With the possible last train to ride over the CFU lead coming late 2023, I looked thru what I had from this dead end line. This was once the mainline of the Rock Island from West Liberty to Manly.... (more)

The Southwest Chief rolls along authorized for 90 mph across most of the Marceline Sub. The train will have to slow to 50 mph for the curves down into the Des Moines River Valley here in a few mil... (more)

Amtrak #4 makes their way into Iowa as they cross the Des Moines River. The Chief has less than 20 miles to the next stop at Ft. Madison, and is making good time from LA with nearly on-time schedu... (more)

The mid-day Waterloo to Butler job is about to hit the CN CTC main on the westside of Waterloo. This job normally operates from IANR Bryant Yard in Waterloo to the Butler Yard north of Shell Rock.... (more)

The IANR had to use the normal 20:00 Butler crew to run the Oelwein Job the night before. The normal Oelwein Crew had to do some plowing. That now means the 8am Butler crew had to come to the CN o... (more)

With over 14,000 feet of train, this 2nd 261 is back on the move at Harpers Ferry. The train made a pickup at Marquette and had 2 extra cars making them over the CP rules. After lining the South s... (more)

With 14,000 feet of train in tow, this 2nd 261 lumbers up the Marquette Sub towards St. Paul. Over the detector, they had 2 extra cars putting them over the 14,000 feet threshold rule CPKC has for... (more)

With the massive flooding the CP took in May from the Mississippi River, there has been so much work done along the Marquette Sub. Many, many work trains have been up and down this Marquette Sub. ... (more)

The Iowa Northern's Cedar Rapids to Waterloo job makes a later appearance in Vinton as they work back to Bryant Yard in Waterloo. The crew would have to go out on the Dysart Branch to spot and pul... (more)

Sure would of been nice to seen 4 IANR units on this Cedar Rapids to Waterloo train today. We got some rare mileage as the job had to go out on the Dysart Line a couple times for work. This line w... (more)

The D&I train out of Dell Rapids came in today as a monster 126x0, 17228/6950. Once to Sioux City, the train has to be delivered and yarded. 2 crews work off each end to make the delivery/yarding ... (more)

One can see a lot goes on here as the CN/UP/BNSF all cross each other, going different ways for mainlines and industrial leads. The CN is currently shoving over to deliver to the BNSF and DAIR. Th... (more)

The daily Waterloo to Kirk Yard freight rumbles up the grade past the former Beth siding location, east of Winthrop. Today's train has 9 dash 8 type motors that are heading probably to scrap. The ... (more)

While it comes and goes, trios of SD70Ms in Iowa are kind of common. M338 has a trio of them today as they pass the 1st siding out of Waterloo, near Jesup. As one can see, the tie gang has just fi... (more)

The Ft. Dodge to Waterloo daily local rolls across the Iowa River at Iowa Falls on this warm evening. This job did work at Judd, met its counterpart at Webster City, and is now on to Macy for more... (more)