Our train left La Crosse backing up at 2:58 PM.
We backed up passing the old roundhouse foundation at La Crosse before we backed across the bridges to La Crescent to wye our train for the trip back to Minneapolis Jct.
The train did our recrossing the Mississippi River.
At West Bridge Jct we started our trip around the large wye at La Crescent.
With all the high water from the recent rains new lakes were formed inside the wye.
Looks like a good fishing hole to someone who did not know better.
You got a great view of the palisade on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River.
A most beautiful scene!
I love scenes like this.
The plants life creates a unique setting. There is the short wye cutting across which we did not use.
Almost to the switch at the south end of the large wye.
The train was on the switch.
The return track would be new mileage for me as on the Grand Excursion we took the way we had just come from to get to La Crosse from Dubuque that afternoon back in June of 2004.
You could see down the train as the rear is now on the line to Dubuque.
We now start up the connecting track to the mainline as my new mileage starts until we reach the CP Rail mainline again. I returned to my seat and enjoyed the late afternoon trip along the Mississippi River after talking with several friends on the train. Our train took the siding at Donehower for BN 5966 East. At the next siding at Homer we went into the siding for CP 9558 East.
At Winona, a CP Rail local with a Soo Line engine on it. Knowing that we were getting near the flash flooding damage, I returned to the vestibule to capture a few pictures of it.
The flood damage from the August 17th and 18th, 2007 flash flooding near Minnesota City.
This where the ex Milwaukee Road bridge was flooded away on that night. The CP Rail built a shoofly around the damaged bridge a week later. The train then made its way to Red Wing and another servicing stop for the steam engines.
I found Dennis Larsen who I took to Bob Riskie so they can catch up on things. I visited the folks in the baggage car and had nice conversations with many people aboard the train. As we reached Hastings I returned to the vestibule for a picture of the crossing of the Mississippi River at Hastings.
The train did the crossing the Mississippi River at Hastings.
We ran along the Mississippi River as we neared St. Paul. The train passed through the yards then climbed Westminster Hill to leave St. Paul. We returned Minneapolis Jct at 8:45 PM and we end a fantastic trip with both the Milwaukee Road 261 and Canadian Pacific 2816. We drove back to the Best Western Kelly Inn in Plymouth . Chris, Anton and I then had dinner at the Green Mill Restaurant and Lounge where I enjoyed a fantastic steak for dinner. We next called it a night as I had my next steam trip tomorrow while Chris and Anton would give chase.
