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I don't think it was any longer than the usual we see in the area, I've been told the mid-train units are needed to get the train up a grade on the CP(?) somewhere north of Ottumwa IA.
Interesting... Mountain Railroading in Central Iowa!
Coming out of some of those river valleys in Iowa can be tough. Think of the Kate Shelly bridge on the CNW and how high off the valley floor it is. The other one that is kinda funny is that the top of the bluff on the old Wabash out of Council Bluffs is the highest point on the Wabash. Where not high, topographically speaking, in the midwest, but we are deep.
Coming out of some of those river valleys in Iowa can be tough. Think of the Kate Shelly bridge on the CNW and how high off the valley floor it is. The other one that is kinda funny is that the top of the bluff on the old Wabash out of Council Bluffs is the highest point on the Wabash. Where not high, topographically speaking, in the midwest, but we are deep.
Is that Dumfries? Or Margaritaville as the bike riders call it? I know my legs are usually burning by the time I get there...
One last train shot from 2015 (Dec 30th) at Oreapolis NE.
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I don't think it was any longer than the usual we see in the area, I've been told the mid-train units are needed to get the train up a grade on the CP(?) somewhere north of Ottumwa IA.
That would be Rutledge hill right out of Ottumwa. Rutledge, which still has a siding, is on the north edge of Ottumwa and where the original main line from Marion/Cedar Rapids met the cut off from Muscatine.
I believe it was a regular helper district in steam days. Even in the diesel era trains would sometimes need a little push from the Ottumwa yard engine. Besides the problem with the grade (I think 2% or a bit more) are some sharp curves at the bottom.
Dumfries it is. There used to a really cool wooden bridge over the tracks, but they built a tunnel for the bike trail. Dumfries is named after the famous Scotland town of the same name, as near as I can figure.
Took a ride up to Missouri Valley IA. Lot's of trains. Light haze or fog. Then I chased a train up the Sioux City line to Mondamin where I met the 8113 and chased it back to Fremont. It was dark by the time we got to California Jct. I was out mainly for sound recordings and dark is good for that.
The 8712 leaving Missouri Valley
The 5045 came from Council Bluffs, headed west at Mo Valley and turned north at California Jct. Picture at Cal. Jct
The whole train in the fog NB on the old CNW
Foggy Silouette
North of Mondamin is the 8113 it held the main while 5045 took the siding. Opposite the 8113 is the sunset in the trees and a night shot of the BNSF at Fremont.
I thought an interesting tank car for Hydrochloric Acid
The 8113 SB at No.Mondamin.
The sun
The BNSF power parked in Fremont
Nice photos Tom. Cool sunset between the trees. They still have all that power stored up in Missouri Valley?
Still a bunch of power stored in Mo Valley. 3 tracks full. Tryclops SD 60's and a pretty good assortment of other stuff. I saw about 8 to 10 trains up north Sunday but like you say the light wasn't that good.
Interesting, last time I was up there it was all SD9043MAC locomotives.
Autumn is five days away. Time for my annual request for photos of trains rolling past autumn foliage in the territory of the Omaha Posse.
Autumn is five days away. Time for my annual request for photos of trains rolling past autumn foliage in the territory of the Omaha Posse.
Getting close but its still a smidge early before we should start seeing actual fall color (not the stressed trees that are already turning colors). Still well over a month before we are near peak.
Below is my "arm chair" weatherman data going back to 2007. This is all completely my opinion. As of right now, I think Its going to be a decent/average year for fall colors. July was just above average, August is just above average too (76 and 66). I think a cool start to September could make things a little better, but after last year I think a warm wet September could make color not as good.
Average First Color is September 28
Average Peak is October 26
Average End of Fall Color is November 11
Hope you enjoy, I had fun looking in to this!
My unofficial data:
Cool chart.
We have had two successive warm, dry California summers up here in the Puget Sound region. The leaves are starting to turn, but I don't expect outstanding autumn colors due to the dry weather. Many are shriveling up and turning brown because of the constant sunshine and lack of rain.
The colors around here have just started to show up in the past few days.
A wide arcing trip from Council Bluffs to Lincoln, Nebraska City and back to Omaha. Starting in Council Bluffs on the south end of the BNSF is a mix of power NS BNSF and KCS. Next it is off to the Omaha Line where it crosses the Platte River. Very nearly ended the trip there as I pulled off the road to snap the picture and there was a BIG HOLE just off the shoulder I managed to straddle it and clear the really deep part. Whew!! Next is hopper train at Waverly at the end of the triple track (2 mains and a siding in between).
Council Bluffs, IA
Council Bluffs, IA
Platte River on the Omaha Line, Just north of Ashland, NE
Waverly NE. Picture looked vertical in the editor. I'll fix it later
Here the DPU of the Hopper train. Still in Grinstein. Stopped at the west end of Havelock where is always some GP's. Today there were 6. Notable is the 166 without any BNSF marks. I saw a loaded coal train heading down the St Joe Line and gave chase. But there was too many traffic lights on the 4 lane hwy 77. I arrived at Hickman about the same time. So I followed the Nebraska City Line. There was a lot of stored hoppers along the line. Unadilla is the town I stopped at first. Notice the gravel road dust on the tops of the rails
DPU
Havelock
Havelock
Unadilla
Pretty countryside and a meandering track would make a great tourist ride. Some track work here and there so maybe there will be some traffic some day.
Syracuse
Dunbar (Population 261)
View of the line close to Nebraska City looking east
Same looking west. That is dust from cars on the gravel road. Gotta wash the car tomorrow
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