Local BUSW (Bureau Switcher) descends a nearly 2.5% grade after picking up empty cement cars from a remanent of the former IC Gruber Line that is now the interchange with Buzzi Unicem.

I chased the BUSW back west thinking she'd be struggling with the loading. Here the ''non-wavers'' crew is passing what is left of the depot in Depue. STEVE SMEDLEY PHOTO

Figuring out where the road starts and the railroad begins is usually difficult without snow in Peoria heights. The snow just makes things worse. The Bureau-Peoria roadswitcher heads southboun... (more)

The Bureau Switcher works its way southbound toward Peoria with 100+ empty coal cars, as well as a few other cars for interchange with the Tazewell and Peoria.

The Bureau Rocket heads south towards Peoria with a short cut of cars.