Ever wonder what it's like to scope out a section of track?

[Cnn7]

Today the wife and I headed back to savanna ILL. Where I wanted to check a section of track my son and I did a few years ago. I took some photos to show you all. We first find a safe place to park. Then we walk to the tracks and get ready to begin our adventure. Here shows the starting point.



As we walk down the rails I'm snaping at least 2 photos of every pole i see regardless of what is on it. I then blow them up at home to see what is on each pole. on this pole is a bunch of amber cd216's, behind it is a lot of common glass.



We then cross the bridge. This time we are lucky there is an area to cross it without risk of a train coming. Of course the light is red. :>)



Now a quick shot of behind me. Say Cheese Hun



And in front



In this area if you look hard you'll see two poles. The one on the left has Porcelain, The one one the right has glass. there was two sets of poles running up to this point. This is the last time they are seperate. After this they are together on the same pole.



Here are a few poles that will end up in the drink sooner or later. Notice the porcelain on top and glass on the bottom now.



close up of one of those poles.



Well we been walking for a while now and i had taken probably 120 photos now. The wife is a redhead and the sun beating down on us, redheads burn bad so a last photo down the rails before we turn around.



And one behind again



Same photo but zoom in.



An old signal showing red faces away from us. I just know what it was . Also here comes that bridge again.



Look close I'll zoom in way down there sits a train waiting for a green light. there is a train in the yard. i took a few photos of it from the other end, before we drove around and started our walk.



And back we go. Now I did grab two Himingray 42's in Green. that makes 4 of them I have now. I have one in my pocket, I have the other in my hand, that same hand is holding my shorts up due to the weight of that one insulator, while I take photos with the other hand. Wife didn't want to carry anything across the bridge. the planks were warped a little . And loose. it was safe though. Or I would have never let my wife cross it.



This last photo is looking back at the bridge. It seem to be the most exciting thing of the day I guess. Well at least that is what the wife say's. The two green 42's look nice also. there in the acid soaking right now.



After that we hit Mickey D's for some Chicken select and headed home. Wife just left for work. 3rd shift. Hope you all enjoy it. Just like sharing the adventures we have. Joe & Becky. Hey just for fun I'll zoom in again just to show you that red light. Look close. Being safe is always the only way to go. ENJOY.

[Ric-san]

Nice pics...I sure do miss Illinois...born and raised there and have to settle for living on the Florida Panhandle...(hehehe)

Rick

[Cnn7]

Sounds like you have it real rough. LOL I bet your dieing to come back around January That is when we have the most dust I think. Look at this mess

['E']

Are you gonna go back & climb all those poles & get those insulators? I sure would. Are they worth anything?

[EBCIII]

Fantastoc pictures and story! Thank you for sharing it. Good luck with retrieving some of those, Beale.

[Cnn7]

I use a grabber now. For the most part my climbing poles are over. As far as value. You really never know. Bubbles can increase there value. or milky swirls in the glass. Having two colors mixed. just so many things that can bring the value of a common peice of glass from 0 to $30 in no time. But it's hard to see them all. And if you ever carried a back pack full of insulators LOL you truly won't be wanting to get them all. If I get close enough and take a photo, I can get a good ideal if there is anything good on a pole later. And go after just the few. When I found those two green 42's. They was on the two pole that had fallen. (no photos posted of them) there where other insulators there. Just all were common. So some day a new collector will find them and start his collection. Now there are treasures to be found. many insulators were tossed on the ground then over the years buried. Just finding them.

[bootybay]

thats really cool ..the entire adventure... loved the photos.. gotta give ya credit for hiking and hunting... very interesting it was for me anyways.

[MinelabMan]

Great pictures and story Joe! Looks like a gold mine of insulators............and alot of work getting and transporting them! Good luck!

[Howey01]

Like the pics of the insulators and the senery thanks. Howard

[DougsGraphics]

Around here, the railroad cops with the BNSF would chase you off that property in a heartbeat and probably try to get you jailed for trespass. Hope things along the tracks are better there -- or just watch out for those railway cops!

Nice pics and story, though. Love the insulators -- I only have a couple common glass myself that we've picked up here or there over the years. Saw a broken one up near an old late 1800's mining camp this spring, however, that one was the diameter of a hubcap -- sure there must be more, probably still attached to trees up that way... maybe once my ankle finishes mending I'll the ATV and some binocs up that way to have a closer look!