Iowa Interstate QJ 2-10-2 7081 at Atlantic.
The front of the steam engine.
The Atlantic Rock Island station built in 1898. Service included the Rock Island's Corn Belt Rocket and Rocky Mountain Rocket passenger lines. In the trains' final year there, the route was shortened to Chicago to Council Bluffs. Service ended on May 31, 1970 with the end of the Council Bluffs train. After its use as a depot, the building fell into disrepair before it was restored and now houses the local chamber of commerce. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
A photo runby was then held after the engine had been serviced.
Iowa Interstate QJ 7081 performing the photo runby with Steve Sandberg as the engineer.
Iowa Interstate spreader 9500, nee Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 95319 built by O.F. Jordan.
The train reversed to pick us all up.
QJ 2-10-2 7081 at Atlantic, after which everyone reboarded.
Leaving Atlantic behind. I went inside and worked on the story for a few minutes before returning to the open platform of the "Hawkeye".
The view behind.
More windmills along our route today.
The Rock Island undertook a large line relocation from here into Council Bluffs with plenty of fills and cuts.
The hills were covered with windmills.
Two views looking back from where we come.
Our train went underneath this bridge.
Crossing a pair of bridges.
More former Rock Island signals.
Hillis siding.
Iowa Interstate GP38-2 718, ex. Locomotive Leasing Partners 2330, exx. Union Pacific 455 2002, exxx. Union Pacific 1955 19979, exxxx. EMD Leasing 820 1987, exxxxx. Conrail 8020 1987, nee Penn Central 8020, built by Electro- Motive Division in 1972, leading a westbound freight at Hillis, Iowa.
The west end of Hillis siding.
Hancock Junction, Iowa.
The train crossed two more bridges on this line.
A rural grade crossing.
A higher bridge on our route.
Riding across a high fill.
The train crossed this bridge.
More straight track.
About to pass underneath this bridge.
We crossed over another bridge.
Passing through the former Peter siding.
Looking north as we dropped down the grade towards Council Bluffs.
McClelland siding.
View looking north.
Straight track behind our train.
Crossing a bridge.
Another wooden bridge.
Another set of Rock Island signals.
The train crossed another bridge.
Yard Limit sign for Council Bluffs.
A further set of of bridges were crossed.
We went over the former Milwaukee Road tracks, now operated by BNSF.
More former Rock Island signals.
This Iowa Interstate freight train was waiting for us to arrive before departing for points east.
View of the motive power.
The DPU at the end of the freight, after which we ran through the Iowa Interstate freight tard in Council Bluffs.
BNSF GP38-2 2044 nicknamed "The Smurf", nee Baltimore and Ohio GP38 4811, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1970.
We crossed the BNSF at Council Bluffs.
Arriving at the Rock Island station, built in 1898.
Later QJ 2-10-2 7081 reversed the train into the Iowa Interstate freight tard for storage until Saturday's trip back to Des Moines.
Iowa Interstate GP38 601, ex. Bangor and Aroostook 46 1989 (short-term lease from Helm Leasing), exx. Missouri Pacific 2002 1987, exxx. Missouri Pacific 852, nee Missouri Pacific 572 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1966.
Iowa Interstate slug 650, built from GP8 466 by Relco in 2007.
The pair at work at Council Bluffs. I waited for Enterprise to pick me up, which they finally did and I received a Honda Accent. Just as I was leaving, Henry Posner III, the chairman of the Iowa Interstate Railroad, walked in without his wallet and identification, which he left in his sweater on the train. I drove him back to the yard and he walked over to the train to get his belonings then we had to take a detour due to an Iowa Interstate crew switching and blocking the only crossing we could use. We went the long way around the yard and I dropped Henry back off at the Enterprise rental car office then drove to the Best Western for my two-night stay. I walked over to Arby's to get some dinner then returned to the room and spent the evening working on this story.
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