Old Reliable
One word best describes the UP main across Iowa: Dead.
Don't get me wrong. There're still trains out there, but sometimes they were so difficult to find. Early one morning, I found myself at a rural crossing in the small community of Ralston, where I managed to get two eastbounds and a westbound within about 45 minutes. The second eastbound, to my surprise, had a rather elusive SD70M leading. I didn't see a whole lot of these units on this trip, but I did see enough to feel reassured that they haven't all bit the dust just yet.
Old Reliable
One word best describes the UP main across Iowa: Dead.
Don't get me wrong. There're still trains out there, but sometimes they were so difficult to find. Early one morning, I found myself at a rural crossing in the small community of Ralston, where I managed to get two eastbounds and a westbound within about 45 minutes. The second eastbound, to my surprise, had a rather elusive SD70M leading. I didn't see a whole lot of these units on this trip, but I did see enough to feel reassured that they haven't all bit the dust just yet.