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Posted: 12:22 PM Oct 26, 2009
Rochelle Railroad Attraction
Rochelle is one of very few towns to be home of a double diamond.
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4 Comments 
That's where two sets of railroad tracks cross, making the shape. It's so unique, people from throughout the area flock to check it out. And now, town leaders are trying to turn it more into a tourist attraction. Rochelle tourism officials are awaiting confirmation on a 1.4 million dollar grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
This money would help build an RV park near the tracks. The plan is to also move the gift shop and turn it into an interactive experience.
"We're going to have a replica depot gift shop that will have a basement that will hopefully house a model railroaders club for youth and adults... and we'll have RV parking on one of the parcels of land and hopefully some additional parking," says Rochelle Tourism Director Ross Freier.
Freier says the additional parking is necessary because too often visitors wind up leaving their cars on the street, potentially tying up traffic.
Latest Comments
How about you bring the Park back the way it was. Its just a joke to the city and has no idea what railfans want. Why have a replica depot in Rochelle when there is a depot already. Thats dumb to waste the money for a depot when there is one there. The park was great when you had all of the cool consinment stuff on sale and brought a lot of visitors from all around. Sure I bet some still come back but not like they use to. I have been there 2 times since you closed the old park and its just a joke now. Bring back the old one not a joke gift shop. The city has not been able to keep the "Gift Shop" open since you closed the first one. Keep the park the way it is and quit dreaming on how to make it better cause you keep making it worse.
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There are many places in the U.S. where multiple railroad tracks cross multiple railroad tracks. Rochelle's "diamonds" are not unique; it's just that you have two busy railroad lines that happen to cross in a city that's small enough that this crossing is easily (and legally) accessible to the public. There are double (or more)-diamond crossings all over Chicagoland alone, and you'll find plenty of train-watchers at several of them, but the City of Rochelle has provided an easy-to-reach, clean, attractive environment for train-watchers--who, by the way, spend more money in the area than you may realize. (Now, if only the City hadn't messed with the gift shop and just let it to be run by people who know the railfan market).
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Could you tell me where "blank" street is?
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