Something different today... the ZG2LT that I see alot in Iowa in the afternoons, is normally a monster stack train that is DP-ed. Today ZG2LT is a short conventional hotshot that is seen here bla... (more)

Boy to see solid CN power in Iowa has been a challenge some weeks this winter. Here the daily Waterloo to Kirk Yard freight has 48 mph in hand over the HBD as they move freight east with a couple ... (more)

The Boone to Eagle Grove manifest train crosses the Des Monies River at Fort Dodge on this cold morning. The sun hasn't even make it all the way into the valley yet as the temperature hovers aroun... (more)

UP has a local based out of Callender Yard on the Tara Sub. They service the Gowrie to Albert City area customers and plants. I have ran into this job couple times on my 570 local adventures latel... (more)

Class 1's have really either retired or repurpose most of their SD40-2 fleet. CSXT and the SD40 fleet, rumors are always fly around that these old dogs maybe not long for the world, but one never ... (more)

The CSXT and NS have been running thru some interesting power to the CN lately. Also with the CN extremely power short the CN has been using anything they can get their hands on to run trains. An ... (more)

After meeting 338, 337 slowly pulls out of the siding at Jesup for the last 11 miles into Waterloo. This train normally see this territory in the very early morning, but problems in Chicago yester... (more)

An eastbound coal train has just exited the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1928 and is 24 feet high, 18 feet wide, and 6.2 miles long over the continental divide. Th... (more)

With a heavy set in the brakes and the dynamics going, this engineer eases this Kansas City bound 474 down the 1.8% Rutledge Hill. This beast is over 17,000 tons and 8600 feet long, and has 1x1 DP... (more)

A loaded Muscatine coal train pulls into the CP Ottumwa Yard. The BNSF crew out of Creston will pull the train down the main for the outbound CP crew. The train will change directions to go to Mus... (more)

A loaded coal train treks across southern Iowa enroute to the West Olive, MI, for Consumers Power. The train is seen here passing the ISU Generating Station west of Chillicothe, IA. The train is o... (more)

A favorite ex-C&O spot on the Big Sandy is the crossovers at Dawkins, few miles south of Paintsville. Pretty easy spot to get into and shoot both directions. Here an eastbound empty coal train is ... (more)

Business has been busy on the CN this late summer and early fall, and with that the CN has been alittle power short too. When the CN gets power short Iowa tends to get alot more foreign power than... (more)

Westbound Blue Island auto train race west on the BNSF Transcon Main west of Kinsman. The train has 2 run thru CSXT motors as the train is seen here passing some of the few remaining ex-Santa Fe i... (more)

One thing high on the "to do" list on our October trip was the CP H51/52 locals based out of Max on the New Town Sub. For the CP in 2017, this standard cab consist is pretty sweet. The H... (more)