Nostalgia & History > OTD Around Ottumwa IA 1/11/1986

#1

Train #225 gets some help up Rutledge hill

The Milwaukee had become the SOO for just over a year by this time 

MILW 440+553+SOO 6602+MILW 22+MILW 160 

#2-#3

Over on the BN, Train #X51 has a surprise or two as it rounds the curve at Chillicothe BN 6323+SP 7557+SP 8364


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#4 

On the other side of Ottumwa, what was probably #62 is zipping out of the Des Moines River valley under what I came to call “the Camp Arrowhead bridge”. 
Likely made my way over to “Canteen Lunch” after this, with the noontime crowd mostly fed by this point. 

BN 7893+BN 7800+BN 4092+BN 4017 

#5 

A #227 makes its way over the north Foster bridge MILW 2044+MILW 2038+MILW 2060 

#6 

A little later, back over at the Milwaukee (OK, Soo) another #225 pulls in for a crew change at Ottumwa. 

MILW 159+MILW 167+MILW 174+MILW 173+MILW 141

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#7  

Back down to Foster, #224 is on the way to Kansas City – to the right of the tree on the left, if you know where to look, is the grade of a line that once went over and connected to the Wabash at Hilton. 

MILW 170+MILW 190

#8 

Over at Creston, BN #492 is about to cross Elm Street, the large division point station (now owned by the city) is out of the picture to the right. 

BN 7151+BN 2049+BN 2063 

Thanks for looking back 

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This was a great series! My favorite is the MW SD40-2s across the bridge. I have only been through Ottumwa a few times on the Builder. Thanks for sharing.

Great look back!

NIce pics - thanks for posting them.  Man I miss the Milwaukee Road.  I used to explore that area while traveling between St. Louis and the Twin Cities.

Excellent work sir. I was hoping my retired MILW Engr who was a trainmen then, was working that day but he wasnt. I have some of his old timebooks. He worked train 289(coal load off the BN) the next day out of Ottumwa to Fruitland with BN motors 5021 5067 5021 7188 5588. 

MILW86A