# July 20 Chase Sequence Audit

Updated July 13, 2026. This plan is for Monday, July 20 only, starting in Springfield, Illinois. Passage times outside Union Pacific's three published anchors are estimates, not a railroad schedule.

## Official anchors

| Location | Published time |
|---|---|
| St. Louis, no public access | Depart 09:30 CDT |
| Pacific, First Street crossing | Arrive 11:30; depart 11:45 CDT |
| Hermann, Boat Ramp Road crossing | Arrive 14:15; depart 14:30 CDT |

Union Pacific warns that the train may run early or late. The moving chase therefore uses broad passage windows and preserves the Pacific and Hermann stops as lead banks.

## Recommended sequence

| Stage | Camera point | Arrival target | Modeled passage | Next drive | Miss-next-stage risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Eureka West | `38.503129, -90.641248` | 09:15; 09:45 latest comfortable | 10:30-11:15 | 45-60 min to New Haven; plan 70 | 5-10% if Pacific is bypassed |
| 2. New Haven | `38.614150, -91.214050` | 11:55-12:20 | 13:10-13:40 | About 60 min to Chamois; plan 75 | 10-20% if MO-100 adds over 20 min |
| 3. Chamois | `38.676050, -91.770450` | 14:15; 14:40 latest comfortable | 14:50-15:35 | Final catch | No re-pass attempt recommended |

Depart central Springfield at **06:30 CDT**. A typical Monday drive to Eureka is approximately 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes. Use the live fastest route; do not assume I-255 is available while rehabilitation continues.

## Stage findings

### Eureka West

- **Why it remains:** West Main Street has a legal public edge, direct I-44 access, and no mature tree wall in the intended cone.
- **Angle:** From the south-side public edge, aim west/northwest at the westbound approach. Use 135-200 mm and select the widest low-brush gap.
- **Constraint:** Brush may hide the wheels. This is a compressed locomotive/plume frame, not a clean full-train broadside.
- **Exit:** Pack only after the rear clears, stay out of Pacific, and continue directly toward New Haven.

### New Haven

- **Why it remains:** Current imagery shows an open small-town rail/street corridor with multiple public-street options and manageable isolated trees.
- **Angle:** Work from the Front Street public edge. Start with the RF 24-105 mm for town context; use 135-200 mm if street clutter requires compression.
- **Constraint:** Park facing out and remain clear of the crossing. Exact Street View imagery was not available at the camera pin.
- **Exit:** Drive directly to Chamois. Do not add Berger or the Hermann stop.

### Chamois

- **Why it remains:** The south-side Pacific/Market Street area has an open rail corridor and the Hermann stop protects the inbound drive.
- **Angle:** Compress the east approach from the public street edge at 135-200 mm, keeping the crossing and isolated trees outside the frame.
- **Timing correction:** Chamois is roughly 15-20 rail miles west of Hermann. The defensible passage estimate is 14:50-15:35, not the former 15:35-16:30 window.
- **Exit:** This is the end of the chase. Do not try to re-pass the train toward Jefferson City.

## Substitute, not an extra catch

**Washington East / Mission Drive** at `38.542650, -90.974350` is the cleanest open replacement found in the Washington/Labadie search area. Use it instead of New Haven only. Attempting both consumes the margin because the car and train running times from Washington to New Haven are too similar after pack-up.

## Locations removed from the timed plan

| Location | Decision | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Park / Castlewood | Remove | Mature leaf-on canopy screens most of the bridge sightline; trail walk and single park exit create a high opportunity cost. |
| Labadie / MO MM bridge | Remove | The rail target is correctly mapped, but the legal public-road cone crosses dense creekside and trackside foliage; no dependable public staging area was verified. |
| Berger | Remove | Trees, houses, private approaches, and uncertain shoulder space make it unsuitable for a timed stop. |
| Hermann | Bypass | Official-stop crowd, Boat Ramp Road traffic, and MO-100 congestion threaten the protected Chamois margin. |

## Traffic and construction gates

- Check IDOT Getting Around Illinois before the 06:30 departure. I-255 rehabilitation is expected to continue into late July.
- Check MoDOT Traveler for I-44, I-270, MO-100, MO-47, and MO-19. Downtown I-44 utility/bridge restrictions can change the fastest Springfield-to-Eureka approach.
- If not in Eureka by 09:45, continue to Eureka and simplify the setup; do not divert into Castlewood.
- If MO-100 is materially blocked after New Haven, compare the State Route E / US-50 / MO-89 bypass before moving. Do not make the decision while driving.
- Pacific First Street and Hermann Boat Ramp Road are event choke points. Neither belongs in this chase route.

## Evidence limits

OpenStreetMap and Overpass establish track, roads, crossings, public-land context, and approximate access geometry. Google and Esri imagery were reviewed for canopy, open ground, and development, but capture dates vary. Exact Street View panoramas were unavailable at Eureka, New Haven, and Chamois. A final roadside legality and shoulder check is mandatory before unpacking.

Sources: [Union Pacific steam schedule](https://www.up.com/about-us/history/steam/schedule), [Union Pacific steam safety](https://www.up.com/about-us/history/steam/safety), [MoDOT Traveler](https://traveler.modot.org/map/), [IDOT I-255 rehabilitation](https://idot.illinois.gov/programs-and-projects/featured-projects/st--clair-county--i-255-rehabilitation---resurface-from-illinois.html), [Getting Around Illinois](https://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/), [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/), and [Overpass API](https://overpass-api.de/).