Action on the Albia Branch
Plus, all-CNW meet in Des Moines
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ITCHING FOR WARBONNETS! Action on the Albia Branch Plus, all-CNW meet in Des Moines |
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PHOTO |
NOTES |
| CNW 6871 had been on the "DuMDuM" train all week, so I decided to follow the spine on the way home and see if it was leading the return trip into Des Moines. Unfortunately, it goes out to Marshalltown in the lead and returns as the trailing unit. I decided to get up at 5AM and catch it leading tomorrow... | |
| South of Des Moines, I noticed that a warbonnet was getting ready to lead a train south (east) out of Glake Yard. I decided to follow the train down the "scenic line." Here is the SF GP60 just east of Pleasant Hill. | |
| Outside Runnels, I found this hill completely engulfed in purple flowers that overlooks a sweeping curve on the Albia branch. Here is ATSF 116 taking the curve at about ten miles per hour. What you can't see in the photo is a poison ivy plant that got me while I took this picture. It was still worth it though, don't you think? | |
| I hiked back to the car and got in front of the train to catch it at the Des Moines River bridge. You could tell from the marks on the ground that this was the location that the train derailed at last month. This bridge reminds me of the one near Woodward with its concrete pillars | |
| ATSF 116 from overhead bridge | My last shot of the day came at the highway overpass just southeast of the river bridge. Here, the light was just right for the train as it made its way into Mystic. |
| SP "patch" 481 at Beech | A detour took me all the way down to Pleasentville, so I had to go through Beech to get back home to Indianola. Therefore, a trip to the siding was in order, where this SP patch unit was about to show its face around the corner. Boy, the guys at the paint shop are awfully unforgiving! |
| UP 481 north of Beech | Just north of Beech, the SP patch rounds the corner toward Hartford. Two GP60's in a row ain't bad!! |
| CNW 6871 at Short Line Yard | THE NEXT DAY.... CNW 6871 gets ready to head north on the MDMDM at 6:05 AM. Safety yellow has worn well for this SD40-2 |
| CNW 8809 at Easton | Just north of SLY at Easton Avenue, CNW 8809 led a southbound grain train for Kansas City. |
| CNW 8809 and CNW 6871 meet at Easton | Not soon after, CNW 6871-led MDMDM came up the hill to meet the grain train. This all-CNW meet was nearly spoiled by the rising morning sun. |
| CNW 6871 north of Des Moines | North of Des Moines, but south of Enterprize, I caught CNW 6871 at an overpass. Could have used a little more sun for this shot, but it didn't turn out too bad. |
| IAIS 431 | On the way back down to Des Moines, I heard an IAIS train get a warrant to come into Short Line Yard. Just when I got to the junction, IAIS 431 was at the diamond. |
| IAIS 431 | As IAIS left the yard, MPRDM came down the north leg of the wye into the yard. |
| CNW 8809 | A little while later, I heard the dispatcher give CNW 8809 a warrant to proceed south, so I hopped in the car to meet it south of Pleasant Hill. When I got the bridge, I was surprised to see grain hoppers rolling under, so I decided to stop south of Carlisle instead. Here she comes, rounding the corner. |
| CNW 8809 | Boy, this camera is frustrating. Time to upgrade? We'll see how my budget looks after I pay for next semester's classes. Here is a slightly fuzzy CNW 8809 climbing out of the river valley south of Carlisle. |
| LAST WEEK'S UPDATE | 6/23/02: Chasing the Challenger with Chad Crawford and Jennifer Greubel. |
