Union Pacific Railroad has notified Johnson County communities that up to eight trains a day will be rerouted to the Iowa Interstate Railroad, which runs east-west through the county, according a news release from the city of Iowa City Tuesday.
Brenda Mainwaring, a Union Pacific spokeswoman, said she wasn’t sure how many additional trains may be coming Iowa City’s way. Currently, there are none going through Eastern Iowa, she said. The railroad has an intersection in Des Moines, and most of them will be going west from there, she said.
trying to incite anti-UP sentiment in Iowa City when the situation she’s warning about does not, and is not likely to, exist on the IAIS anywhere east of Des Moines.
I don’t think there is a hidden message in this at all…what are you trying to say? The story states that A) there are going to be more trains than usual using the track and B) motorists should be aware of those trains and the possible blocking of rail crossings by trains going through town. I don’t see any derogatory statements nor inflaming statements by the railroad nor the newspaper. Only the reader(s) can be inflamed on their own volition with no real reason.
More likely merely a simple over-abundance of caution, plus a ‘C-Y-A’ mentality so that no one can say to any of those involved - UP, Iowa City, and the newspaper - “Why weren’t we told about this ?!?”
Link to a map of the IAIS, for those of us not familiar with it:
Des Moines and the UP connection are shown at about the middle of the state; Iowa City (which is the seat of and surrounded by Johnson County - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_County,_Iowa ) is close to the eastern border.
In view of that and the UP’s stated operating plans to be mainly to the west of Des Moines, why did UP even notify the communities in Johnson County at all ? But since UP “opened Pandora’s box” in that respect - this is the kind of thing that can result. The reporter seems to have done a decent job of writing up the confusing and conflicting information on the situation and trying to make some sense of it, IMHO - their ‘ethic’ seems to be oriented towards never withholding information, no matter how botched up it may be.
Granted, the reporter may not have really had any ulterior motives, and was just trying to make sense of things.
And I suppose that the affected grade crossings would have to be listed, to differentiate them from the crossings of another railroad or two in Iowa City.
From what I understand, though, the detours are to give UP some maintenance windows so they can raise track near the Missouri River, in the Mo Valley or the Council Bluffs area (I know for sure about the former), and not because the UP line has been destroyed or even inundated. Why would they want to involve the line anywhere east of Des Moines?
I still say that this sounds like a small-town reporter (I know, Iowa City isn’t that small!) trying to fill up some space in the local paper. I know…I did that a few times myself, in a previous life.
Meanwhile, I got a chuckle today from a release about the Illinois Commerce Commission granting permission for a pedestrian overpass here in Lombard (for the Great Western trail):
The ICC has also authorized the construction of a pedestrian overpass crossing of UP’s rail corridor in Lombard, including an estimated $1.9 million from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to pay approximately 60 percent the total cost of the project. This is to be completed by Dece
From discussions on the IAIS yahoo group, it sounds like the UP sent the same letter warning of increased train traffic due to detours to all areas of the Iowa Interstate. Even those that aren’t going to see detours.
Yesterday, the UP assigned a bulletin bid for 12 pilots over the IAIS, Des Moines to Council Bluffs. They have been, and probably to some point still are, using UP officer pilots. (They qualifed them on the territory by giving them a ride in a hi-rail truck.) I bid the bulletin, but it went way high seniority wise. Last week a manager told some of us that we were only going to detour during the time the flood prep work is going on. It seemed like some if that was nearing completion, but maybe not.
Seeing how they raised track under some highway overpasses, I wonder if anyone thought to measure clearances. Would be something if the first double stack didn’t fit.
They measured - twice (UP PMV & Sperry ). The hope will be that Uncle Pete never screws up in the intermodal facilities and sneaks something bigger than two 9.5 Ft. stacked seacans out that way.
There is a story from this that will eventually leak out. (not kind to the operating bubbas with titles)
MC I am thinking back to Early 90’s when Doublestackers first came out that in Chicago there was a situation were only ONE track for the old SOO in bensonville could take them. Well the Dispatcher was on Break so they had the Manger of the Dept aka Colldge Grad running that Subdidviosn he thought one track was a good as another for a Doublestack train going Under the Tristate Tollway in Chicago. Engineer told him would not Fit Raodmaster told him would not FIT. Colldge boy SAID IT WILL FIT NOW RUN IT. They took off the top layer of the first 20 containers before they could stop it. IDOT and Soo were not happy with Colldge boy. I think he got Fired for that one.
Understood. IAIS’ lone engineer (the rest are just track guys) has his hands full. On top of that, you had 20+ years of NO clearance regulations in Iowa until somebody woke up in 2004, which adds to the headache of low overpasses (which I suspect is part of what Jeff is seeing). Regulations regarding railroads in Iowa can be just plain weird compared to other states.
One saving grace on that line is that CRIP laid CWR and undercut/sledded portions of it in the late 1970’s prior to going under.
I was actually thinking of the UP in the Missouri Valley area. Where the track goes under I-29 and the US 30. Some of that track has been raised quite a bit in spots to keep it dry. I’m sure they have it all figured out.
But then I remember the prefab concrete bridge they put in at Westside IA about 10 years or so ago. When they went to place the spans in place, they were about a foot too short. The last minute “adjustments” had the main shut down for an extra 12 hours.
Assuming the purpose of the detour is to avoid the flooding Missouri Valley area, I would think the UP would use the old Rock Island “Spine Line” at Des Moines to regain their own mainline. A second opportunity to do so is the line from Homestead to Cedar Rapids. If they did either, the trains would never see Iowa City.
Also, the news writer has promoted the UP – it is now a “coast to coast” carrier.
Although I suppose if these officers are good, I mean REALLY good, they might get a feel for the grades from the changes in the rpms in the hirail truck.
Brenda Mainwaring, a Union Pacific spokeswoman, said she wasn’t sure how many additional trains may be coming Iowa City’s way. Currently, there are none going through Eastern Iowa, she said. The railroad has an intersection in Des Moines, and most of them will be going west from there, she said.
Des Moines to Chicago via Clinton, IA involves traveling through Eastern Iowa. Were trains moving between Des Moines and Chicago via Minneapolis?
Flooding on the Missouri River in western Iowa is resulting in four to eight additional freight trains being rerouted through the Capital city’s downtown during the evening and overnight hours, said Nick Burkhart, the Iowa Interstate Railroad’s chief operating officer.