(The following story by Diane Markel appeared on the Sun Valley Newspapers website on April 27.)
STERLING, Ill. — Railroad fans in Oregon and Savanna who want pictures of Amtrak passenger trains in their area may get a chance today and Wednesday.
The Amtrak train, Empire Builder, that normally would go from Chicago to LaCrosse, Wis., and then through Wisconsin, Minneapolis and Seattle, is being temporarily rerouted for three days to make a passage through northwestern Illinois.
“The trains should pass through Oregon between 3:30 and 7 p.m.,” Bob Rees of Oregon, said. “You have to be a real railroad fan to wait that long to get a picture.”
Rees, who is also a railroad fan, is restoring the depot in Oregon.
Actually there will be two trains, one from the east and one from the west. Rees predicted the one from Chicago going west could get to Oregon around 4:30 p.m. The one from the west, coming from Seattle, could run late because of the detour.
The two trains could meet somewhere between Savanna and Aurora, he said, and then there would be the possibility of getting a picture of the two trains.
The temporary detour is necessary because the swing bridge in LaCrosse is being replaced. The bridge is built and just needs to be moved into position, he said.
There is an underground of railroad fans, Dave Higgs of Dixon, who has an area model railroad layout in his store, Dave’s Toys and Hobbies, downtown on Peoria Avenue, said. When there is any change in the railroad schedule, the word spreads from person to person.
The detour is the old route that once included Savanna and then a trip northward along the Mississippi River, Higgs said.
“I took it one time, and it’s a real nice ride along there,” he said. “There is nothing like seeing the Mississippi in the morning.”
The train has made the detour (through Illinois) before, Rees said.
Although the train will be passing through Oregon, there will be no stops and no opportunity for people to get on the train there.