Union Pacific Challenger Visits Iowa: June 18, 2002

I parked the car on a gravel road outside of Mechanicsville.  On my way East from Mechanicsville,
I had noticed some track work that that had temporarily reduced the the two track mainline to one track.
When I arrived, an eastbound coaltrain was waiting for clearance to proceed.

(Clicking on each thumbnail image will give you the full size image.)

Then, a mixed consist approaced from the west, and met up with the eastbound coal train:

Next it was a train with car carriers going east.  It too
met up with the waiting westbound coal train.

Now the smoke rises from the westbound's engine,
as it can finally go.

Here's the Challenger, I got 3 shots of it and its' consist.

Here's a link to an MPG movie of it.

Next I moved on to a rural crossing east of Fairfax, now the Challenger was moving at around
60 MPH or so, so I got a sequence shots as it approached.

Finally, I wanted one more movie. I had
just arrived in downtown Tama as it approached.