Our train has now turned onto the former Wabash tracks that the Appanoose County Community Railroad uses to get to their outside world connection with the BNSF at Albia.
If the tracks still went straight, they would have gone down to La Plata and crossed the BNSF mainline at the location where the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point is today.
Our train's speed increased with slightly better tracks.
Iowa is truly farm country.
Our passengers all enjoying their trip on the Appanoose County Community Railroad.
Crossing over Iowa Highway 2 on which I had been earlier this morning.
The train came to a rural grade crossing at 296th Avenue.
A pair of trees that our train passed between.
More of the most beautiful Iowa scenery.
Rolling north down the old Wabash Railroad.
Rural grade crossings can be dangerous if the public does not follow the driving laws.
Crossing over another bridge.
Grade crossings were plentiful.
Rounding the first curve on the Wabash section on this railroad.
Yet another rural grade crossing.
More of that beautiful Iowa scenery.
We had just come out of this curve.
The bridge over a road which we had just gone over.
Rollubg down the straight track on the Wabash.
Farmers use this road to access their fields.
A semaphore signal warns of the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad crossing ahead.
Looking back at the semaphore signal.
We had a green signal at the crossing of the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad.
Crossed the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad.
The crossing diamond and a Union Pacific locomotive on the interchange track.
Looking east down their railroad.
One last look at the crossing just south of Moravia.
The 1903 Wabash station in Moravia at its current location; it was once across the street.
Crossing Highway J18.
Don's Jons. We are number 1 in the number 2 business. Everyone had a bathroom break at this uniquely-named facility.
Appanoose County Community Railroad GP7 116.
Our train here in Moravia.
Appanoose County Community Railroad GP7 973, nee Detroit, Toledo and Ironton 973 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953.
Union Pacific SD40T-2 2858, ex. Union Pacific 4826, nee Southern Pacific 6829 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1972.
Union Pacific SD40T-2 2830, ex. Union Pacific 4798 nee Southern Pacific 6864 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1972.
First Union Rail SD40-2 7929, ex. Burlington Northern 7927, nee Colorado and Southern 7929 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1980.
The southbound semaphore signal just north of the Moravia depot.
The Southern Iowa Railway station, year of construction unknown, across the tracks from where the Wabash depot once stood.
Leaving Moravia behind.
A well-maintained railroad.
The clouds were beginning to build this afternoon.
More of that wonderful Iowa scenery.
Our train was running along Iowa Highway 5.
Rounding a curve.
A section of straight track.
Slight curves.
The clouds were getting larger.
A large sweeping curve.
Looking back at the tracks over which we had just ridden.
More of that great Iowa scenery.
As we passed the Relco shops, very visible was Relco SW900 909, nee Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company 901 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1957. A tour of the facility had been planned but was cancelled.
As we reached the edge of Albia, grade crossing protection returned.
In addition to this crossbuck crossing, there is also a bell ringer.
Our train crossed over the BNSF southern mainline through Albia.
The bridge over the BNSF southern mainline.
We reached the siding where the engine would run around our train to pull us back to Centerville, but once on the other end, it would push us north as far as we could go on this railroad.
Passengers detraining for the engine run-around move.
Appanoose County Community Railroad GP7 116 ran around our train.
Coupling up to our train.
Our train, now with engine correctly positioned, would wait for the passengers to reboard then reverse north. I went to the rear to find out just how far we could go toward the BNSF northern mainline through Albia.
Reversing through the Albia yard.
Crossing the first street, East Benton Avenue.
Another grade crossing.
A Wabash phone box.
The train went across the overpass across North 8th Street.
The last piece of straight track, but there was something blocking our path to the derail which protects the mainline.
BNSF SD40-2 1954, nee Colorado and Southern 917 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1972, was blocking our path towards the derail. We came as close to it as we could before we started back to Centerville.
