This past weekend was the Albert Lea Train Show. On Sunday morning Joe Lewis and I took a railfanning trip to Manley and Mason City, Iowa. Here are a few pictures. Some were shot directly into the morning sun so aren't high quality, but it was very cold outside and we shot most pix from inside the car.
We followed Highway 65 which paralleled the Union Pacific main track. Just south of Albert Lea is a gigantic ethanol plant, no pictures. There was no activity there early Sunday morning so we were able to drive all around the property and see it close up. Lots of ethanol tank cars and they had their own car mover.
Manley, Iowa is the northern end of the Iowa Northern Railroad. The Iowa Northern runs on former Rock Island trackage from Manley through Davenport to Cedar Rapids. As we entered Manley we saw this engine and caboose. They were sitting on a display track beside their main track and were probably a gift to the City.
The Iowa Northern must enter the Union Pacific main for a short distance and enter their "yard," which is really just a few storage tracks. But beside the yard was a former Rock Island roundhouse and turntable, all intact. The roundhouse had 6 stalls in one part, then a through track, then 10 more stalls. I wonder what is in that roundhouse now!!
The Union Pacific has a big yard. Here's a little part of it.
Here is the ICE depot.
Lots of motive power in their yard:
Looks like they are ready for winter:
But what we really wanted to see was the Iowa Traction, probably one of the few electric freight lines left in the U.S. We found 4 of their engines:
We didn't find many trains running. A CN freight waited for this Uncle Pete to clear (there are other words for the UP, not all positive!!)
