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VIEWING POINTS

 

Peck Park

800 E. Peck Street

Peck Park offers railfans ample opportunity to see, hear, and capture coveted pictures of many trains. Located at the junction of two BNSF mainlines, Peck Park is where the former Santa Fe mainline passes under the former Burlington Northern mainline. Very busy, the former SF line hosts 60-70 trains daily, while the BN line offers 30-40. Amtrak passes 8 times, majority during daylight. There is free parking, picnic tables, and a portable restroom at the open grass lot. Please remember to stay clear of the tracks.

 

Icehouse Park

451 E. South Street

Icehouse Park is a favorite of train buffs and is located on the east side of downtown Galesburg, immediately across the railroad tracks from the Amtrak station. Named after its former purpose, Icehouse Park housed an icehouse, nestled on a platform with a long stairway leading up. Men would move the ice from the platform to fill bunkers in the car below. Now a grassy lot, tracks are easily accessible, so please remember to stay clear of them. 

 

Galesburg Railroad Museum

211 S. Seminary Street

The Galesburg Railroad Museum is located along side the Amtrak station in downtown Galesburg. The old station platform offers a sage and legal place to catch the action on the former BN mainline. The platform is a distance away from the two active tracks. Most trains pass the station at a slow speed, with 30-40 passing in a day. Unlike other locations, its not possible to watch the passing trains from your car, but picnic tables, a shelter, and open depot provide a place to rest while watching. 

 

Watch live: Railcam South View

Watch live: Railcam North View

 

County Road 10 Bridge

County Highway 10 (Thirlwell Road)

A pull-over and park bridge, County Highway 10 offers an exceptional view of Galesburg's Hump Yard, also known as classification yard.  Just 1 of 8, the team at Galesburg has broken four individual all-time, average-cars-per-day records for cars humped, pulled, arrived, and departed. The new average-cars-per -day facility records now stand at 1,888 humped, 1,923 cars pulled, 1,721 cars arrive, and 1,847 cars departed. This happened in April 2021.

 

Fourth Street Bridge

West 3rd and East 4th Street

At the north end of the yard lies the 4th Street Bridge. This bridge is not open to foot-traffic, nor does it allow for cars to pullover. However, to the south of the bridge, the crossovers and north end of the diesel pit, joins. It is a quiet, less-trafficked bridge offering great views of both the railyard operations and the residential neighborhoods of south Galesburg.

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