I definitely feel this. Rochelle was my absolute favorite spot starting in 1999. The place was almost always hopping back then. Pretty much ever since the quiet zone went into effect in 2016 I stopped going for the most part, but still stop by every now and then for nostalgia trips.

Thanks for the great details on Train #, Origination and Destination.  Thanks! 🤔👍

I’ve always wanted to go to Rochelle I’m prolly
Going to go in summer
Nice catches!

I went here a few months ago on a Sunday and it was super dead. I was there for Big Boy this year. And i was there for a day in March on spring break from Grad school. Was a wonderful day there on a chilly Monday, with nobody else there. I got sooo baked that day and saw a lot of trains. It was fantastic

I was out at Rochelle the day before you were and it was hot there. I was there from about 10 to 3 I think. I think I got heatstroke or close to it…

I use to go to Rochelle before the railroad park was there. We’d park on the north side of the diamond and we would walk all around the diamond to take pictures and video, wasn’t the safest or smartest thing to do.

Before and immediately after the CNW-UP merger, the CNW was running 50-60 trains a day through Rochelle.  Today the number is half that.  As others mentioned, decline in coal business is one reason.  PSR results in longer and fewer trains.

"When I was little this line would see upwards of 60 trains a day but nowadays..." is sadly a statement that can be said about a lot of places on the UP. I grew up not terribly far from the UP Kansas Sub, another line that can be said about. You couldn't drive Highway 24 from Topeka to Lawrence and not see at least one train when I was a kid. Hardly the case now.

We really Appreciate your Suffering (in the Extreme 100+ degree Heat) 🥵 for our Entertainment. 🤔😬👍🙏

I used to visit Rochelle just to windsurf at Lake Sule.  Didn't even know then that Rochelle was also a train-watching spot. 🙂

I still like going to Rochelle even tho it’s not as good as it used to be

Union pacific  bnsf in Sacramento California  seeing less trains on daily  basis  too where I railfan

This Double Diamond has a Unique Setup with which Railroad receives the Right-of-Way through the Diamond. 🤔👍

I just watch the VR cam. Since I moved to North Carolina.

Addition of fences.....probably mandated by Liability Insurers. If you want to have insurance coverage...you'll have to install them.

The souvenir shop looks pretty cool they got stuff you can’t find at Walmart.

You simply just need to be lucky enough to encounter UP locomotive engineer Dave ‘Haulin’ Hawley’ when he rolls by! He’ll give you a horn show like no other & might even throw down a printed train line up list too!!

I grew up in Rockford and watched trains there in Rochelle regularly between 1987-2005.  As you have eluded to, since Global 3 is no longer really in use as well as PSR, traffic does seem to fluctuate quite a bit.

there's one also one on Railstream

A quiet zone where you can't hear the trains due to loud noises.. Makes total sense! lol

I went to Rochelle in this past August and saw BNSF 2026 lead CHCSSE. I thought it was a really cool spot. But I’m also from the Northeast and only see NS on the daily so I’ll get any UP or BNSF I can get