Nostalgia & History > Chicago & Northwestern, Iowa, September 1979

Nine months after I last visited the Chicago & Northwestern in Iowa I was back. I had orders to a San Diego-based ship, and a personnel issue had Navy cancel all my en route schools and report immediately to the destroyer from Newport, Rhode Island. The Bureau of Naval Personnel gave me five days to cross the continent, so I dropped all railfanning intentions en route...except Northwestern in Iowa and Rio Grande over Tennessee Pass. On the morning of 16 September 1979 I exited the Interstate System near Ames, Iowa, and headed west on US 30. This was a one day "target of opportunity" railfanning event; I'd shoot anything encountered between Ames and Fremont, Nebraska, but had no time to "sit and wait."

1. Fortunately, though Ames and Boone were quiet, heading west on US 30 I overtook SD40 #6867 leading #273 through Ogden, Iowa.

2, 3. As #273 was going my way, I lensed the train again between Ogden and Grand Junction, and adjacent to a corn field west of Grand Junction. (I needed a quintessential Iowa shot!)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/11 02:06 by captrr.

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4. #273 westbound at Scranton, Iowa, amidst a plethora of grain elevator styles. 16 September 1979

5. East of Carroll I encountered SD40-2 #6816 on the point of a 117-car eastbound.

6. #273 dropping downgrade into Vail.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/11 02:08 by captrr.

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7. Waiting for #273 between Denison and Arion I heard a train to the west. Thinking it was a Northwestern eastbound, I set up for the shot, only to discover much to my surprise that there was another line north of the Northwestern belong to Illinois Central Gulf. As you can see, I wasn't all that familiar with the territory, and the ground cover had completely obscured the single track ICG line. I quickly repositioned to shoot GP38-2 (correction made--thanks KC) #9611 on the Omaha-Fort Dodge line.

8. Shooting the ICG freight, I missed my image of #273 at the same location, but resumed the chase and next caught the westbound between Woodbine and Logan crossing a formerly double-tracked bridge. Note the ICG line on the left.

9. Approaching my "old haunt" of California Junction, #273 slowed.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/11 09:08 by captrr.

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nice
JC

10. Hmmmmm?? There was a westbound holding just west of California Junction as #273 eased up to the semaphores. How was this meet on single track to be effected? I had to change film but hurried up to the cab of #6867 and asked the Northwestern crew what was happening. They explained they would pull on to the line to Sioux City to let some eastbounds past, then regain the westbound main to continue on to Fremont. If I had tried this on my model railroad, the rivet counters would have cried "non-prototypical," but seeing is believing. With a new roll of film in the camera, I shot the caboose of #273 as it cleared the main. #274, stopped, is visible in the distance. (All of these train #s came courtesy of the crew of #273).

11, 12. With #273 in the clear, #274 accelerated eastbound. I had seen trains start from a dead stop before, but this one gained such speed in such a short distance that I made a note in my slide narrative to that effect.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/11 02:02 by captrr.

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13. When #273 didn't move, I assumed there was another eastbound coming. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later an eastbound "Falcon," moving very fast behind SD40-2 #6875, slammed through California Junction. The difference between "accelerating to" and "already at" track speed is reflected in the different positons of the opposing semaphore signals of #274 and the "Falcon." 16 September 1979

14. When the dust had settled #273 backed on to the mainline. I repositioned west to shoot it crossing the Missouri River at Blair, Nebraska.

It had been a great half day. How I loved the semaphores and action at California Junction. I continued west on US 30. I had a long way to go.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/11 02:14 by captrr.

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Great series in Iowa! The ICG units are GP38-2's by the way.

KC

More neat stuff, thanks for sharing.

For more views of CNW main line action in this era, check out this older thread:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1718294

And for ICG Western Iowa action, check out this older thread:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1659192

Best regards,

Rob L.

I'm guessing those blades must've come down shortly after 1980..as they did in other CNW locations like IL (north line to Kenosha) and WI (adams and lakeshore sub)

nothing like that CNW flavor..including jointed rail..

chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

chico Wrote:
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> I'm guessing those blades must've come down
> shortly after 1980..as they did in other CNW
> locations like IL (north line to Kenosha) and WI
> (adams and lakeshore sub)
>
> nothing like that CNW flavor..including jointed
> rail..
>
> chico
>

They probably came down in either 1981 or 1982, when Kennard to Blair was CTC'd (1982), or when the blades on the Sioux City line north of Cal Jct were replaced with searchlights in 1981.

captrr Wrote:
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> The Bureau of Naval Personnel gave me
> five days to cross the continent

Good ol Bupers ... after all, home is where the Navy sends you!

Regards,
Burlington John
YNCS (retired)

Rick, you and Rob need to start a railroad book publishing company. You would give Morning Sun and White River a run for their money!!