Western Railroad Discussion > Question about IAIS using NS power

In the last few days I have seen two eastbound IAIS on the Metra Rock Island
with solid NS power consists.  Today's had the NYC unit trailing.  Where does the 
IAIS get those units?  I have not seen them going west on the evening westbound
train, but of course I do not see everything. 

So do they make a round trip from Blue Island to Council Bluffs and return or does the
IAIS get them from the NS or some other road somewhere west in Illinois or Iowa?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/20 07:16 by Englewood.

NS 1066 went to Blue Island on empty ethanol train 65H from Augusta, GA.  Evidently, those empties went directly to IAIS.  On the IAIS Facebook fan page, it was posted that NS 1066 (and the other NS motor) was on IAIS train BISI, which is an extra train to Silvis Yard.

Andrew

Also, some NS power comes onto the IAIS at Peoria, part of thier grain train business.  At least one IAIS type I know has called NS "junk" power.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Most of the time NS power will turn at either Silvis or South Amana. I havent seen an NS Motor out here(Des Moines) since last summer.
The grain trains off the NS at Peoria to Heartland Elevator at Des Moines have stopped for now.

MILW86A

There's a siding just West of Iowa City, the NS power used to turn there but once the new facility was built the power turns there. This
was going on while I was still in the Midwest some years ago.

Out 

Thanks to everyone for the anwers.

The unit trains come from various locations from the east ( New Jersey)  and Florida. They eventually make there way
to the IHB in riverdale Blue Island yard.  They almost always leave the NS power on the train.  Every now and then
we will bring our delivery in the IHB and use Iowa power or sometimes go there light power from Burr oak yard.
We also started delivering to CSX barr yard and we deliver unit trains and some manifest and take one out.  As of
last week or so we have been short Iowa power so we use the NS power to use on our trains. Due to the coronavirus
situation we started flipping crews at Seneca.  Blue island crews take either the BICB or BISI and meet the CBBI
or SIBI at seneca and switch trains and go back to there home terminals.  They dont want crews staying in the hotel.
Sometimes we only run one train out.  We usually will use the same NS engines a few days in a row sometimes up to
a week until the IHB says they need them back.  The New york central unit has been hanging around for a few days now.
I had it going west a few days ago.  As of today it was still in Burr oak yard.  We will also use the NS power when delivering
to the IHB or Barr yard.