El Paso, IL - Super 8 El Paso
Address: 25 Linco Dr. Phone: 309-527-4949
Location/ Directions: I-39 and Hwy 24 Exit 14, turn left, motel on the left.
Average Price (Checked Oct 2011): $63.00 AAA Rated: NO Stars: (n/a)
About Hotel: 3-Floors, 51-Rooms, Interior Corridors, Business Center, Free Continental Breakfast, Free High Speed Internet, Pets Allowed, Truck/Bus Parking, Elevator, Free Local Phone Calls, Guest Laundry, Family Suite w/3 Queen Beds, Hairdryers, Pets Allowed with Permission, Premium Cable TV with HBO.
Railroad View: Excellent View! Railroad directly across the street. Upper floor rooms are best to keep above the parking lot and a few trees in front of the east half of the motel. Windows open all the way protected with a screen. Trains blow their horn about a half mile both east & west of the motel which may give you a heads up of an approaching train without waking you up. You can see trains at night, however its not bright enough to read locomotive numbers.
Railroads past Hotel: TP&W Railroad (a RailAmerica property). This is not a busy railroad. Expect no more then 4 trains during a 24-hour period. During my 14-hour stay, only one train passed. At 8:19pm, I heard a train horn to the west of the motel, I was able to run down the stairs, walk outside and catch the only TP&W freight train pass the motel during my visit.
Railroad Radio Frequency: 161.400 TP&W Road.
Notes: Motel doesn't have microwaves or refrigerators in rooms. Nearby food can be found at: Hardee's, McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Casey's General Store, and IGA Supermarket - all a short drive down the road.
Comments:
Photo Comment: Since the only train I saw during my stay was after dark, the best I can provide is a train-less photo. The railroad is located right across the highway (US-24), a clear view from my room (# 202). As you can tell the weather was perfect this morning, lighting would have been perfect to photograph a passing train. Trains move around 25-40 mph, they are easy to chase on US-24 without the need to speed. Highway US-24 more or less follows the TP&W Railroad across Illinois and the eastern half of Indiana, US-24 is a great alternative for crossing the state without the use of a Interstate.
Motel Floor Diagram: The floor plan of the second floor illustrates in detail which rooms are best for train watching. Best Rooms are: 202, 203, 204. Rooms on the front marked "Fair View" have some trees fouling some of the view. Rooms in the back of the motel marked "Fair Distant View" have a clear view across the motel parking lot of the railroad.
Reviewed June 2013 - RailfanMotels.com