Monday, December 31, 2012

Along the rails and by the river

Iowa Northern 3801.....

 ....and 461 idling near Penford.

Rock Island Caboose at Wilton, IA.

Herald.

BICB30 at Wilton

BICB30 at Atalissa.


BICB30 at Iowa City


BICB30 coming down the main into the Iowa City Yard.

Bald Eagle along the Iowa River in Iowa City.


 The westbound BICB30 crossing the Iowa River. 

An ex SCL/L&N boxcar, second from the head-end on BICB30.


Wedgie shot of a Bald Eagle along the Iowa River in Iowa City.


See ya next time!!!
LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE!!!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Railroad--The Best of 2012

January
First train of 2012--

CRIC cresting Walford Hill--

A very nice catch of an IC OLS unit--

February
In February, L563 cuts thru a snow squall north of Robins, IA--

Job 3 pulling hard on a grain train across the Cedar River--

ADM Genset shoving back toward the west yard--

B68 in Clinton, IA--

March
CN Test Car--

An extra ICCR at the crest of Walford Hill--

IAIS slug 651 in Iowa City for a checkup--



April
The first run of the NS Grain Train combined with BICB31 at FW Kent--

513 running east on CRIC at Homestead--

CN 5779 northbound @ Hiawatha, IA--

May
CBBI at Rock Island--

Southbound IC&E train at SSS Bettendorf--

75-car grain train north of Coggon, IA--

EJE 673 and 11 cars at Hiawatha--

June-NRHS Convention
The arrival of the NRHS into Cedar Rapids at Fairfax--

Rock Island Excursion at Amana Depot--

Rock Island Excursion with 513 leading at West Liberty--

A photo run-by at West Liberty--

Hooking up 6988 to the excursion for the trip west--

6988 entering Davenport--

6988 by Wilton Depot--

6988 by West Liberty Depot--

6988 rolling over the Iowa River as more "shutterbugs" snap the beauty--

6988 @ Homestead--

Newton Special at the top of Walford Hill--

6988 and the Newton Special at Grinnell--

6988 on a photo run-by at Newton--

6988 cuts away from the train to head to its home in Newton--

The return trip at Kellogg--

The return trip at Walford Hill--

The CRANDIC trip out "in the country"--

CRANDIC excursion nears Swisher--

Photo run-by at Coralville--

CRANDIC excursion by the Iowa River Power Restaurant in Coralville--

The CIC return trip north of North Liberty--

July
CRIC04 at Amana Depot--

Wide-cab CN 2415 north at County Home Rd--

L563 with a rare blue CN 2460 leading at Central City--

CBBI24 with 513 at Downey--

CBBI24 with 513 at West Liberty--

August
BNSF 7832 west, Ortho--

BNSF 4834, Argyle--

BNSF 9194 west, Mt Pleasant--

IC&E 6406 south, Cotter--

IC&E 6406 south, Ainsworth--

UP 5561 west with some CSX power to boot--

CSX 7683--

CSX 8432--

CSX 1536--

UP 8655 at Watkins--

East meets west at North Star on the IAIS--



September
BICB04 with 513 on the point, crossing the Iowa River--

BICB04 passing the feed mills in Marengo, IA--

IC 1007(SD70) leading L563 at Central City--

M337 rolling by the soybeans near Masonville, IA--

M337 near Independence, IA--

Okay, who is driving the train?--

Turntable in Waterloo--

The NS "Central of Georgia" heritage unit on an eastbound at Beverly, IA--

UP Business Special at Beverly, IA--

CRIC climbing the grade at Homestead--

October
CRIC03 passing Homestead and some color--

CRIC03 climbing uphill near Paul's Crossing--

L563 rolling thru a tunnel of fall colors at Hiawatha--

On the way to my grandmother's funeral, I followed the NS Louisville Dst to Harrodsburg. NS T79 heading to the Mixing Ctr with some racks--

My catch of the 2nd NS heritage unit, NKP 8100 on the point of 22A at Waddy, KY--

NS 223 at Avenstoke, KY. Junior Russell is the engineer--

NS 223 by one of the most beautiful spots to photograph; Vanarsdall, KY--

NS 223 splitting West Factory Street in Harrodsburg--

UP 5065 west.....--

.....and a KCS ACe at Beverly--

513 west at Iowa City--

November
Pair of wide-cabs northbound on L563 @ Hiawatha--

PC22 sits idling at the Prairie Creek Generating Station yard in SE Cedar Rapids--

Eastbound autorack train passing "Land O Lakes" Feeds in Clarence--

Older set of crossbucks on what used to be a crossing in Comanche, IA--

B60 north of Deer Creek, IA--

December
The CP Holiday Train coming into Byron, IL--

The Jolly Ole Elf, Santa in Byron, IL--

Holiday Train near Lanark, IL--

Holiday Train coming into Savanna, IL--

CP Holiday Train departing Savanna, heading for Muscatine, IA--


A wonderful year for railroad photography. We will wait and see what 2013 has in store. Until then, see ya trackside!!! LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE!!!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas morning at the Homestead, 2012

Sassy trying to get in trouble.

Bekah's new knee-high "Animal" socks. Like Dad, like Daughter(Animal Muppet lovers).

Isaac and the Angry Birds. 

Mama's new Waffle Maker. 

Makeup for Bekah.

Even Sassy gets a present; Rawhide in the shape of a Candy Cane. 

Air Hogs. 

Just Dance for the Wii and an iTunes Gift Card. 

Grandma Jan got a new Bible; The Voice.

Dad gets new shirts.

Isaac's new Kindle. 


More clothes for Bekah. 

Mama's new Oster MyBlend......


with a MyBlend glass for me to use too.

Bekah looking at a card.

Sweatshirt with a Wisconsin Badger embroidered in.

Did I mention it is a "White" Christmas?

Merry Christmas!!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

CN Local power

CN SD40U(Snoot-nose) 6014 and......

C44-9W 2580 were the power for L563. Presumbably this will be the power also for the track shoveler when the snow drifts kick into high gear overnight into Thursday.

Local power tied down for lunch.

While driving by the Prairie Park Fishery to see if the Eagles were out, there was a hopper in storage along the old C&NW tracks with this MOPAC herald still in pretty good shape.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train 2012

The CP Holiday Train coming upgrade into Byron, IL on the Chicago Subdivision.



That jolly ole elf himself was on board.

The stage platform comes down....



and out comes The Claytones to perform to the local crowd of Byron, IL.


Small crowd around the stage in Byron, IL.

The local food bank in Byron, IL.

Pano shot of the motor and the first four highcubes.

Head shot of the power.

Holiday Train at Forreston, IL

Train nearing Lanark, IL

"On-the-fly" shot of the train near Lanark, IL

Coming in to Savanna, IL for its next stop.

Departing Savanna, IL to head to Muscatine, IA.



Crossing the mighty Mississippi River at Sabula, IA.

 Holiday Train crossing over the Union Pacific in Clinton, IA.

Proceeds from Canadian Pacific's Holiday Train will go to "Feeding America" and their efforts for Hurricane Sandy victims. The proceeds from the local food banks STAY in the local area stops.

See ya next time!!!