A preserved relic from My early railfanning past. The Illinois Railway Museum. Union Illinois USA. July 2009.

I took this photo on Friday, July 3rd 2009 while enjoying a family visit to the Illinois Railway Museum.

I have been a lifelong railfan growing up in the city of Chicago Illinois.
Ever since I heard the whistle, bell and seen the driving rods rotate on the Hooterville Cannonball steam locomotive from the 1960's era CBS TV show Petticoat Junction as a little kid..."I was hooked!"

I got My first 35mm camera in March of 1983 at the age of 21, and began a fun past time pursuit of being a lineside railfan photographer. One of the local Chicago area railroads I frequently enjoyed visiting on location with My camera during the 1980's and early 1990's, was the Burlington Northern.

I had spent much time photographing the Burlington Northern during the 1980's in the western suburban towns of Cicero, Berwyn, Riverside, Brookfield, La Grange, Western Springs, Hindsdale and Downers Grove Illinois. The 3track Chicago to Aurora manline known locally as "The Racetrack" brought many happy memorys.

The Illinois Railway Museum had recently restored this 1974 vintage General Electric model U-30C diesel electric freight locomotive in to it's 1970's era Burlington Northern color scheme. It brought back happy memorys of weekend afternoons I had spent in downtown La Grange Ilinois at the Stone Avenue and La Grange Road train stations watching the BN freight trains pass by.

The Burlington Northern Railroad began operations on March 2nd 1970 through the mergers of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, The Great Northern, Northern Pacific and the Spokane, Portland & Seatle Railroad. In the year of 1980, the Burlington Northern absorbed the Frisco ( St. Louis & San Francisco RR) through merger. In the year of 1995, the Burlington Northern merged with the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad to become todays successor company the BNSF Railway.