BNSF 4981 cab ride detour over IMRL trackage 1999

During my time as an I&M RailLink engineer out of Ottumwa, Iowa in March 1999, I was called unexpectedly but very happy to be called to operate a BNSF detour train to Kansas City due to a derailment on the BNSF in Iowa. The portion of the trip documented was from Ottumwa, Iowa to Newtown, Missouri. Unfortunately, battery life on video equipment wasn't as reliable at that time as it is today, so despite the limitations, I hope you enjoy.

[@Grainexpress]

This was great to watch! Thanks for documenting days gone by…

[@trainandtruckmodeler786]

That's awesome ...I used to ride with my dad's crew on Fridays and Sundays on the BN back in 1992-1995....it lead me to working for CC/IC and then the railnet ...retired and enjoying a few years of trucking and living in Florida....it's a great life, but u have no life, can't hold a relationship...I'm 44 and kinda wish I would became a 150 person....my mom was a one of a kind for putting up with bs that the railway put my family threw, my dad loved it and mom was a aware....my dad had so many sleeping disorders and flashbacks of viet nam the railway kept him on his toes ...he passed in 1995 at 56, 4 years from his planned retirement...he gave my mom a good retirement though

[@bboomer1948]

So sorry you lost your father at such a young age. Seems he led his life the best way he could after his Nam experience and as a very good family provider. May he rest in peace.

[@warbonds]

First of all, you have my condolences for your father’s passing, especially for not being able to see his retirement. 😞 I know that the railroad allows us to make a good living, but it is definitely stressful on family life. Before working for IMRL, I worked for the old CNW until UP took us over. It didn’t take long for me to know that I couldn’t stay with the UP for the many things you mentioned that fall under not having a life. Bless your mother for keeping the house together and being loyal to your father since that’s hard for many women. I’m blessed to still be working for the railroad in passenger service with Amtrak, but while I miss running freight trains at times, I couldn’t go back to that life at all.

[@trainandtruckmodeler786]

@@warbonds you worked proviso eastward correct? You look awfully familiar to me....

[@chrisstromberg6527]

I wish CEO's would realize that if they only took care of their employees, profits would indeed soar!

[@mr.sir.]

As a new hire conductor myself, this is a great POV to watch from along with the other vids! Love this kinda stuff! Keep it up!

[@jonnyutah9630]

no cab cameras no PTC, no bull shit! this is great

[@joec6804]

The way it should be!

[@warbonds]

While I have gotten used to PTC, all of these animated things have unfortunately taken the skill away from so many engineers. Once upon a time you could run freight trains without all the restrictions placed on the industry!

[@g4b3xx]

What's means pct?

[@Grainexpress]

@@g4b3xxPositive Train Control. Basically will not let you run a red signal.

[@g4b3xx]

@@Grainexpress thanks like ATS

[@devernepersonal3636]

I always thought a H2 paint Dash9 and any standard cab yellow and blue Santa Fe was a classic power combo. It is neat to see a time when railroaders could be comfortable and be human while also doing hard work.

[@warbonds]

Thank you for you interest in the video! Yes it was definitely a cool time with lots of variety in motive power and an atmosphere where we were left alone to work as professionals. The pay at IMRL sucked but we had fun. ☺

[@devernepersonal3636]

@@warbonds Yeah I imagine for the amount of fun and freedom you had, it must have been worth whatever the paycheck wasn't providing. What was the stop on the bridge for?

[@PCBill0622]

Nice-thanks for posting. Rules today would never allow this.

[@warbonds]

Amen to that brother! And thank you for your interest in the video. ☺

[@mb_]

this was a real treat to watch, thanks for uploading!

[@warbonds]

Thank you very much for the kind words! I hope to be able to upload more things in the near future. ☺

[@mb_]

@@warbonds looks like the job used to be enjoyable. Just some normal guys out on the road. Now it looks like a heavily micromanaged job overburdened with useless policies born out of a cubicle by someone who has never set foot in a yard. Shame.

[@JedBoyles-d3z]

This is soo amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing. I instantly subbed to your channel. It’s about time we see in can action instead of so much trackside.

[@fordmuscleluis9710]

Gotta love the footage of the 90s

[@warbonds]

Those were definitely fun times! We could railroad and weren’t micromanaged!

[@testosteroneinc.3800]

That's basically what trucking has become. I got my CDL in 98. It was the wild west back then.

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

Old houdes beside the track. Yeh richer peoole dont want to be so close lol

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

Lots of ways to enhance have less " downtime. " dont assume so much. Have a service truck and Drone along. Downtime is criticial too much concern for extra help. Million $$ of equip only revenue $$ when rolling. Carrying freight. Should be more concerned about "downtime "

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

Have a front and rear fkat deck. Sercice trucj at rear too better tail lights get a strobe light ( like sxhool busses ) uo higher lots of trains over mile long. The reflectirs on the sides are inadiquite ( even if clean lol ) esp in bad stormy weather Snow off of the track etc. Most urban including MSM. Dont realize the person hit the side of the long train. Could even derail the train too. Downtime is criticial. Give the conductor diff things to do. Like this utuber. Service people along. Yeh can clean the refectors on side too. While checking the train wheels etc.

[@BritishRail60062]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing.

[@AbelG8781]

I remember around 2005 or 06 I was given a small cab ride in Houston on the PTRA on a trio of blue and silver MK1500s. Yes supervisors were on board so no jobs were at stake in a post 9/11 world, the trip was made possible with the help of my parents whose neighbor just so happened to be a PTRA employee. I was about 10 yrs old and have pictures and memories of that awesome July day! The engineer resembled a larger Santa Claus lol I got to honk the horn a few times for the crossings which was truly the imprint of that day!

[@ciron28trains]

Awesome video Eric

[@warbonds]

Thank you very much for the very kind words! I’m truly glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@EleganceTunes]

My dad is an engineer and here's what I know about AC4400CWs : -4400 HP -top speed : 75 mph -it's a diesel-electric locomotive -built by GE somewhere between 1993 and 2004

[@RDC_Autosports]

by the road number it’s a -9 DC power

[@warbonds]

You have a great deal of knowledge, but this is a C44-9W. Keep learning and never stop. ☺

[@minnesotarailfan11]

@@warbondsaren’t they kinda the same think other than the Dash 9 having a air conditioner on the left side.

[@warbonds]

@@minnesotarailfan11 i’m assuming your question refers to the difference between an AC 4400 and a C 44-9 W? The C 44-9 W is a DC version of the AC 4400 which is obviously an AC traction locomotive. Yes, on the C 44-9, that is an air conditioner unit on the right side, but on the AC 4400, that section is actually called an inverter cabinet which converts the current to the useable form to the traction motors. The essential difference between DC and AC is that you can burn up a DC traction motor, especially in territories, where you’re going up a long, steep hill, and the traction motors work too hard and overheat. However, AC traction motors can go all day long. This is why they have become more popular because the maintenance is much easier on them. I hope this answers the question correctly.

[@minnesotarailfan11]

@@warbonds I completely forgot the dash 9 was DC powered

[@jasonlight4982]

❤ love these kinds of videos few far between

[@John-cg8hb]

Got yourself another subscriber here! I watched a few of your vids and enjoyed every minute. I grew up in Riverside, Il with the then BN running right behind my house, great times back then!

[@skeetjeffcitysub86]

Great video I really enjoyed it

[@warbonds]

Thank you very much for the kind words and your interest! ☺

[@grandriverrailfan6088]

It would take a DAMN good reason for me to not work on the railroad. I don’t care that I’m over the age of 5, I love trains and you are never too old to like trains!

[@warbonds]

The railroad has definitely changed a lot over the years, but I still enjoy getting to do what I do! ☺

[@kelvinbroadnax6476]

Thank you for making a video I want to ride the rails so bad

[@RadioEquippted]

The feeling of waving at a rail fan will never not feel good

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

The front entrance door is between the 2 front sand boxes. The back sand boxes beside the Engines tend to work better. The sand is dry and warmm so hear the front ssnd too.

[@Buzzizoven]

man id love to ride in an old BNSF dash 9 someday

[@warbonds]

They were fun engines to run! I ran a number of them when I worked for CNW since we were the first railroad to take delivery of them back in 1993. However, I have run hundreds of them from different railroads over the years, and once you get into the cab, they all look the same. I’ve had specially painted engines many times, but after awhile, you forget what you’re in. ☺

[@lanerailvideo5928]

There rough riders been getting a lot of them lately.

[@CVisionContributor]

Enjoyed the photo stops on the Foster Bridges.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

This is a great video showing not only the cab ride, but some of the interactions between crew members. You mention that you were ex CNW, did you ever operate over the Adams Subdivision?

[@oisiaa]

What was the qualification process like? Did you have a training folder and qualification process for each locomotive type?

[@warbonds]

The biggest thing in qualifying is knowing the territory over which you are assigned. That includes knowing where the hills are, where the sidings and control points are located, knowing where signals are located, etc. All of these things give you the ability to run trains safely without getting into trouble. Each train type runs differently between heavy loaded coal trains, empty coal trains, double stack trains, piggyback trains, vehicle trains, mixed freights, etc. However, to answer your original question, locomotives are pretty much the same in the way they operate, but it what you out behind a locomotive consist that makes the difference.

[@kimhrrsfin4873]

This train sets at West Foster bridge and crew gets off and takes picture of their "detour" train. I was on the hillside just south of the bridge and took their picture. They didn't know it till I told them later

[@warbonds]

I remember hearing that story at a slide show in Burlington a few years later! 😂

[@brantschmell4730]

Is that you at 15:01? Freaked me out a little bit the first time I watched the video. I spent an afternoon at that exact same spot back in the early 2000's. All I got was the Ottumwa local with 2 ICE SD40-2s pulling one covered hopper.

[@T1_Productions]

4981 was built in December 1998

[@tarabottogino]

Mr Clipper? That dude looks like young Tom Hanks when seating on the bench and talking about "the box of chocolate"! Where did you find this actors man, do you work for a casting agency too, part-time?

[@Guytrains]

Great footage

[@ConductorDon]

Wish id been out there back then. The RR definitely aint what it was back when my uncle did his 30 years. But its where im gonna be til i either retire or die since i decided this was gonna be my career before i was even in school, and refused to consider doing anything else when i had the option.

[@dougackerman4182]

Awesome video

[@rrmike19]

Love the desktop motors...

[@brianburns7211]

Here’s a guy who needs his head examined.

[@panhandletrains]

Nice video 👍

[@slowb4lls1]

You kept sayin this was some real power, you feel like a single dash 9 and sd40 trailing was more power or stronger than a set of sdmac’s? I heard emd macs will pull anything

[@warbonds]

I worked for I&M RailLink at that time. Many of our locomotives weren’t very reliable. Also, Dash 9s were pretty new to the BNSF at that time, so to get one was rare. Yes the Macs were great pullers and reliable. I ran many of them because of coal train interchanges we got from BNSF. The trailing SD45-2 was exciting because I actually got to run something that I admired when I was a teenager, so my comments were more nostalgic.

[@slowb4lls1]

@@warbonds that’s cool man I enjoyed watching your videos bro thanks for posting.

[@nickelplateexpressrailfan2]

When Railroading Was Fun

[@jcraigshelton]

Awesome!

[@sambailey9828]

I am not familiar with this line. What was it originally?

[@billgreenley9364]

This is the Milwaukee Road line from Chicago to KC. The train would have gotten on the Milwaukee at Ottumwa. This will be the main line on the CP to the KCS connection in KC.

[@warbonds]

I think Bell answered your question way better than I could since he worked on that property for decades! I was privileged to have worked with him both on IMRL and Amtrak!

[@w9gb]

I watched the Rock Island line (Muscatine to KC, “Golden State”) just to the north, removed during 1970s.

[@myfavorites1016]

I do not understand how you copy that track warrant so fast , i know most of the track warrants are already typed out , but still you have to write some in , it seems that they read that track warrant off very quickly. I just dont understand.

[@warbonds]

It’s quite easy because when you run the same territory over and over, the locations on the track warrants are all familiar locations. We copy so many over time that we can practically do it in our sleep. ☺

[@myfavorites1016]

@@warbonds i have a scanner that i can hear the bnsf yard and dispatcher, i was listening to the dispatcher , all i was thinking was holly cow slow down ,

[@myfavorites1016]

@@warbonds just tell the dispatcher ya i understand 😂

[@warbonds]

@@myfavorites1016 pretty much! 😁

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

Is That An 85 MPH Speedometer?? WTF? Just Like In My 1979 MONZA, 1982 CORVETTE AND 1980 1981 TURBO TRANS AM 301! I Know These Guys Can Go A Helluva Lot Faster Than 85 MPH!!

[@trueburrito]

Nice crossing LOL

[@us1fedvet]

A dream

[@edsel6818]

Awh really, 😭 what an abrupt ending, let's see your conclusion it was getn interesting then you cut it.👎 Not good, overall the footage was great, what were those big birds fling low, turkeys??? Love the film of you 2 locomotives dash 9 and your sd40 t. 👋👍 Let's see more.😄

[@thetrainshop]

God, back when we had mixed power and no inward facing cameras or trip sodomizer

[@johnpyke4537]

You did NOT show any instruments, or throttle or brakes or horn or bell switches ..... disappointed.

[@Brodahh]

You did NOT post any videos ..... disappointed

[@AbelG8781]

John, you did NOT get to blow horns or move throttles...... disappointed

[@Railfan-uf9mw]

Can you upload more BNSF in the 90s?

[@warbonds]

If you have not already seen, I did upload a video yesterday, and I will be uploading another one tomorrow. Unfortunately, I got called to work before I could finish uploading, but I’m sure you will be pleased to see plenty of Burlington Northern stuff! 😊

[@qtrhors1]

I always wore gloves :) BN/BNSF 1978-2010

[@Terk131]

W