Trip
to Marshalltown with Dick Tinder|
Trip
to Marshalltown with Dick Tinder |
|
PHOTO |
NOTES |
| MAY 15: Our first stop was a Short Line Yard, where two CNW GP40's were being stored for a future movement to NRE in the Quad Cities over the IAIS. | |
| The units were in the best shape of any that I had seen on their way to NRE. This one retained all of its number boards, and was only missing its nose bell. | |
| CNW 5526 looked just like it did when it led trains down the Oskaloosa Sub a year ago. The paint was clean, all the number boards in tact, and even the nose bell was still on. Lee Koehler reported that the three units arrived in the quad cities a week ago. | |
| Dick and I started out over by the engine terminal, where they were constructing a new signal. Behind it was CNW 6819 in Traditional Yellow paint. | |
| We heard an MNLDM over the radio get a warrant to come north from Carlisle, so we decided to catch it at Market Street, where this BN unit was waiting to cross the diamond. | |
| UP 9286 | After a short wait, MNLDM (North Little Rock-Des Moines) appeared led by this UP C40-8. The train was pretty lengthy, and took a long time to clear the crossing and diamond, stopping and starting to throw switches in the yard. |
| UP 405 | Once we got to Marshalltown, we heard over the radio of "light power" that was supposed to pass through. The was a lot of MoW work going on, so it was easy to find out what was coming and going. Here is 'patch' UP 405, leading the light power East IA Wayfreight. |
| UP 403 | After a couple boring UP freights, things slowed down considerably. We noticed some cars moving in the yard and found the Osky train getting ready to depart the east end of the yard. |
| UP 403 | UP 403 is the ex-CNW 4704, accompanied by two other CNW GP40's that have been patched. The same units most likely led the same train down this line just a year ago, albeit with CNW numbers. |
| UP9975 | The second unit was this grungy ex-CNW GP40 still in the 1970's "old yellow" paint. This was one of the two CNW GP40's that was working the Janesville-Proviso local for many months this spring before being assigned to Marshalltown. |
| UP 9979 | The third patch job was this GP40, UP 9979. The paint looked a little better than the other one. This is the other Janesville engine that came to Marshalltown. |
| old style flashers | We followed this interesting consist south on the Osky to this railroad crossing with old MstL pop up stop sign crossing flashers. The stop signs are gone now, but they still look cool. Another set of these can be found on the old M&StL main in Steamboat Rock. |
| Osky Train | The Osky train continues south, crossing this little wooden trestle on a broad curve south of some little town along the route. When I ran to the Jeep to chase the train from the last picture, the engineer got on the radio and said "no need to run, I've got six slow orders ahead of me!" |
| UP 4777 | Dick and I decided it was time for Maid-Rites, so we went back into town and got lunch. Luckily, DT brought some ketchup, so we didn't have to sneak into Hardee's to steal a package this time. After lunch, traffic picked up a little. Dispatcher 19 informed us that there were six westbounds lined up to pass through, and they came about 15 minutes apart. There was a good number of eastbounds as well. Here is one of the better looking WB's, with a nice shiney flag unit leading. |
| bean plant | On the way home, we heard the dispatcher give a warrant to CNW 6819 on the MDMSS. DT was nice enough to exit off the freeway to photograph the train. We decided to wait at the bean plant at Euclid Avenue. Here's the train as it begins to snake its way up the hill. |
| CNW 6819 | CNW 6819 leads its train over the viaduct at Euclid Avenue past the bean plant. The spine appears to be double tracked at this point, with the Ft. Dodge line parallel to the main. |
| Osky Train | Dick and I headed back to Indianola after this train. As DT would write, "That's It!" |
