Bolt in the Blue (Redux)
Iowa Interstate 6988, aka the "Iowa Bolt" in reference to it's new paint job, leads the first of five excursions out of Chillicothe through the tiny town of Sparland, Illinois on Saturday, May 18, 2019. 6988 is one of two Chinese-built QJ-class 2-10-2 steam locomotive that Iowa Interstate acquired in 2006. Despite the blue skies on this morning, the skies would quickly turn dark, with long-duration heavy rains soaking the already flooded grounds.
***This is a re-edit of a previously-uploaded image. The re-edit is intended for the Flickr Your Best Shot 2019 gallery. The original went to Flickr Explore and can be seen here:
www.flickr.com/photos/66708125@N03/47834662972/in/datepos...
"Community"
This image is being submitted as part of the #Flickr21 Photo Challenge, celebrating Flickr's 21st anniversary on February 10, 2025. The theme for the 20th day of the 21 day photo challenge is "Community." Seen in this image are three of the eight remaining buildings in downtown Sparland, IL, a tiny town situated on the Illinois River roughly 20 miles north of Peoria. Of these eight remaining buildings, all except the town hall and the barber shop are abandoned, including these three buildings.
According to Wikipedia, Sparland has a population of about 366 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. At its height, it had a population of 624 in 1980. On the morning of May 18, 2019, Sparland's population was once again likely over 600, as railfans and photographers descended on the tiny town to photograph Iowa Interstate's "Iowa Bolt" steam locomotive as it made a total of five round trips through town to raise money for the Chillicothe fire department, the next town to the south along IAIS's Peoria Sub. It might not look like it in this shot, but even during this first run of the day, there were at least 30 people set up to photograph here. That number would only go up as the day worn on, until the rains heavy rains set in and chased many away.
Sparland is sadly emblematic of so much of Smalltown America and the cascade effect of what happens when the economic engines that supported these small communities goes away and never returns. It is a tale as old as time itself, and the formula for why so many once-thriving towns whither and die, until nothing remains but a ghost town.
Simultaneously, it is also emblematic of the tenaciousness of a community and its ability to rally around itself to survive. Even with a population that peaked 40 years ago, the population loss has slowed. And in 2025, it may have even stabilized by now. Even in a time of despair, one can find hope. And at its heart is the Community.
Bolt in the Blue (Redux)
Iowa Interstate 6988, aka the "Iowa Bolt" in reference to it's new paint job, leads the first of five excursions out of Chillicothe through the tiny town of Sparland, Illinois on Saturday, May 18, 2019. 6988 is one of two Chinese-built QJ-class 2-10-2 steam locomotive that Iowa Interstate acquired in 2006. Despite the blue skies on this morning, the skies would quickly turn dark, with long-duration heavy rains soaking the already flooded grounds.
***This is a re-edit of a previously-uploaded image. The re-edit is intended for the Flickr Your Best Shot 2019 gallery. The original went to Flickr Explore and can be seen here:
www.flickr.com/photos/66708125@N03/47834662972/in/datepos...
"Community"
This image is being submitted as part of the #Flickr21 Photo Challenge, celebrating Flickr's 21st anniversary on February 10, 2025. The theme for the 20th day of the 21 day photo challenge is "Community." Seen in this image are three of the eight remaining buildings in downtown Sparland, IL, a tiny town situated on the Illinois River roughly 20 miles north of Peoria. Of these eight remaining buildings, all except the town hall and the barber shop are abandoned, including these three buildings.
According to Wikipedia, Sparland has a population of about 366 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. At its height, it had a population of 624 in 1980. On the morning of May 18, 2019, Sparland's population was once again likely over 600, as railfans and photographers descended on the tiny town to photograph Iowa Interstate's "Iowa Bolt" steam locomotive as it made a total of five round trips through town to raise money for the Chillicothe fire department, the next town to the south along IAIS's Peoria Sub. It might not look like it in this shot, but even during this first run of the day, there were at least 30 people set up to photograph here. That number would only go up as the day worn on, until the rains heavy rains set in and chased many away.
Sparland is sadly emblematic of so much of Smalltown America and the cascade effect of what happens when the economic engines that supported these small communities goes away and never returns. It is a tale as old as time itself, and the formula for why so many once-thriving towns whither and die, until nothing remains but a ghost town.
Simultaneously, it is also emblematic of the tenaciousness of a community and its ability to rally around itself to survive. Even with a population that peaked 40 years ago, the population loss has slowed. And in 2025, it may have even stabilized by now. Even in a time of despair, one can find hope. And at its heart is the Community.