IAIS and Rock Island

During my stay this summer working in Iowa, I hoped to catch Iowa Interstate's Heritage unit, ES44AC #513, painted in Rock Island's 1950s scheme. Until today, I hadn't had any luck. It was either running elsewhere on the system, parked in Iowa City, or running before light. But I had a chance to catch the westbound freight, IAIS 502 West, the BICB-17. Here, it comes around the curve, crosses Reed Street, and heads down the grade out of Grinnell.

Sure enough, #513 was the third unit on this train... and I wasn't set up to get a really great shot of it, unfortunately. Here is 502 West at milepost 304.

All the rain has made for lots of very green foliage!

Here's my sudden snap of #513. I was clearly not prepared!!

Going away shot, best I've got of 513 so far.

502 West heads on down the hill and around the curve.

I know "going green" is the new thing these days. I guess growing corn on top of the hoppers is a new take on it!

With double stacks on the end, the westbound heads on to Newton.


That's it!

8 June, Ottumwa, IA

After the shots at Chariton, I headed east. The Creston Dispatcher was lining up several westbound trains to get across Iowa while the maintenance workers were away from the tracks for lunch. Since summer is the time for lots of track maintenance during the day, one must be prepared to get pictures when the trains are running. Eastbound trains were held up because there was a shortage of van drivers to get crews to the trains, but westbounds were afoot!

At Ottumwa, however, the action was on the Canadian Pacific (DM&E). A northbound manifest was getting ready to take the double diamond crossing with the BNSF and head up the steep grade at Rutledge.

DM&E 6078 in CP colors

IC&E 6442

DM&E 6090 "City of Philip"

Together, they pulled this train of 97 cars up the hill.

Crossing the tracks and turning around, I caught one of the aforementioned westbounds, an empty coal train pulled by BNSF 6080 and 5762, as it headed west into Track Warrant territory at the westbound signal of the IC&E RR crossing.

BNSF 6080 on the westbound approach, Main 1 through Ottumwa

BNSF 6080 and 5762 reflect in puddles from recent rain

8 June, Chariton IA again

Back in Chariton again on June 8, I caught a westbound coal empty pulled by BNSF 6382 and 5889 as it came through the curve near the west edge of town.

June 7 Amtrak

Monday 7 June, Chariton, IA

Running slightly late on this cloudy morning, Amtrak #6, the eastbound Zephyr, comes into Chariton with engines 178 and 122 running elephant style on their way to Chicago.

IAIS 506 West

Later on June 2, at Grinnell, IA:

Iowa Interstate IAIS 506 and 511 pull the BICB 01 (Blue Island to Council Bluffs of June 1) freight train west behind the buildings on Commercial St. and over the crossing at Main. The 500 series of engines are IAIS's new GEVO series engines. The IAIS tracks are the former Rock Island tracks from Chicago to Denver; however, they now stop in Council Bluffs. As they run through the back yard of my parents' home, I'm rather partial to this line!

DME 6095

June 2 at Seymour, IA:

DM&E 6095 with IC&E 6424 "City of Sheldon" gets a warrant to proceed southbound through town en route to Kansas City.

Southern Central Iowa in June

On several recent trips I have had time to stop and take some photos of some railroading action in northern Missouri and southern Iowa. First up is June 3 on the Laredo Subdivision of the Canadian Pacific (CP) (Dakota Minnesota and Eastern (DME), ex-Iowa Chicago & Eastern (ICE), ex-ex Iowa Missouri Rail Link (IMRL), ex-ex-ex Soo Line, ex-ex-ex-ex Milwaukee Road. This was near Seymour, Iowa.

While work train IC&E 6452 waited in the siding with ballast rock for rail-bed improvements, southbound manifest train DM&E 6095 crept through the work zone.