6988 puts on a show for the fans at Sheffield on her way back west.
After a quick pause at the old Silvis shops complex, sacred ground to Rock Island faithful, the QJ/MILW 261 triple-header thunders into the afternoon sun.
The QJs haul a westbound manifest over the Cedar River Bridge at Moscow, Iowa.
QJs 6988 & 7081 hammer through Atalissa, Iowa with a westbound Iowa Interstate freight.
The two Chinese QJ 2-10-2's are literally rolling along at 35mph. The engines and tenders were bouncing all over the place, making quite a sight.
Steamin' along at 35mph en route to Bureau.
A twilight dinner cruise pulled by a pair of 2-10-2's swings onto the Government Bridge to cross the Mississippi River.
QJ passenger special returns to Rock Island on the top of Government Bridge while the BNSF local rolls by under the bridge on the ICE.
Chinese steam crosses the bridge at Moscow. No, not in Asia, in North America.
China steam comes to the heart of America.
A pair of QJ's charge past the Hadashan distant signal on their climb to the Jing Peng Pass.
A pair of QJ's, climbing toward Jing Peng Pass, are silhouetted against the twilight as they cross the curving viaduct at Si Ming Yi.
A pair of QJ's head into the sunset, on their climb to the Jing Peng Pass.
A self propelled steam crane cleans out the ash pit at the Daban terminal, a break from its regular job of coaling QJ's.