a shot, but midway along the Humboldt siding we just nabbed something quick. Golden hour was nearing, but so were long, low shadows that made us have to change plans yet again afterwards. You win some, you lose some, you learn some. Something neat worth noting is the 5-pack of 48ft intermodal well-cars that headed up the train. 48 footers are becoming rarer and rarer, making this just a little more neat than it already was.
Sneaking Around Last year, I shot Pierson while work was still in its earliest stages on the elevator and track upgrades alike. A year later and we come to find there's been a lot more work done to say the least. In preperation for handling some of the grain at the nearby elevators at Bement/Milmine, Pierson saw renovation to allow the DREI to do some loading there. These changes are now visible in the form of a significant track realignment around the loading tracks. The last time I was here, that curve didn't exist, which made for a bit of a surprise when I pulled up here! Speeds seem to be a bit faster, too, which is always nice. DREI 101, led by GP59 5909 and SD45s 4236 and 4240, comes rolling straight through the realigned trackage, with still quite a ways to go before the day is yet over.
"It sounds like a space ship" Engineer Blake Dooley waves from the cab of the new 5909, a rare GP59 that's come to help displace the leaser units on the Decatur & Eastern Illinois railroad, and evidently to favourable reviews. Almost every time I've come out to shoot the DREI, it's been because Blake has invited me and given me heads up on activities and the like. It's always a good photoshoot, so I don't know why I don't come out more often. Laziness, probably. Anyway, he bet me that I wouldn't post one of these shots of him on Flickr, so here's one!
Ficklin's Fickle Angles Securing a shot of the Ficklin grain elevator has been high on my DREI to-do-list for a while now. Ever since Lodge's elevator came down a year and a half ago, I've been appreciating these old elevators more and more. Determined not to miss out on shooting Ficklin like I did with Rising and others, this time out on the DREI I decided to venture back into the weeds to snatch a shot. The location of the elevator makes it a tougher one to shoot, as well as its style and shape - the old classic box-elevator is flanked by silos that block it from either side. Hard to really capture the elevator part itself if you telesmash it, but a little wide angle creativity can get things mostly in frame. Nice when that works. DREI 101, the daily Decatur to Chrisman road train, blasts past the aging elevator with its triplet of motive power. The GP59 is brand new to the railroad, while the 4236 and 4240 have been around the DREI for a little while. These former SD45s pair nicely with the new 5909. Two very different eras of motive power, but they fit right in together. The grain elevator, long dormant, certainly doesn't fit in with the rest of Ficklin's large industrial park! With little else to see in the industrial area, it was on to Tuscola, where the diamond dice rolling can begin.
Old Influences Milepost 267 is located at just another minor crossing in the middle of nowhere on the DREI, a typical midwestern scene we all know and love. Aside from the crossing, though, the mileposts on the DREI still hail from the B&O - not the signs themselves, but the numbers. The Decatur Sub was formerly part of the B&O Indianapolis Division, with all mileposts westwards from Cincinnati, Ohio. Just between La Place and Casner in Illinois, we're 267 miles away. It's a line you can't take by rail anymore as abandonments and split up ownership have separated things, but little details like this are certainly neat reminders of the past, and their little influences on things today. Meanwhile, DREI 101 is fast approaching as the sun continues to give us just the right amount of gold early (ish) in the morning. Even though most would complain about the line being pretty much arrow straight from here on, that does work nicely in our favour as the sun climbs into the eastern half of the sky. Never anything wrong with light on the nose, eh?
La Place To Be As I was out and about following DREI 101, La Place was one of the spots I was very much hoping to shoot. I'd shot here before with a friend once, and the shot hadn't come out well, so to go back and get some much better positioning was a treat. The elevator is what midwestern railroading is all about and was simply a must-shoot. I about didn't make it there in time, either, as I'd tried a shot at a crossing 2-3 miles back that didn't pan out. Good thing there's not much traffic out that way, eh?
Everything's Different DREI 101 climbs the slight hill at Pierson, powered by three former SD45s with newly certified engineer Blake Dooley as the hogger for the day. He invited me to come and shoot the days train as it was his first official train after getting certified, so who was I to say no? Having been nearly two years since I've shot the DREI, this was my first time back in Pierson in a good while. The elevator there is seeing some major reconstruction as Topflight prepares it to load trains once again. Bement and Milmine will see some of their grain trucked down to Pierson to be loaded on the DREI, who is also performing a construction project of their own - a new section of mainline right beside the old one. Despite being new, it's not expected to be ran above 10mph, which is the current speed limit here.
Slow Down Forced to slow down through Mattoon's yard, IC1000 throttles up again as it leads A408 out of the yard. At just 156 axles, todays "megalocal" isn't quite so mega, as the entire length of the train can be seen right here at an elusive curve on the IC mainline, down by Old State Road. Not an axle out of frame. Considering that the A408 and A407 megalocals typically roster between 400-600+ axles in length, 156 is a very leisurely run for this pair of 90s era SD70s.
Powertrip Empty roads, a lead foot, and the thrill of having just having pulled a - in my opinion - pretty good shot prior are great confidence boosters. So, why not pull off to the side of the highway and sprint over to the clearing to snap IC1000 flying past Dorans even though I'm barely a mile ahead of the train? A narrow opportunity, but one I had to take. Grain elevators and deathstars - two things that go together like railroad executives and asinine decisions. It's at this point along the road that I consider what my stopping point for this chase will be, and this time, I decided I just couldn't stop yet - I was on a roll and wasn't ready to quit. Onwards towards Centralia we go!
Frozen Trash Truly, we are in the midwest - Illinois Central deathstars barreling through a small town, ratty grain elevator tracks, a bit of snow scattered across the ground, and a Casey's cup buried in that same snow. Marvelous. A408, led by IC1000 and IC1026, flies through Arcola past the old brick depot. The depot itself has certainly held up better than the track that serves the towns midwestern skyscraper, though the dead tree that blocks the depot from view really doesn't do anybody any favours. As we all hunker down to prepare for a major snowstorm tonight, I can only wonder what else is gonna be buried beneath it all. Maybe more gas station litter. You never know...
Peace Path
Hippie dedication

Contact MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 588
SULLIVAN
IL
61951

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MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Information

MID # 8401700399
Name MOULTRIE COUNTY HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Alternate Name
Classification Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 237290441
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM) 201212
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 39.587113, -88.599729
CODES FIPS State Code: 17
FIPS County Code: 139
US Census Tract: 977200
US Census Block: 4071