6778 pulls an eastbound freight late in the afternoon on my second trip to China. The local passenger train was waiting at Yamenmiao station for this train to clear.

Iowa Interstate QJs 6988 and 7081 lead ICRI down the street running in Davenport, dubbed as the longest steam powered freight of the 21st century.

Coming around the mountain.. Click on "Singing Sands Viaduct" above for companion views.

Doubleheaded QJs work across a wintry scene.

IAIS 6988 and 7081 putting on a show as they depart from a water stop at Walcott,IA

Railfans scramble back to their cars to jump ahead to the next spot as Iowa Interstate 2-10-2 6988 slowly eases past the former Rock Island depot in the railroad's namesake city. The special was r... (more)

Through the fog. Iowa Interstate's doubleheaded 2-10-2s emerge from the fog and blast past the former Rock Island station in Wilton with a manifest freight. The Chinese imports were on thei... (more)

Sulphurous deposits lend strange colour hues to the frozen waters of the river that weaves beneath Kinmiaoxiang's magnificent Biligou viaduct. QJ 6639 pilots 6851 as they work eastbound in the fin... (more)

Iowa Interstate QJs 6988 and 7081 lead ICRI through Davenport, running down 5th Street.

Cleaning the QJ before a photo shoot. After the photos the locomotive was turned on the wye on the NE side of the old C&O Belt Line between Loudon Ave. and 7th Street. This was the last day this... (more)

There are no easy days, except days off, but a few tricks are quieter than others and a few nights cooler than some.

They're weird, but they put on a show.