Oct 29th and 30th 2011

October seems to have gone by way too quickly this year. Winter really is only a couple of weeks away as it usually snows in the first part of November. Hopefully this winter is not too bad, I'm not really a fan of the snow and cold.

Saturday 29th
Saturday started out cold but sunny and I was out the door around 9 am. First stop was the usual drive through Council Bluffs. I had thought about going by Gibson to see what was there but wasn't in the mood for the BNSF's bullshit.

Council Bluffs, IA
KCS Grain train at south Bartlett elevator
4127-4599

BNSF Switcher
556

IAIS BICB
511-513

BNSF Island Park local
626-4093

UP unit on the Q connector
7120

KCS Grain train at the north Bartlett Elevator
4596-4706

UP MKCVP
7764-7522

With the MKCVP making a set out in the old CNW yard and the scanner chatter indicating a fleet of eastbounds I headed up to Mo Valley, IA.

Missouri Valley, IA
UP MSXCB
2061-2363

eb Coal load
6848 DPU 6605

eb MOW train off the Sioux City sub
4368-4942

eb Stack train
7644-3792-4635 DPU ES44AC

wb Coal empty
7170-6224 DPU 6592

wb Stack train
5123-8594

eb Coal load
7105-6900 DPU 5974

Another eb coal load got by me without me being able to see the unit numbers.After these trains it was fairly quite so I headed back to Council Bluffs before heading for home.

Council Bluffs, IA
eb Grain empty
5824-6509-6187

eb Coal load
UP 7283 - SP 107

Sunday Oct 30th
Sunday is typically the day I check out the BNSF. I started out the morning heading down to Oreapolis but after only seeing one in an hour I headed over to Pacific Junction, IA before looping back up to Council Bluffs.

Oreapolis, NE
wb Coal empty
5858-9458

Plattesmouth, NE
eb Coal load
6038-9949

Pacific Junction, IA

Tied down sb ballast train on Napier Sub
9429-9145

eb Coal load
9222-9714 DPU 8887

KCS Grain train on the Council Bluffs sub
3902-4008

I also missed the ZCHIDEN and a wb coal empty while driving to the north side of Pac Jct.

Council Bluffs, IA
IAIS BICB
504-503

BNSF yard
KCS 4127-BNSF 556-BNSF 3171-BNSF 3030
KCS 4599

The BNSF Bayard local was also working the southeast end of the old Milw yard with four GP's of various types.

UP eb stack train
7772-3819-4146 DPU 7439

UP wb coal empty
6913-6431

UP MCBDM
UP 4574-NS 9610

The BNSF...Buffets Nasty Security Force

Is BNSF clamping down on photographers?

Unfortunately this is true. Even on public property and non-railroad private property the BNSF Special Agents and employees actively confront and report anyone with a camera. Every time I am near the BNSF Omaha area terminals the scanner cranks up with conversations concerning my vehicle and its description, accusations of me being Arabic, etc.

The other week, one of the Omaha Gibson terminal utility men go into his own personal vehicle drove out of the employee parking lot and parked so I could not pass/drive (he blocked the road) by on Missouri Ave in Omaha. This is a public street mind you. He only moved when I got out of my vehicle with my camera in hand to record his actions. While he was leaving scanner traffic had this individual reporting me as a possible "suspicious" person. Lets see, I'm suspicious and have not broken any laws while this employee blocks a public road and makes a false report of suspicious activity.

This war on railfans is only beginning. The BNSF plays games to entice the gullible with free calendars and a special website designed for the fans of the BNSF. Problem is this is just a front for them to gather fans personal information so they know who you are.

Paranoid...nope, just not one of the sheep.

Oct 15th and 16th

The fall weekends are always the best time of year. The lighting is at its best and traffic on the railroads is high with grain trains and the ramp up to the holidays.

On Saturday I took a run up to the Blair Sub to see what has been going on especially on the NE side as it had been a couple of weeks since I had been on that side of the Blair Sub. To make it interesting I waited for a wb train at Missouri Valley to follow over to Fremont.

Saturday Oct 15th
As with most outings, I started out in Council Bluffs, IA before heading out to Fremont and then returned via the same routing.


Council Bluffs, IA
IAIS BICB
513
The other ES was not seen with the 513.

UP Grain Train power
UP 6376-6305
They were parked on the BN lead east of the pool yard.

UP MKCVP
UP 4197-4538

UP MSXCB
HLCX 5956-UP 2061-827

Missouri Valley, IA
UP eb grain load
UP7273-7207-8633

QSKDL
UP 8695-8656-7418

Fremont, NE
UP Mid America coal load
UP 5622 DPU UP 5872

BNSF local power
BNSF 2770-2358

BNSF nb sand train
BNSF 4326-740

UP switcher
UP 815

UP Ballast train
UP 2334-4552

UP ZDLSK
UP 5375-4824-5114

UP wb coal empty
UP 5830-7095 DPU UP 5933

UP eb load load
UP 7295-6213 DPU 5917

California Jct., IA
UP wb stack train
UP 8670-5476 DPU UP 4845-7347

UP MCHNP
UP 8036-3821

Sunday Oct 16th
Sunday started out sort of gloomy with it trying to rain but this burned off around 11 am revealing a nice and sunny afternoon.I started Sunday out in Oreapolis, NE before heading over to Pacific Jct, IA to check the progress of the Napier Sub reopening. From there is was back up to Council Bluffs.

Oreapolis, NE
BNSF MGALLIN
BNSF 626-4093

BNSF eb coal load
BNSF 6263-9295 DPU BNSF 9783

BNSF eb coal load
BNSF 6318-5890 DPU 6173

BNSF wb coal empty
BNSF 8916-5647

Pacific Jct, IA
The Napier sub was back in business and the BNSF was running empties nb/wb empties nose to tail. In the 30 minutes I was in Pacific Jct, I witnessed 3 trains either coming off the Napier sub or lined up to follow.

BNSF nb/wb coal empty
BNSF 5923 DPU BNSF 5707-5632

BNSF wb coal empty
BNSF 6385-9505-5921

BNSF wb coal empty
Unable to get unit numbers but power was 2 ES44AC's. Train was an empty coal with about 20 loaded company tank cars with diesel fuel on the head end.

BNSF nb/wb coal empty
BNSF 9996-9352-6257-9447

Council Bluffs, IA
IAIS BICB
IAIS 512-506

UP MCBDM
UP 5023-9663 - CN 5738

KCS grain train at N Bartlett Elevator
KCS 4595- TFM 1608

UP MKCVP
UP 4838-4234

A broken rain stopped all traffic so it was time to head for home but a side detour for a look a stopped eb stack train.

Omaha, NE

UP 7432-4508 DPU UP-8655

Oct 8th and 9th 2011

An interesting weekend as both days started out sunny but turned to clouds in the afternoon. Saturday was the worse of the two as it became cloudy around 11 am.

Saturday Oct 8th.
I started the day out in Council Bluffs with a quick trip up to the Missouri Valley, IA area to check out the progress on the double tracking between Allen Creek and California Jct, IA.

Council Bluffs, IA
UP MNCCB
UP 4319-2299-2331

KCS Grain train
KCS 4125 - TFM 1658
This train came in last Sunday to be loaded. Its highly unusual for a loaded train to stay in town.

UP MSXCB
UP 2302-9474-536-826

Missouri Valley, IA
UP PRCB
UP 8044-8204-5188

California Jct, IA
QELNP
UP 8592-NS 7717- HLCX 5956

The new ROW for the double tracking is progressing between Italy Ave west of Mo Valley to California Jct. The north side is projected to be a third track/siding to allow for crew changes and appears to be the furthest along. It is nearly completed between Grover Ave and Italy Ave with fines having been laid up to about a 1/4 mile east of Grover Ave. There is still grading being done on the south side ROW est of Grover Ave. From Grover Ave west to California Jct both sides of the ROW are still being worked on. The UP is also pulling signal cables along the new ROW's.

Sunday Oct 9th
Sundays weather was more promising and I headed out to Oreapolis, NE  and Pacific Jct, IA to see what has been going on there. As I crossed over the tracks at LaPlatte, NE a sb UP coaler was slowly rolling up to the diamond at Oreapolis as an eb BNSF coal load was crossing in front of it. From Pacific Jct I headed back north to Council Bluffs which turned out to be quite busy.

Oreapolis, NE
UP OMAX coal load
UP 6907-6282 UP 7189 DPU

Pacific Jct, IA
BNSF eb coal load
BNSF 6042-5816 DPU BNSF 9148-5780-5659

BNSF eb coal load
BNSF 8869-6252 DPU Unknown SD70MAC

BNSF eb coal load
BNSF 9607 DPU 5702

Council Bluffs, IA
UP light power
UP 2311-2100

UP MPRCB
UP 4961-8077

UP eb coal load
UP 5994-7063 DPU 6443

UP eb coal load
UP 5600-5700 DPU 5724

UP eb coal load
UP 6592-7108 DPU 5556

UP MKCVP
UP 5552-3934

UP light power
SP 187- UP 6013-7280

UP MCBDM
UP 3845-8240-6385

Oct 1st and 2nd

Fall is definitely here. The fields are being harvested and the days are shorter. The low sun and crisp skies are near perfect for photography.

Saturday Oct 1st.
The day started out with a drive to Council Bluffs and ended up taking me to Kennard, NE for a look at the progress of the second main installation.

Council Bluffs, IA
IAIS BICB
512-505

UP MCBPR
4428-4185-4247

UP Lt Power move
8698-8688

KCS Grain Train
3901-4123

UP MKCVP
5605-7260-6433

Missouri Valley, IA
UP Blair local
2100-2311

AMTK 6 detour
UP 6050-AMTK 160- AMTK 60

UP MOW Train
261-5080

UP eb Stack and Auto
7464-5029 DPU 8616-5207

UP eb Freight
4776-4763

UP wb Stack
7731-3812- DPU 4108-8424

UP eb Grain empty
7132-5023 DPU 7242

Between Blair and Kennard, NE
UP MVPNP
8203-6268 DPU 8002

UP wb empty coaler
UP 6453-6161

UP  wb empty coaler
UP 5730 DPU 6827

Omaha, NE
UP MNPBO
6071-6438-3749-6956-unknown AC4400CW

Sunday Oct 2nd

Sunday was a day to just explore around the Omaha and Council Bluffs area.

Omaha, NE
BNSF Gibson Yard
4565, 2024-3111, 746, 2392

UP Display track
UP 7400 RGC Pink Ribbon Unit

Council Bluffs, IA
IAIS BICB
507-502

KCS grain train power
4108-4603

BNSF switcher
3121

UP MSXCB
9474-2302

UP Engineering Special
8988-8998

KCS grain empty
KCS 4125 - TFM 1658

UP MKCVP
UP 4890 - NS 8424

UP eb coal load
5909-6271 DPU 6592

UP eb ETOH empty
5107-3897-4514

UP MKCCP
UP 7676-2366 DPU 7475

Some video from the weekend.