Western Railroad Discussion > Friday the 13th Wasn't That Unlucky for Me

I was able to spend a large part of the day this past Friday, February 13 at the BNSF Ottumwa Subdivision in Agency, Iowa. I think it went fairly well.

1) An errand run just happened to end with me on Agency Hill east of Ottumwa as Amtrak #6, the eastbound California Zephyr, came uphill on the left track. Engineer is kind enough to give a horn salute. This was the only train I was planning on seeing this day until I got a text message from a friend telling me something big was coming.

Amtrak #6(11):
Amtrak 17 P42DC
Amtrak 98 P42DC

2) I went to the tracks in Agency itself this time. I arrived earlier than I needed to see what I was told about, but I wasn't too disappointed that this let me see an eastbound coal load with a leased Citi Rail Gevo and a shiny ACe DPU.

BNSF 6030 ES44AC
CREX 1203 ES44AC
BNSF 8533 SD70ACe

3) A track inspector heading west in a hi-rail truck. Normally, this would be a sign of a slow day on the railroad, but today wasn't an ordinary day.

BNSF 24376

4) Here's want brought me back to the tracks: a 28-unit power move with ex-BN SD70MACs and ex-ATSF SD75Ms. This move has been covered on Trainorders before: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3662862.

5) While I was having a streak of good luck, someone else was pressing their luck. Although maybe some people would be less inclined to drive around gates if they didn't come down more than 67 seconds before the train. This coal load is led by an Executive MAC still earning it keep and another shiny ACe behind it. While this train was passing, I filmed a close-up of the mud pump at this spot.

BNSF (ex-BN) 9680 SD70MAC
BNSF 8408 SD70ACe
BNSF 8928 SD70MAC

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Since the temperature was above average and my kept friend sending me updates, I stayed out as long as I knew what was coming.

6) A lone ACe leads an empty coal train through town with an extra horn blast. A not-too-common AC4400 is the DPU. As this train goes away, it's conductor is heard trying to reach a Maintenance of Way Foreman in Ottumwa.

BNSF 9054 SD70ACe
BNSF 5686 AC4400CW

7) The second but smaller power move of the day. Eight locomotives go west as light power to counteract the imbalance created by the constant eastbound loads/westbound empties on this line. This is on top of the two coal empties I saw yesterday (and didn't get on camera) with six units each.

BNSF 8857 SD70MAC
CREX 1318 ES44AC
BNSF 9072 SD70ACe
BNSF 9352 SD70ACe
BNSF 6436 ES44AC
BNSF 8413 SD70ACe
BNSF 6264 ES44AC
BNSF 9259 SD70ACe


8) Next up the hill was the Cargill Feed Train. This train carries Sweet Bran from the Cargill plant at Eddyville, Iowa to Dalhart, Texas. Easily identifiable by the tarp-covered rotary gondolas converted from coal service and its smell, which unfortunately I can't share with you through this video. A couple tank cars have been tacked onto this train today.

G-EDYDHT:
BNSF 7491 ES44DC
BNSF 5455 C44-9W
BNSF 5142 C44-9W

9) Moving on to the next crossing east, a Union Pacific engine leads an eastbound covered hopper train. As I understand it, this is an empty phosphate train going to Florida. I'm used to seeing old CSX hoppers on this train, usually just some Family Lines System ones. This train also has Chessie the Cat, an RF&P, and a Conrail hopper with NYC reporting marks.

UP 5812 AC44CWCTE
BNSF 5239 C44-9W



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/15 22:30 by Agent.

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Last two trains.

10) The eastbound signal is still showing yellow from the phosphate train as a westbound mixed freight train comes through. Not much notably about this train although there is a quite a few PotashCorp hoppers near the front of the train.

BNSF 7072 ES44C4
BNSF 7641 ES44DC

11) An eastbound mixed freight then comes by with a wave from the engineer. Third out on this train is a shiny Geep that was probably just rebuilt at RELCO Locomotives in Albia, Iowa.

BNSF 7033 ES44C4
BNSF 4986 C44-9W
BNSF 2717 GP39-2



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/15 05:31 by Agent.

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Very nice..thanks for sharing.