We said goodbye to the Chinese QJ's and stopped for five dollars of petrol and snacks before leaving Iowa City. Our first stop was Atalissa where Elizabeth and I spotted a brick station still standing.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Atalissa station built in 1911. We continued east to Wilton.
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Wilton station, constructed of brick in 1898, is a museum.
The plaque on the historic station.
The former Express Railway Agency entrance.
Milwaukee Road bay window caboose 018xx built by the railroad in 1930 and painted as Rock Island 17087. From here we drove north to Interstate 80 and proceeded east to Illinois. Later we crossedthe Mississippi River. As we drove east, we listened to XM Radio and soon I was making jokes after hearing some of the 60's One Hit Wonders. "Teen Angel" played after we had heard "The Monster Mash". I said "The Teen Angel went to the Monster Mash and was bit first by Dracula and later by the Wolfman. That means she cannot come out during the day and must howl at the moon. This became expanded as the miles and songs passed. Soon we were turning off Interstate 88 Tollway and drove into Rochelle.
The Gift Shop by Rochelle Railroad Park where we parked I started to explore.
The street side of the Rochelle Railroad Park.
W.F. Hall Printing Company Whitcomb 50-ton side-rod 5 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1946.
A small steam engine shell that was once a Whitcomb 4 Ton that came from the Bucksgahuda & Western Railroad in St Marys, Pennsylvania.
Original 1854 Air Line Railroad section of track on display. The original Strap Rail railroad was laid down on the 14th.
Across the Union Pacific tracks is Milwaukee Road caboose 992083 built by the railroad in 1951.
BNSF 984 West on a stack train.
Union Pacific 4267 West.
Union Pacific 7663 East was the last train.
We decided to head back to O'Hare Airport so Bob and Elizabeth could drop me off for my flight. On the way there, we heard a horn and returned to the Union Pacific mainline and waited for the train, which was an eastbound Union Pacific Powder River coal train. We filled the car with ten dollars of petrol before driving on the Interstate 88 Tollway for Chicago. At the Aurora Oasis, Bob and Elizabeth stopped to get Subway sandwiches before making our way to O'Hare Airport.
I said my goodbyes to my dear and good friends, thanking them for a great weekend of Chinese steam engines. It took me fifteen minutes to go through Security then I went to the O'Hare Grill for dinner and had a ribeye steak as I watched the Green Bay Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts. After that, I watched the Oakland Raiders give the New York Jets a gift trip to overtime as a timeout was called when the Jets kicker hit the upright goalpost with his game- tying field goal. The kicker then made his second attempt and tied the game. I learned later that Sebastian Janikowski kicked a team record 57 yard kick in overtime to win the game.
I found Gate H12 and was allowed early boarding due to my knees hurting. At 7:15 PM CDT, American Airlines Flight 1677 reversed from the gate and took off at 7:28 PM. The movie on this flight was "Kitt Kitridge, an American Girl", which was an excellent film. I then did Sudoku puzzles and saw Las Vegas from my window. We landed at John Wayne Airport at 9:20 PM PDT, I was soon at the front of the airpot, waiting for my mother to pick me up and drove us home via the freeway. I was glad to be home again after a fantastic first experience with the Iowa Interstate Railroad QJ steam engines.
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