Spring Break Photos!

No "girls gone wild"... but some cool trains...

(In other words ISRRC, I didn't make it to Oceola!)

SATURDAY

A southbound Hull Avenue transfer job meets a northbound "North Little Rock to Des Moines" manifest at Short Line Yard.  Both trains entered the yard at the same time. (View looks EAST from the junction)

Shortly after, a friendly engineer in a southbound train waves as MDMSS waits on the leg of  Short Line Jct. to proceed north.

Little did I know, "MKSIT" was waiting in the yard with CNW 8567 as the second unit.  Since there are only six of these left, I have decided to take pictures of them whenever I can.

All of the paint on this side of the cab is completely gone, along with the CNW logo.  Wonder what caused this?

Notice the bulbs glowing from the missing number boards on the leased ex-BN unit behind CNW 8567.   At sunset, this made the consist look even more interesting.

MKSIT departs the yard after MDMSS, giving us the opportunity to see the "good side" of 8567.  That is, the side with green paint and a CNW logo.

While the northbound manifest departed, someone was firing up the CNW 6847 at the sand tower.  A crew used it for power on Job 05.  Here it is heading east out of Short Line.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was my day off from getting up at 4AM to be Indianola HyVee's "department manager" (that's what it said on the schedule anyway) so I used a line-up sent to me from a friend and headed up to Marshalltown to catch CNW 8706 leading a stack train.

This "Alton and Southern" switcher was in Marshalltown.  First time I have ever seen one in person.  You gotta love that paint scheme... and logo!

Here's another shot of A&S 1500.  Wonder when this thing arrived at Mtown?  Also, are those blue trucks?!

CNW 8824 was the third unit on this eastbound coal train east of Colo.  Notice MDMDM coming over the hill on the horizon.

MDMDM, or the Manifest now known as the "DuMDuM," passes over old Hwy. 30 at "Devil's Hollow."  Safety Yellow brings up the engine consist on a GP40, but unfortunately with a UP number...

Here is the DMDM at Cambridge.  It was trailing a grain extra, which was meeting MDMSS at the siding.  Who can pass up seeing a triple-meet on the Spine Line?!

Here is the depressing UP 9980 in CNW safety yellow.  The poles and foreground clutter add to the poor situation.

This interesting engine was at the Sand Towers at Short Line Yard.  It kind of reminds me of the "split cab" scheme that the CNW did in the 70's and 80's.  Does anyone know anything about this unique paint scheme?  (The top stripe goes down a LOT farther than most wing repaints.)

The former CNW 4702, now UP 401 was working without an engineer today, thanks to UP's new "remote control" technology.  All but two of Des Moines' yard jobs are already remote controlled.  The two that aren't: The West Des Moines turn, and the LTJ52 Ankeny/Avon job. 

Wow, these guys look familiar!  Its MITDA, with the same trailing engines, heading south at Avon.  After a quick bite to eat at home, I headed back up to watch a few more trains before sunset.

A patriotic look at 8567 as it speeds southbound on the Spine in Avon. 

The Avon Job soon followed MITDA, with UPY 1320 in CNW Traditional Yellow leading about 35 to 40 cars for Heartland Coop.  I would hope they are empty, and if they aren't, I would like to know what UP feeds its MP15s!

After saying "Hi" to Tex and the new engineer on the Avon Job, I headed back home, preparing to get up again at 4:00 the next morning and head to work.

PART TWO:
SUNDAY & EARLY MONDAY (3/24 & 5)

I had traced the CNW 8572 in the morning and found that it arrived at Des Moines.  A half-hour drive later, and here was the unit at the Short Line sand towers!

A look at the front of the Dash 8.  It wasn't too much later that the crew announced some bad news over the radio:  They were going to turn the engine so that it would be the second unit (instead of the lead unit) on MKSIT. 

I knew that 8572 would be leading as the power came south out of the yard, so I got ready at Market Street to get this view of her crossing the NS diamond. 

The only other time that the Dash 8 would be leading is when it crosses Dean Avenue to go back into the yard from the south to the east.  I set up there and waited to get this shot of the engines as they passed the signals.

This interesting leased unit was leading a westbound on the mainline at Ames Yard.  Note that third unit; looks like an I&MRL motor. 

This AC4400 was the second unit on an empty coal backhaul.  Gotta love that Operation Lifesaver scheme...

MKSIT passes over traffic on University Avenue in Des Moines.

The next day, CNW 8832 was leading an eastbound coal train.  We were a little confused at first, because the Kate Shelley bridge worker kept referring to them as UP 8832.  Nonetheless, she looked great in the sun today.

Here, the non-UP consist passes by an empty lot on the west side of Boone.

Two hours later, classes started back up again, and it was the end of Spring Break 2002!