it's an interesting area. The two eastbound Amtraks run within a few minutes of each other. Something not seen anywhere else I've been.

If you don't act like a jackass and go driving through the yard, parking on the right of way, and walking up the embankment to take pictures, you'll have zero problems. I've spent entire days there, hours at a time with no police encounters

@@Jfrmr1 Thanks so much for the prompt answer! Great video you have here.

Definitely deserving of a full day spent here. The only downside is both mainlines appear to crawl through town, with every CPKC job getting re-crewed.

I've taken quite the hiatus from being trackside lately, but looking back, that very elusive shot at Vinton with the bonus of having a raggedy F40 on point may be my crowning achievement as a minimalist IANR historian.

Thank you 👍

It is nice having a few units in unique paint. There's a Geep rebuilding program going on too that's updating the cabs and adding air conditioning so I'm sure they'll be around for a while longer

Thanks for the continued channel patronage

Thank you very much!

Much appreciated

Thanks!

I had been wondering what was going on with the 4100 units. Saw some mechanical crews up in them last time in town and thought perhaps they'd be pulled out for a road train. Not to be....

Hard to see when Lord Zucky shadowbans content. Can't even crack 100 views unless it's IAIS action

Recently. Very recently.

Had been trying to find rail section data for quite some time, there's several stretches of track up there that are either corroded / pitted to the point you can't see the mill data. Appears to be mainly 90# from the late 1930's. While IANR runs 10mph on it, we used to run 25mph on it at multiple other shortlines I managed, with multi-million dollar derailments not uncommon as a result.

It is mostly 1930 something control cooled rail. There is a little over 2 miles of newer 115lb rail east of Dunkerton. This is done to get 90lb rail to replace broken rail. Oelwein is a mix of 100/110/112/115 lb rail

@@ianr2003 yeah, out in the swamps.... worst gnat infestation I've seen since living in south GA

Should be 1930 something control cooled 90lb rail

Neither UP or CN are desirable. They both have adjacent competitive corridors with interchanges at the system endpoints. There would be no benefit to interstate commerce for either one. For the last 50+ years, I can't think of a single instance where a class 1 acquiring a shortline improved conditions for a shipper.

@@Jfrmr1 I'm thinking about the existing haulage and export capacity. CSX is doing a good job since they've purchased Pan Am Railways. Infrastructure getting much better.

@@stevenconnolly7907 It would be interesting to see a comparison of year-over-year carload traffic, shipper complaints, and growth vs connectivity to ports and the system traffic realignments caused by it

My projection is that as soon as CN gets it, they will raise the tariff on carload business and run off all the small grain customers to trucks, which will have to run it to transload grain terminals on larger elevators along the mainline (have seen a version of this happen along a CSX line as a rr manager). Then, they'll cry about no business and petition the STB for abandoning most of the mainline, with the exception of a branch to Shell Rock out of Cedar Falls to serve the industries there that can afford volume pricing. The Oelwein branch will be lucky to survive, as well as the line from Shell Rock to Manly. I'd guess the majority of the former IANR system has 3 years from takeover to scrapping and turning into a bike path. Source: I was a marketing manager on a shortline competing for business on an adjacent CN corridor.

@@Jfrmr1 Thank you so much for this I filed into the STB under protest/opposition. Re. Tariff rate increases. I'm disappointed by the performance of elected officials in support of CN. The CEO of Iowa Northern also did an interrogatory supportive of CN yet negative of CPKS. I don't understand this. 🛤️

Tons or welded rail going in says a Lil something 😉

If I ever could remember to bring the scanner with, I'd have stayed with the rest of the trip! Was nice seeing at least a good portion of the north end with the new CWR in though. Any idea on the schedule change for the Waterloo-Shell Rock afternoon job? 3 weekends in a row up there and haven't seen it run.

@@Jfrmr1You can usually catch all 3 jobs between 10-1300 around Shell Rock. Things are slow right now

well that makes sense why I don't see them at 1-2pm at Waterloo anymore, they must be running earlier.

True, just used the local town name for context since my editing skills are on point with a kindergarteners.

Depends on a few factors but usually 1-2pm they're departing Waterloo. Oelwein job comes out behind them usually around 4 or so. Pretty consistent most Sundays

@@Jfrmr1 Thank you.

Got to love that former BRC C424

Much appreciated. I was glad to catch it just before the sun went down.

Nothing good comes out of class 1's buying regionals / shortlines.

i think IANR should stay its own railroad However IANR is still staying IANR but CN just owns it now (if that makes any sense)

The decision before the STB is pending.

Much appreciated. Definitely an odd meet for the downtown area

I’ve been wanting to get over there for quite some time. I believe they called that stretch “the racetrack” from old Santa Fe days?

I drove through Gary every day for 2 years and I don’t ever recall feeling leery. I suspect I’d feel different at 1am on MLK though

The first lead locomotive is, there aren't any others in the video

Only 1 up and back local a day at this spot but in the city having CN, IAIS, CIC, IANR, and the UP transcon makes for non stop action

Thanks for the kind words. Wish I knew more, it was the first time I had ventured that far north. Used to be in Waterloo-Shell Rock area every few weeks but life events have prevented that lately

👍

No clue, was nice to see out though

The old Pennsy main, nothing like how they’ve gutted it now. NS runs most traffic on the adjacent NKP main

Say goodbye to all the interesting motive power, and welcome boring GEVO’s working the ethanol plants

Striving for excellence and achieving shadowbanning

I feel like this one is gonna blow up with the recent news of the CN takeover, the worst possible deal for east central Iowa railroading

A shame all this will be gone next year. Can't believe they're gonna let CN have it.

​@@Jfrmr1 the good point is that CN won´t touch it if it was a cash burner. But for a money maker, Oh yes. Thanks for your comment.

The rebuilt F40's came from CDAC. The owner of IANR was one of the executives of Iron Road and got to keep IANR. As part of the IR bankruptcy he got some of IR's assets.

Thanks

@@Maine_RailfanIR went under because of Lac Mégantic. After that, all of IR’s railways, especially MMA went under as well. All the F40M-2F’s and 461, the special F40MPH-2F. It sounds like CN might scrap them along with the GP40s and the slugs

I don't care, YT has me shadow banned anyway

@@Jfrmr1 You deserve the like button smashing whether or not you are shadow banned.

Nah, it’s just living out it’s dream of being a C636 pulling tonnage over Keating Summit