If things are normative, i doubt there'll be a train on Sunday at 2pm, maaaaaybe an eastbound HWSA as early as 4pm, maybe.
The location of the viewing platform can be found in an older thread:
http://indianarailroads.org/board/index.php?topic=17446.0What are the best times to observe trains traversing the trestle?
To update times for traffic passing over the Tulip Trestle, there are basically three trains.
I see Coal runs thru Bloomington 2-3 times per week around sunrise, both loaded (slightly later) and empty (slightly earlier). Last year, IPL announced the Harding St Station is to convert to natural gas next year. I’d gamble at the trestle 6-7am.
Manifest/container trains tend to swap crews in Switz City most Monday thru Friday’s. The westbound SAHW is supposed to go on duty in Indy at 12:30pm, I most often see it pass thru Bloomington about 3-4pm. The eastbound HWSA is supposed to go on duty at Jasonville at 2:30pm, I moat often see it pass through Bloomington 8-10pm. Saturdays only the SAHW runs, and Sunday only the HWSA, both a few hours earlier. I occasionally see coal trains running in the manifest’s slot. (I’ve read that the westbound now runs west past Linton and Dugger directly to Palestine,IL in order to expedite the containers to CN, then heads back to Jasonville). I’d gamble at the trestle 4-7pm M-F, with a sidetrip to Switz City in the middle.
Rock for the scrubber at Merom comes off the branch in Bloomington often at 9:30pm sharp 3-4 times per week, then the engines have to flip ends on the siding and it leaves town west on the mains a fat hour later. I occasionally see the empties doing the reverse about 12:30am. I’d gamble at the trestle about 11pm and a sidetrip to Bloomington.
At current track speeds, the trains can make it from Bloomington to the Tulip Trestle in a fat half hour, and I suspect that the trip from Switz City to the Trestle is a skinny half hour.
When there’s trackwork, (regularly in the summer) the manifest/stacks tend to run later.
The sightings thread catches about 70% Bloomington east (it’s not called hearings…):
http://indianarailroads.org/board/index.php?topic=5736.0
