The Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Quad City Industrial runs between Barstow, IL and the Mississippi River crossing of the Crescent Bridge in Rock Island, IL.
The BNSF maintains trackage rights over the Iowa, Chicago, & Eastern between Davenport, IA and Clinton, IA. The industrial is primarily used by the R-CHI427 local on a daily basis, but
is also used by unit feed and ethanol trains that are interchanged with the Iowa Interstate in Rock Island.
After leaving Barstow, the first industry encountered is the spur for National Railway Equipment (NRE) which occupies the former Rock Island locomotive shops in Silvis. The BNSF access
the north end of NRE and is adorned with BN stayle station signs reading "Silvis Transfer". BNSF does a fair amount of business with NRE, picking up and delivering various locomotives.
The BNSF is also currently contracting with NRE for installation of remote control capabilities in yard engines. NRE is mostly switched by the 429 night job.
Continuing west, the IAIS, BNSF, and IC&E funnel down to one track for the trip to Rock Island. The "BN Industrial", as it is refered to by the IAIS dispatchers who dispatch this portion, exists
between 7th Street East Moline and 17th Street Rock Island. The BNSF owns and maintains the single track line while the IAIS dispatches it, giving verbal permission to all users. A siding is located between 41st and 23rd
Streets in Moline. The siding is ex-Rock Island trackage saved when the mainline was consolidated back in the early 90's. Moline siding is frequently where the BNSF and IAIS drop off and pick up the unit feed and ethanol
trains. A team track is also located at Moline, between 23rd Street and the I-74 overpass. The team track is primarily used when the Ringling Brothers circus train comes to down during Labor Day weekend.
44th Street Rock Island is the beginning of the Iowa Interstate's yard. The industrial fans out here with several shared tracks. Rock Island yard is the other common place for BNSF and IAIS unit
train interchange. The day 427 local drops off other IAIS interchange traffic here at Rock Island. The industrial continues past the yard to 17th Street where the IAIS
Milan Branch splits off. BNSF and ICE trains continue up to and cross the Crescent Bridge into Davenport.
The BNSF gains access to Alcoa via IC&E trackage rights. The day 427 job will work the small yard in Bettendorf and drop off any IC&E interchange before going into Alcoa to switch. BNSF R-CHI4241-xx originates in Clinton and
runs down to Bettendorf to meet the 427 job. 424 primarily switches ADM in Clinton and performs car swaps at Bettendorf or Pleasant Valley with the 427.
Albany Branch
The Albany ("Nitron") Branch splits off from the Industrial track at 7th Street East Moline. The 20 or so mile line is owned and maintained by the BNSF, but operated by the IC&E #910 job. #910's
engine is kept at 10th Street East Moline next to a pair of old Soo Line cabooses that have been placed on some panel track to serve as an office. #910 switches several industries on the line, including: Case and John Deere
at East Moline and 3M Industries and Ceffco between Cordova and Albany at "Nitron." The line between Nitron and Albany has laid dormant for quite some time, allowing weeds and trees to take over. Bunge Corp. is in Albany but no longer receives cars.
