In the vein of our previous CD “Sounds Of Railroads On A Summer Night,” we returned to the field in September and October, 2014, to record its followup.
Fall evenings offer a distinctive sonic environment; more subtle perhaps than the sounds of summer. Gone are many of the night insects of the summer months, and the frogs largely slow down as the nighttime temperatures drop. Crickets make up much of the sounds of the evening, along with a few hardy cicadas that haven’t given up for the year.
The recordings were all made in southern Illinois, with all the newly recorded sounds being captured in the area of the Shawnee National Forest and area immediately to the south along the Union Pacific’s Chester Subdivision.
In addition, five recordings from our archives are also presented. The recording of coyotes responding to an approaching Union Pacific freight train was recorded in 2001, while the Amtrak and Illinois Central recordings date from 1999 and 2000.
While this recording will sound good with a good stereo, we recommend listening to these tracks with a good set of headphones. Heard in a quiet room with the lights out and on a good set of headphones, you might catch yourself wondering if you can grab some crickets for your next fishing trip!
Track Listing From Liner Notes Track 1 - It’s late afternoon, and we are alongside the Union Pacific’s Chester Subdivision at Gale, Illinois. Having just crossed the Mississippi River, a northbound train for St. Louis eases down the grade from the Thebes Bridge and into the flatlands of the Mississippi Valley.
Track 2 - South of Grand Tower, Illinois, a southbound Union Pacific train highballs down the Mississippi River Valley in the late afternoon.
Track 3 - Another train follows behind the last; this one headed up by a rebuilt Norfolk Southern SD40-2.
Track 4 - On the double track north of Gale, a northbound Union Pacific freight begins to accelerate after descending the hill from Thebes. Moments after the northbound passes, a southbound passes our location.
Track 5 - South of Grand Tower, a northbound Union Pacific highballs up the Mississippi Valley.
Track 6 - North of Reynoldsville on the Chester Subdivision, a southbound Union Pacific freight charges past. As it fades into the distance, a northbound approaches on the double-track mainline.
Track 7 - Another northbound Union Pacific passes south of Grand Tower. The sun has dropped further on the horizon, and the sounds of evening have become even more pronounced.
Track 8 - North of Cobden, Illinois, on the mainline of the Illinois Central Railroad, a pair of SD40-2s leads southbound freight CEJA up the ruling grade on the Centralia District.
Track 9 - Later that evening, Amtrak’s southbound City of New Orleans climbs Cobden Hill on its journey from Chicago to New Orleans.
Track 10 - Back on the Union Pacific north of Ware, Illinois, a northbound charges up the Mississippi Valley.
Track 11 - North of Carbondale, Illinois, a southbound Illinois Central freight passes our location. “We have a dynamiter!” is heard on the radio, as the train goes in emergency at speed while passing our microphones.
Track 12 - South of Ware and back on the Union Pacific, a northbound automotive train passes. The rhythm of 89 foot auto racks in the consist is distinctive.
Track 13 - On the Illinois Central at Dowell, Illinois, a group of coyotes yip briefly and a dog barks back at them as the northbound Amtrak City of New Orleans approaches at 80 miles per hour.
Track 14 - Near Reynoldsville, a southbound Union Pacific Z train passes in a hurry.
Track 15 - We are along the banks of the Big Muddy River south of Grand Tower. One of the interesting things we have noted is how coyotes will sometimes answer the distant horn of a train. We caught it on tape one night, as a northbound Union Pacific approached and then passed overhead on the bridge over the river.
Track 16 - One final recording made at the base of the Pine Hills along the Big Muddy River south of Grand Tower, as a pair of southbound Union Pacific trains traverse a stretch of single track on this busy line. Our location is nearly a mile from the track, and the sound is carrying unusually well as it approaches 10pm.
