Railroadforums.com is a free online
Railroad Discussion Forum and
Railroad Photo Gallery for railroaders, railfans, model railroaders and anyone else who is interested in railroads. We cover a wide variety of topics, including freight trains, passenger and commuter railroads, rail news and information, tourist railroads, railway museums and railroad history.
On July 14th, I made a trip to Branson, MO, with some family members on Vacation. While I was there, I was able to shoot the unique Branson Scenic Railway, a tourist operation operating out of the downtown Branson area. Most of these shots are from nearby Hollister, but the last shot is the Branson depot.
GP30 in Hollister by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
F9PH in Hollister by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
BSRX 99 by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Hollister Depot by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
F9PH at the Station by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Immediately when I got back home, we got in another car and went north. We needed to be in St. Paul the next day at noon, so we had a long drive. However, our trip was productive, as we stayed in Mason City, IA, for the night. Mason City is home to the Iowa Traction Railroad, one of the last electric freight operations in the country.
That night, I took some night shots near the AGP plant in Mason City.
Iowa Traction Steeplecabs by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
IATR 54 and the Moon by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Electricity and Industry by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
The next day, we got up and saw that the IATR was moving. We chased it to their yard where we watched them switch a little, but we had to get moving towards Minnesota.
Catenary Cave by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
IATR 51 Near the Shops by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Twin Cities
We didn't get to do much railfanning in the Twin Cities, but I did some. The first two shots are from the CP near the Ford Plant. The first shot has a SOO GP38-2, which is rare for me.
CP and SOO by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Pulling From the Ford Plant by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
We also swung by the Minnesota Commercial. The MC has some really cool power, and not an EMD in sight! All operations are carried out by old GEs, ALCOs, and MLWs!
Cool Power by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
T-2, an Oddball by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Minnesota Commercial 75 by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Quad Cities-Trainfestival2011: Day 1
We departed the Twin Cities and headed for the Quad Cities and Trainfestival2011. That Friday, I chased the NKP 765 to Bureau and back. We took a break in midday, but we were back for the sunny afternoon run as the Nickel Plate Berkshire returned to the festival.
A Nice Way to Start by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
765: East Moline by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Blasting throught colona by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
The Sun is out at Mineral by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Blasting Off in Atkinson by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Rock River Bridge and Steam by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Slowing for the Quad Cities by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
NKP 765 by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Stopping Traffic by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Almost There! by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Smokin' by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Quad Cities-Trainfestival2011: Day 2
Saturday brought more steam as we attempted to chase the 6988 on its trip to Iowa City. We failed miserably, only ending up with 1 shot. We chased the Walcott excursion from Davenport to Walcott and back before getting some lunch. Our last shots from the trip are of the 7081 leading the second Walcott excursion westbound.
IAIS Rock Island Heritage Unit by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Dumb Cars by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
IAIS 6988 over Government Bridge by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Starting Off on the Right Track by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Not Quite a "Santa Fe" by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
All You Can Eat by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Backing to the Quad Cities by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
One Last Shot by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Bringing up the Rear by
stlgevo51, on Flickr
Videos
I will add Videos as I edit them. Here's the first one, the NKP 765 chase:
Looking back, I wish I would have had more time in the Quad Cities to go to the festival. I wanted to see the engines on display there. Also, we have to go back to the Twin Cities often, so although the stay wasn't great this time, next time I will have a better understanding of where the rail action is. I need to get back to the MC to get some better shots of the rare power!
Thanks for looking!
Id say the CRIP unit is a win.
That IATR machine is great.
Awesome Shots stlgevo51! Really good stuff! That second to last shot is probably my favorite with the smoke between the trees!
Iowa Traction has always been one of my favorite lines and your photos did it good justice.
Thanks guys! I really like the IATR too!
Brad- I liked that shot as well! Something about a smokey steam engine is always cool to see.
Quite a trip. You saw a lot of interesting engines: Alcos, traction, steam, F unit, special paint schemes.
Nice photos, love the ones of 765. I like the Iowa Traction ones, I haven't seen many of them.
Thanks guys! You are right Bill, I did see a lot of interesting locomotives!
RailroadForums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
RailroadBookstore.com - An online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. Railroad pictorials, railroad history, steam locomotives, passenger trains, modern railroading. Hundreds of titles available, most at discount prices! We also have a video and children's book section.
ModelRailroadBookstore.com - An online model railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used books. Layout design, track plans, scenery and structure building, wiring, DCC, Tinplate, Toy Trains, Price Guides and more.
|
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website
(Learn More Here)