Bob, Elizabeth and I met in the lobby at 6:00 AM and I borrowed the car to run to MacDonald's, which was not open, but I settled on a convenience store for some chocolate doughnuts to get me going on this clear, cool and windy Sunday morning in Iowa. Bob drove Elizabeth and I down to the loading area but first there were a few pictures to take.
The two Chinese QJ's were on a side track waiting to pull forward then reversed down to our trainset for the last event of the weekend, a double-headed steam excursion to Iowa City.
Here the QJ's are pulling forward on their way to the switch at the west end of the yard.
My train ticket.
The QJ's then reversed down the track towards our train but made a safety stop before coupling onto our train. There is no automatic stoker on these engines and every scoop of coal is shovelled by hand. The train consisted of QJ 6988 and QJ 7081, tool car 9021, coaches {all former Montreal commuter coaches} 810, 820, 807, 819, 816, 804, 838 and 806, 101 "Abraham Lincoln" and 100 "Hawkeye".
Bob drove us back to the boarding area and we said goodbye until Iowa City. Elizabeth and I waited to board the train, which we did at 8:42 AM. We reversed to beyond the Rock Island station, where we started pulling forward towards Iowa City.
Barges lashed together to move upriver on the Mississippi River.
Our crossing of the Mississippi River.
The view from the windows.
Almost across the great river of America.
Bob took a picture of our street-running in Davenport.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific West Liberty station built in 1887.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific caboose 1703. It was built railroad in 1913 as a boxcar, converted to a caboose in 1940 and purchased from a museum in Adair, Iowa.
Trackside view of the Iowa City Rock Island station built in 1899.
Bob caught the train entering Iowa City.
The author was interviewed by a local reporter from KWWL who asked him a variety of questions. We all returned to the car and would next be going to Rochelle with other stops along the way.
