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.

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?

SOO 4410 - A Rare Locomotive Still in Red & White

The SOO Line Railroad operates in the upper Midwest and is now part of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Last Saturday I spotted engine 4410, built in 1978, and is presently sitting at the Dubuque, Iowa CP yard. Since the early 2000s SOO locomotives have been repainted into the CP color scheme or have been scrapped. To discover a SOO colored locomotive, let alone an active engine is becoming quite rare. It's a piece of railroad history that is almost gone.

Switching Time on the Canadian National Railway

Its just the beginning of 2011. After a few centuries of the railroad experience one expects new technologies in every aspect of railroad yard operation - making it run efficent and effortlessly - or so it would seem. This Canadian National locomotive (number 2400) slowly moves towards and past 42N near the rail yard in Waterloo, Iowa in preparation of switching tracks. 
 

Note the three engine configuration is on the track closest to the photographer. It is still moving slowly from right to left.

 

As the train stops, a man appears from the opposite side of the locomotive and approaches a green and red switch in the foreground.

The switch man says hello to the 42N team and then unlocks the device.

Our neon glow switch man then physically pulls a level arm up from the locked position and positions it 90 degrees to the switch post.

He then pulls the arm from left to right. Mechanically this action moves a portion of the double rail track that will direct the locomotives to the next line. 

After the switch is in place the CN locomotives move back towards the rail yard for its next task. In this last photo the train is in the middle of the cross over manuever as it moves left to right - made possible by a switched track physically moved by one person. Within the 21st century there is still plenty of physical work performed to keep the rails moving. Know that.

Government of Canada at Quaker Oats

The Quaker Oats plant in 42N's Cedar Rapids, Iowa is one of the world's largest cereal production facilities. On some days throughout the city of five seasons you can smell which cereal is being made - some say Cedar Rapids is the city of five smells. Anyways, behind the plant are railroad tracks which deliver raw material to Quaker for processing. On this day the Government of Canada's railroad freight car was in position for unloading. Many rail cars left in accessible areas display artwork of graffiti painters - some good and others pure crap. Too bad these artists can't direct their talent towards something positive like updating the 1970s-ish logo of grain haulers for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Know that.

Swing Bridge at Sabula

A massive truss bridge with steel spans located in 42N country (42.06N, 90.16W) at Sabula, Iowa on the Mississippi River carries one track for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The Iowa side span pivots 90 degrees to disconnect the rail line. By doing so the swing bridge allows tall ship traffic to pass without incident. A close look at the photos above reveal that the utility lines are always connected. Know that.