Living in a Material World

A recent wave from an Union Pacific engineer is reminiscent of the album cover from 1973's Living in a Material World by George Harrison. While not exactly the same hand with Hindu script the gesture acknowledges that he sees me and I see him - from the safety of an overhead bridge. The fast moving train is probably doing about 60 mph at this point as it travels east through eastern Iowa.

An American Railroad - Mixture of Media

Shiny rails indicate a still active rail line passing through Vinton, Iowa. The old Vinton Depot is a favorite photo target and is now a historical museum. The depot building, which was once part of the Rock Island Line, will be featured in a future posting but for now I am quite taken by the detail in this image.

On a rail bed, called ballast and made up of hard rocks typically quartzite, is an almost submerged cedar or Douglas fir tie. Upon the tie is an iron brace which shores up the rail line. Two railroad spikes anchor the brace on the exterior of the track. There is an interior brace and spikes opposite the exterior brace however they cannot be seen from this viewpoint.

One can often find spent spikes or brackets along the tracks, garage sales, thrift shops or as repurposed artwork. Technically these items belong to the railroad and are often rounded up near the tracks and hauled away for salvage.

Topping off the Tank at 2000 Gallons

A fuel gauge on a General Electric locomotive tops off at 2,000 imperial gallons which equals about 2,400 US gallons. Diesel is the fuel of choice for these massive machines. On this day two color contrasting locomotives are joined together on a tracks in Clinton, Iowa, just feet from the Mississippi River. The blue color Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DME) engine, called the "City of Wall" was built in 1966 per railpictures.net. The red Canadian Pacific locomotive also travels the Midwest from the US to Canada according to that website's tracking of CP 3081.

Canadian National Railway At Home in the Snow

Last weekend's snow storm brought 7.5 inches locally. Three days later the snow melted away. Canadian National CN Railway services part of this community by hauling ethanol and grain plus much more I suspect. On this day the locomotive pointed to the west, aiding in warming off some of the frozen precipitation.

Snow from Canada, Oh the Irony!

So I'm out looking for snow scenes to photograph since we received the first of the season white stuff last night and this morning. Locally 7.5 inches of wet snow blanketed everything. At the Quaker Oats mills here in Cedar Rapids, four hopper grain cars from the Canadian Pacific Railway were not spared from the frozen precipitation. Its the white cap of snow over word "Canada" that caught my attention. Snow from the Great White North is something generally expected, now it is confirmed! Good one eh?

Eastbound Union Pacific Lines in Central Iowa

The main East - West lines for the Union Pacific railroad runs right through Iowa. Along these tracks have been many, many tons of coal, new automobiles and even the two 200 inch blanks for the Mount Palomar Hale telescope direct from the Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York. Yes, two blanks. The first one delivered developed a crack in the lens and needed to be replaced. It is or was on display at Corning's museum.

Old Bradford Pioneer Village Charmer

 

At the Old Bradford Pioneer Village near Nashua, Iowa surprises are abundant. Near the relocated train depot, an Illinois Central caboose is on display for anyone to visit. On this occasion a young Illinois resident climbed aboard the caboose to be a model for her mother's photography.

 

 

Illinois Central 9967 was donated to the Pioneer Village a number of years ago and is in general good condition despite needing a good exterior cleaning.

 

 

Dressed in Civil War era style clothing the girl played near the caboose while her father changed from his reenactment gear.

 

 

Before her three hour car ride back to the Quad Cities on Sunday afternoon, the caboose charmer showed off her endless somersault skills. Her display of tumble after tumble would most likely cause adults some discomfort.

Illinois Central in Independence, Iowa

A favorite photo subject of mine whenever I go to Independence, Iowa is this long retired three car train. This time I tried an aperture priority at f/22 but it was this f/9 version that won the battle. The sky conditions were sunny with some haze. Since Independence was once served by the Illinois Central Railroad (a portion of the depot is in the background) and this is an Illinois Central locomotive, coal tender and caboose the following is appropriate from song composer Steve Goodman:

"...All along the southbound odyssey - the train pulls out of Kankakee
And rolls along past houses, farms, and fields..."
- The City of New Orleans

Union Pacific Rolls Through Belle Plaine

Seems like every 30 minutes or so a train zips through east central Iowa's Belle Plaine. On this day Union Pacific's 6589 pulls cars filled with Wyoming coal eastward. Behind the train is Belle Plaine's former depot building used for years when trains stopped and unloaded people and freight. The building has been closed for a number of years (if not decades) and its future remains unclear. Belle Plaine's history is comprised rail traffic on these lines and is celebrated at the town's museum. The town is also known for being along the Lincoln Highway and for 1886's runaway Jumbo artesian well. These rails run parallel to the former Lincoln Highway route (one block away) and seven blocks from 8th Avenue and 8th Street were a concrete stopper tamed Jumbo.

New Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC) Locomotive at Penford

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC) has introduced a new locomotive recently to its fleet. The RELCO built locomotive serves the Linn, Johnson and Benton Counties area for heavy industry customers. This afternoon the 201 locomotive, one of eight new engines, was working at the Penford plant in downtown Cedar Rapids, moving filled cars situated on the new, post 2008 flood bridge.

Wyoming Coal Delivery Via the Union Pacific

The lights came on, the bell started ringing and the gates came down. Traffic stopped at the UP crossing in SE Cedar Rapids to let a fast moving train zip on by. Locomotive 6053 moved pretty quickly from the west pulling several cars filled with coal, that is most likely from the Gillette, Wyoming area mines.

One of the highlights of this fast mover was the cloud of snow that was kicked up by the moving train. The effect produced a small snowstorm in the immediate area as the powder snow settled nearby after the train past.

At the end of the train, where the traditional caboose would have been was an unexpected surprise. A pusher locomotive occupied the last position giving the train a bit more oomph to move that coal. Commonplace? Maybe, but its interesting to see how the nation's infrastructure works on the rails - in the winter - with a load of coal - moving fast.

McMinnville's Depot Bottom Trains

Across the street from Depot Bottom Country Store in McMinnville, Tennessee are a collection of retired and working trains. While the 42N team didn't spend enough time there last October, the site was dripping with sights to see and history to explore.

I have no idea whether this is a working locomotive. Seem like it is still in working order and ready to haul the area's timber and nursery products to wherever needed. I was told that this particular area of town known as Depot Bottom is quite old and once settled, the site always was rail related.

A few feet from the green locomotive is this old caboose. Now I know that cabooses are no longer in service and therefore figure this one is retired. I have not researched the CRW (Caney Fork & Western) logo to figure out the history of the line or this particular caboose, but may do so before the next visit.

Dressing Up a Steam Locomotive in High Heel Pumps

Independence, Iowa's static display of an Illinois Central steam locomotive is a favorite spot for photographers. Late Saturday was no exception. Despite 28 F temperatures a photoshoot was underway when I reached the site after a day spent photographing barns, state parks and civil war memorials. This young model reacted to instructions from a student photographer as a mom watched from a warm truck nearby. After talking to the point-and-shoot photographer I covered the scene with several photos of the train with and without the model. In comparison a photo of a young woman model on a train offers a much higher marketing value than those images without – if I were marketing a train.

Oelwein Yard's Retired Locomotives

Oelwein, Iowa once was home to a massive railroad maintenance yard. The expansive facility was located just a couple of blocks from downtown. And as with many changing industries, the Oelwein Yard diminished as lines no longer needed the facilities. However in an effort to preserve the past, local train enthusiasts several years ago secured some remaining building structures, rail related equipment and created the Oelwein Railroad Museum, part of the Hub City Heritage Corporation. 

Some of the rail collection exists outdoors. These locomotives are among the fleet of rail cars which also features an old wooden caboose from the 1910s and restored last year. The outdoor site is also an attraction for photographers.

While I was there a few weeks ago, a family of three arrived and were greeted by a woman with an array of photo gear. She led the young family around to the various trains, posed them and took their portraits. She told me that the family will use these photos as part of their holiday cards. She also said that the family loves trains - especially the preschooler and his Dad. My reaction was, well who wouldn't like these old beauties? Just as long as they don't block your way from point A to B.

I See the Train a Comin'

Trains, old trains make fascinating photo subjects. Lighting is another matter. Fortunately these photos were clicked around 9 AM a few days ago. With a north-south orientation the old train offered interesting angles and shadows before harsh midday lighting. This front end view might be something to notice if you were crossing the tracks ahead of the moving engine. However since there is no cow catcher attached to the engine it may mean, sorry you are about to be history.

Powering this train, back in the day was steam produced by a coal fired boiler. Therefore the engine was basically a big tank of water which when boiled produced steam to move the pistons that cranked the eight wheels along the rails. As such there are plenty of hoses or lines running in and out of the tank. Makes you wonder how these giant iron horses were designed, manufactured and maintained. It took some knowledge to figure the physics and economies of railroad ownership.

This particular static, Illinois Central train consists of the engine, coal tender and a caboose. Take a close look at the metal's surface. You will find weathering, pitting and other signs of age. The historical society of Independence, Iowa maintains this train display and a former Rock Island passenger depot for kids of all ages to learn and enjoy a look at the past.

Rock Island Line is a Mighty Good Road

Epworth, Iowa is the site of a small park that offers something from the last century - a train caboose. This one is from the Rock Island railroad which probably passed through this small community in northeast Iowa. In the 1930s a song about the rail line was composed and sung by inmates from the Arkansas State Prison. In the 1950s a re-worked version of the song became a hit for several musicians on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Still, the line is the road to ride. Know that.

Hawkeye Express Waits for 2011-12 Football Season

In a little over four months the Hawkeye Express, a fan commuter train will transport Hawkeye faithful to and from Kinnick Stadium to watch the University of Iowa football team begin play within the new Big Ten Conference. Today I discovered a single Hawkeye club car in storage at the Oelwein Yard. Perhaps the commuter is here for annual maintenance and/or off-season storage. Other elements of the train have been spotted in storage on tracks in Coralville close to where people park and board during game days.

The Hawkeye Express began running in 2004, originally using elements from a ski train but now have dedicated six Pullman cars purchased from a Chicago commuter line. The diesel is a former Amtrack locomotive from Arkansas.

Hawkeye fans embraced the train concept as a way to move efficiently through traffic and to be delivered to Kinnick's entrance. Its been a win-win for fans and for the University. Know that.

Cup Full of 42N Cities

Enjoy a morning cup of 42N cities along with your favorite raspberry latte. These metal name plates were once used by NorthWestern Railroad personnel to display the stops along a particular route, here in 42N country. A map of the modern Chicago and NorthWestern lines can be seen above.

In years past passengers could glance at on onboard display in their rail car to see what city stops were coming up next. These days the various stop announcements on modern trains are done through a combination LED displays, audio reminders and sometimes braille. Know that.