For alittle while in early 2000's the UP went thru an era where they were using alot of small 4 axle units on the branchlines in Iowa. Eagle Grove was the hideout for UP B23-7's, SP B23-7's, and CNW GP38's. Was a cool variety away from the mainline. Here the UP Forrest City job pokes along at 10 mph on the way to Forrest City.
28 miles of this track between from Forest City to Belmond, was bought by North Central Iowa Rail Corridor LLC. Then they leased the line to the Iowa Northern for 10 years back in late 2011. UP had plans to abandoned the line, and as you can see back 2001 the line wasn't a money maker most days. There was alittle traffic from the elevators along the line and the Winnebago plant in Forrest City, that's why the auto racks.
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.