We got back on Thursday from our trip through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Had a lot of fun and saw a lot of trains.
I’m not going to try and retype it all here, but I made a little website with an abridged trip report and a LOT of photos. Here’s the link:
http://www.trainsandtracks.com/trip/
Hope you all like it.
Thanks for the link, Nora! Sounds like you had a great trip! Wish I could have come!
Nora,
Nice story. Hope you didn’t get too many complaints about bringing bad weather back East.
Some one else named Jay
Me too. [:(] [V]
Well maybe next summer I can do some visiting. [8D]
Sounds like a lot of fun.
[:)]
Charlie’s a great name. [:)]
Did you see any UP trains in Marysville? [;)]
I have a feeling you’re gonna have a couple of foamers on your hands when they get older. [:)]
Hi, Nora!
Nice trip site, and great photos. We got a couple of you and the kids, but yours are better.
“Exempt” crossings are not used all that much by trains, so don’t need to be stopped at by school buses or tanker trucks (at least that’s my understanding of them). Never saw one with flashers before, though!
We nasty Midwesterners are sending more rough weather your way.
Carl
Going out of Springfield, Missouri, on the James River Freeway is a BNSF crossing, the road has 2 lanes each way just like an interestate. There is an Exempt crossing there but it has lights, bell, and arms. It has a special sign that says “Train” when a train is near. I personally have never seen a train there and don’t know how much it is used but did one day see a HIRail truck there servicing the Signal locker.
No you’re not, get back in that van and head back out and get more pics [:p]
Nora–
Read your new web page–really neat–reminds me of some adventures we had with our kids when they were young and cute (ANT.: teenage and obnoxious–just you wait!). But, in all fairness, you’re in the wrong business, lady–you have an amazing talent for photography of all kinds of different subjects, not just trains. While I (and, doubtless, many others on this forum) really enjoy and look forward to seeing your work gratis, I hope someday you can find a way to put all that talent to work for your own advantage.
The page gets 5 stars out of 4![bow]
Nora - thanks very much for the report and pics. [tup] [:)]
I particularly appreciated the picture of you and the family in front of the Challenger 3985. Helps me appreciate the size of these locos! [:O] [:)]
Dave
Nora
Great job! we need to work on a pic of the elusive Mookie!
stay safe
joe
You are going to have to stick with the one posted in my bio on here!
[?]
Nora! Great pictures! Hope to see the Challenger end of this month in Fremont!
After you left, our weather straightened out! And the construction is all but done - now!
Mook
On the east side of Sioux City , BNSF keeps 4 of those "little engines " to switch the yard on the east side of town Nora. They (switch engines) are all of BN heritage, ATSF had nothing smaller than GP-7’s at mergertime (with the exception of the EMD/Baldwin mongrel known as the “Beep” at Argentine (Kansas City LOCOmotive shops)…
You need to come to Colorado and bring those black clouds the next time you venture west!
Thanks for all the comments and for the answer on the “exempt” question.
And I am going to get to Colorado one of these days, since it’s on the getting-smaller-and-smaller list of states I’ve never been to…
Great trip report. Great pictures. I hope you were near a gas station when you took the picture of your van hitting 100,000 miles!
Oh your killing me! I still think I’m the only railfan who’s never went to Rochelle. Glad to here you had a good trip!
Dougal - pick me up - I need to go there, too!
Moo
hey dougal stop by my place too
stay safe
Joe
Nora,
Looks like you all had a FANTASTIC vacation!! Just wish you had a picture of Mookie & Driver (Ed) on your site. Glad everyone had a great time.