CNW GE's are Back in the Midwest Either I just saw five units in CNW paint in February 2005, or I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation

hwy30-blair.jpg        The 8575-8646 along Highway 30 west of Blair, NE

kennard.jpg              West of Kennard, NE, the train heads into a cut
         
logan-west.jpg          First Sight!  West of Logan, CNW 8575 westbound on MELNP
   
mo-valley.jpg            The consist about to duck under Highway 30 at Missouri Valley
        
themizz.jpg                CNW 8575 leads its train across the great river of Missouri

With rumors flying on email about an all-CNW lashup expected to hit Rochelle, I would be given some surprise warning about the train's actual plans to arrive there early Friday morning.  Armed with that information, I left Omaha directly after work at 1730 Thursday afternoon headed to Des Moines to stage for an early morning departure towards the Quad Cities to meet railfans Lee Koheler and later Paul Chleboun and photograph the train at Rochelle.

Much to my surprise, the phone rang at midnight with a heads up that the train was called at Proviso for 0100!!  I set my alarm for 0200 and after a catnap was westbound on I-80 by 0230.  Lee and I arrived at Rochelle just in time to meet Paul, and the inbound train.  We also happened to meet up with CNWHS's "NWL" Editor Kevin Eudaly, who also chased the train with us.

We finally caught the train at 0745 east of Rochelle.  After photographing the CNW units as they spotted a box car at Del Monte, we were headed back west at 1330... having been awake 27 hours!!!!!

bnsf9889.jpg            Still cold and damp in Omaha, NE

 cnw3043.jpg           OK, the nose says CNW, but it used to be the CNW 6878

8646-8575-signal.jpg    CNW 8646 and CNW 8575 crawl past the signal on the east end of Global III

cnw8575-8646.jpg        My best shot of CNW 8575 for the day as it heads toward the crossing on the east end of Global III yard....
 cnw8575-8646b.jpg       Back to back, clean CNW GE's... is this heaven?
 
cnw8577-8575-8646.jpg   The consist had three in CNW paint... the patched CNW 8577, 8646, and 8575

cnw8646-8575.jpg        The industry tracks east of G3 actually handled the big GE's as they spotted a box car
for Del Monte...
 cnw8646-8575b.jpg       Can't stop taking photos!!!

 cnw8646.jpg             8646 and its conductor....

cnw8646b.jpg            CNW 8646 starts into the industrial trackage east of G3 yard to spot Del Monte....

 cnw8646c.jpg            8646 in your face!

 
dumbass.jpg             Some characters at Rochelle.... main lines make fun playgrounds.

 emd9011.jpg             Some action on the BNSF at Rochelle.

 gimpversuspimp.jpg     Lee and Paul involved in serious railfanning
 
grinder-and-idiot.jpg   The foreman on a grinder  yells at yet another Rochelle all-star to get away from the tracks.
 
patchesneedlovetoo.jpg  The UP 9089 proves that, when put with two clean CNWs, three can be a crowd.
 up3831.jpg              A nice looking 70 at Rochelle
 

cnw829.jpg              During a brief stop at Silvis on the way back west, Lee and I spotted this CNW GP35 on the north track.  Bring your 900mm lens and catch this before they bury it in the yard again!