A Day on Iowa Interstate – Jun 1, 2006

Originally I didn’t think there was really enough material there to make a trip report out of this, but as I started uploading photos for the IAIS website, I realized it wasn’t so bad after all. So, I figured I’d just post a few photos of my day out following the IAIS while I was home in Iowa. I had a day of downtime between family stuff and leaving for St. Louis, so I figured I’d spend it out with the camera.

I started off with the RIIC at West Liberty switching the ramp, but since there was a fair amount of cloud cover, I shot out west to catch CBBI out of Newton and work backwards. Arriving at Newton, IAIS 626, 627, and 602 were on the point of the eastbound and all ready to go. I went a bit further to photograph the new ethanol plant, and by the time I got back, they were on the move. I followed CBBI back as far as Oxford. One interesting note – they stopped for quite a bit of switching at Marengo, which included picking up the 400. 400 and a single CN boxcar were on the siding waiting for them, presumably an IC switcher that died on hours. Regardless, they added 400 to the consist, picked up a cut of loaded grain hoppers, and set out a fresh string of empties for the elevator.

IAIS 153 in the lead of RIIC at West Liberty, after stopping to switch the intermodal ramp early Thursday morning

Next stop was at Newton, where I found CBBI-31 is put together and ready to depart Newton, IA

A look at the ethanol plant under construction on the northwest corner of the Newton yard

Another look at Newton's new ethanol plant under construction — Another look at Newton’s new ethanol plant under construction

CBBI-31 just out of Newton at Kellogg, IA

CBBI-31 and IAIS 626 pass the west interlocking signal at Grinnell

626 a couple miles west of Victor, IA, along County Rd F-29

IAIS 400 sits with a single boxcar on the Marengo siding, presumably an IC switcher that went dead on hours

The light power from CBBI-31 (626--627-602) comes forward to start up 400 and add her to the consist — The light power from CBBI-31 (626–627-602) comes forward to start up 400 and add her to the consist

The crew unlocks the cab and goes about firing up the old geep while the road train power sits on the main

With all four units together, they've pulled a bunch of loaded grain hoppers out and are in the process of dropping a cut of fresh empties for the elevator — With all four units together, they’ve pulled a bunch of loaded grain hoppers out and are in the process of dropping a cut of fresh empties for the elevator

With the train all back together, the crew gets ready to head east towards Yocum and Iowa City. Just east of here, track crews have been hard at work all morning, but they've cleared up for CBBI's passage. — With the train all back together, the crew gets ready to head east towards Yocum and Iowa City. Just east of here, track crews have been hard at work all morning, but they’ve cleared up for CBBI’s passage.

Never seen this variety of coil car before - NS 168623 was only built a year ago... — Never seen this variety of coil car before – NS 168623 was only built a year ago…

I'm thinking the unintentional theme for the day was grain elevators, though in Iowa it's rather unavoidable. Here's the old one at Oxford. With that, we leave CBBI-31 and turn back north towards the ICCR-01. — I’m thinking the unintentional theme for the day was grain elevators, though in Iowa it’s rather unavoidable. Here’s the old one at Oxford. With that, we leave CBBI-31 and turn back north towards the ICCR-01.

From Oxford, I went north to find the returning Cedar Rapids-IC job just out of Fairfax with all four SD38-2s on the front, just as the RIIC had been earlier, except reversed since it was going the other direction. I followed it down as far as Yocum, where it stopped short of the switch. My scanner had died about 45 minutes earlier, but as we all know, that usually means the westbound BICB is out of IC and they’re waiting to make the meet at Yocum. Since I was already running late for dinner back in Davenport, I decided not to wait but instead head east and see if I ran into the west BICB. Sure enough, just as I was approaching Coralville and about to get on I-80, I saw headlights. I went back for a couple more shots between there and just west of Tiffin, and called it a day.

LLPX 2807, leading the three other SD38-2s and the returning CRIC, creeps through the curve and upgrade at Fairfax, IA. The units are going all-out to lift the sizable train up the stiff grade ahead.

Told you today's theme was elevators, both old and new... — Told you today’s theme was elevators, both old and new…

A wider shot of the CRIC train at Walford, IA, over the grueling hill between there and Fairfax to the north

Coming down the ex-Milwaukee (now CRANDIC) line into East Amana

Another few miles, another one of the Amana Colonies. Here the train is coming through Amana and about to cross US 151

The CRIC crew pulls up to the east Yocum switch and sets the brakes. Ah ha! Must mean that the westbound BICB is underway out of Iowa City.

The first sighting of the westbound BICB is just past the I-80 bridge near Coralville, IA. The power apparently came off the west train and was put on here, with the addition of IAIS 600 on the back.

And after shooting at this oft-used curve between Tiffin and Oxford, I'll call it a day. I'm already late for dinner back in Davenport... — And after shooting at this oft-used curve between Tiffin and Oxford, I’ll call it a day. I’m already late for dinner back in Davenport…

All photographs in this trip report were taken with a Canon EOS 20D using either a Canon 24-105mm F4 L IS/USM or a Canon 75-300mm f4-5.3 IS/USM.

This work is copyright 2024 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.