ROCHELLE, Ill. — The Rochelle City Council has approved more than $30,000 for the first part of a three-phase plan to upgrade the Rochelle Railroad Park, the popular facility at the crossing of BSNF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad main lines.
The Rochelle News-Leader reports that at a Monday meeting, the council approved a $30,750 contract with engineering firm Willett, Hofmann & Associates for design of improvements at the railroad park gift shop. Work will include restroom improvements, accessibility upgrades, new doors, new siding, and a ramp and deck from the parking lot.
Overall, about $135,000 in improvements are planned, using American Rescue Plan Act funds. At an earlier meeting, the council discussed other improvements including more lighting, improved locations for live-streaming cameras, an elevated viewing tower, and a heated, enclosed area for winter viewing.
Trains.com offers live streaming from the Rochelle Railroad Park.
wow with these improvements this will definitely attract more visitors to the rochelle railfan park
Great park, but a long drive for most rail fans.
You can make a long day of it by visiting the park on the Illinois Railroad Museum for four hours each.
On our most recent visit, it was fun sitting on the Burlington side, ignoring the UPRR fans.
That is great news. Will make the park twice as popular as it is now!
Heat in the winter is a great improvement.
One very welcome improvement at Rochelle would be to install a twelve hour (or so) database of train movements. Of all the railcom type sites I visit, only Rochelle is a live feed only; all others have an historical record of train movements. The technology is available, would be a major benefit for viewers to use it.
The other Rochelle live stream (whose name may not be spoken) has a 12 hour archive.
Great News!
The Tennessee Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tn., has a 24/7 live feed camera with two views of the museum loading and unloading area plus two views of the Norfolk Southern main line in and out of this busy rail funnel.
Great viewing day and night. You have an excellent view of a major cross-over on the NS double track. Night viewing is quite clear, also.
tvrm.com. Check it out and then go take a ride behind Southern 4501 or 630. Restored and operated by a working railroad museum, complete with turntables and wyes. The steam locomotives usually run on week-ends and holidays.
Check the operating days and night dinner train on week-ends as youride through historic parts of this rail funnel and Civil War plum.
Ooops…. the webcam is found at tvrail.com. Tennessee state has several rail jewels that can be enjoyed. The official name of the museum in Chattanooga is Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Check it out, enjoy the webcams and visit this operating museum in person. It’s an awesome experience.