UPY 705 @ Rockford, IL - a photo on Flickriver

            Union Pacific’s YBE51-04 job or “KD local” can be seen “street running” past Mary’s Place northbound up the center of Madison Street in Rockford with a delivery for Rock Valley Oil in Loves Park. 

Street running has always been an interesting operation especially on freight railroads. Madison Street in Rockford is no different. It is one of the only places in Illinois with active freight street running in 2025. Union Pacific’s KD Line is a very historic line and not only because of the street running operations. The 70 mile line opened in 1861 by the Kenosha and Rockford, and it was eventually purchased by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. Under the CNW, it became known as the Kenosha Division, where it gets its “KD Line” name. The main portion of the KD Line was abandoned by the Chicago & Northwestern just before World War II. 

Three short segments of the KD Line remain in operation today by Union Pacific, the Rockford Park District, the industrial Chicago & Chemung Railroad near Harvard, IL, and finally Union Pacific’s 4 mile Farm Division between Bain and Kenosha, WI. The Park District operates a trolley car on the KD and down the street between Downtown Rockford and Sinnissippi Park on weekends when the Union Pacific is not operating. Union Pacific services two customers in Loves Park, IL, Rock Valley Oil and Cimco, using the KD Line between connection with the Rockford Industrial Spur and Loves Park where they street run along the center of Madison Street on the KD to service those two customers.

Taken on: March 4, 2025

Groups appears in: • Nikon Digital • Trains and Trolleys more » • Rail • Midwest • planes, trains and automobiles • trains • Trains and railways • Railroads • Railway • Nikkor • Trainspotting • Midwesterners • illinois: land of lincoln • EVERYTHING AMERICA • ANYTHING ALLOWED!!!!!! • I Love Trains • All aboard! Trains - Real and Surreal • trains in action • railfans • Transport In The Frame • Rail Rider • Train Engines and Locomotives • Engines • Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana Railroads • Train Photography • EMD • Trains and Trams - Railway Lovers • All Trains • Railway Photographers • Midwest Railroads • Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland railfans • Classic trains • Heritage Motive Power • 1,000,000 TRAINS • North American Railroads • Great Lake Railroads • LocoMotives • "Joe's Pissed!" • Old American Trains • Discover Illinois • Trains, Rails and Railroad Equipment • U.S. Railfan Pictures • -EMD Power- • EMD Locomotives • Class 1 and Passenger • Your Best Railroad Photos • I've been railroaded! • Railroad Picture Hall of Fame • Railfanning the Chicagoland Suburbs • Across the USA • D-Bag Catches (RAILROAD) • Quality and Exceptional Railway Photographs • Railroading in Illinois • Chicagoswitching: Former Chicago Northwestern Lines • EMD Locomotive Gallery • Trains of the Illinois Railway Musem • Railroad Sightings • Railfan Atlas • GE and EMD locomotives • The Strange Fascination With Railroad Tracks Club - no 30/60 • Train World North America « less

Camera: Nikon Z 6_2, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, 24mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon Z 6_2
Lens:	NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	-7/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Lightroom 10.2.2 (iOS)
Show full info

Stats: 897 views / 4 comments

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: