Down on the corner with Proud Mary waiting for the Midnight Special, Looking out my back door.

[Murphy Siding]

     Admit it, for just a split second; you thought you were reading a thread title by C&OforProgress13 didn’t you?

     I was stuck in LeMars Iowa all day Saturday for a wedding. Looking at a map, it seems to have a busy UP line from Omaha to Minneapolis running through it, another line branching off that line, and a nearby BNSF main. Surely, there would be some trains moving on Saturday-right? Not really. ‘Saw one UP grainer go through pulled by the most rag-tag locomotives I’ve seen in a while.

     The reception was at the gold course along the diverging line. The only thing I could find on a map on my phone was that the lines were noted as “CCR”. I figured either the Fogerty boys got in the railroad business or it was a short line tied into UP. The tracks looked to be a heavy duty grain hauling line. Does anybody have information about the line that heads east out of LeMars toward Remsen Iowa?

[samfp1943]

Murphy S. You might want to e-mail either of the 'American Pickers'  [Frank P. or Mike W.]  they might have some good information.

 And as for the town of 'Remsen'... I thought the only Remsen was in New York,[on the ASR] ask (tree68), Larry about it!

[Backshop]

I Heard It Through The Grapevine that the line by the golf course is a branch to Lodi.

[CShaveRR]

Sure it wasn't CCP, buddy?

I admit this was one of your longer titles, but COFP13 is nowhere near as whimsical in his names.

[BaltACD]

Backshop

I Heard It Through The Grapevine that the line by the golf course is a branch to Lodi.

Will Vinson - creator of claymation passed 10/4/18

[jeffhergert]

That's the CN, former IC/CC&P, to Tara (junction with the Council Bluffs line) and Ft Dodge.  That line is actually busier than the Council Bluffs line.

The UP line has been out of service for through trains since late September due to a bridge collapse at Alton, IA   https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/3940629-bridge-collapse-causes-train-derailment-in-iowa/  We were still getting detours a few days ago, but I don't see any on our line ups so it may now be open.  For some reason, a bridge collapse during a flood never came up for discussion on here.

Murphy, did you see any Blue Bunnies?

Jeff

[Dakguy201]

That line going toward Remsen was the Illinois Central mainline across northern Iowa.  It goes to Ft. Dodge, Waterloo, Dubuque, and so on to Chicago.  At one point it was spun off as a seperate railroad but then reacquired by the IC/CN.

[SD70Dude]

jeffhergert

For some reason, a bridge collapse during a flood never came up for discussion on here.

Surely you jest!

Oh wait, it was a washout in that other thread.  Big difference.

[Murphy Siding]

jeffhergert

 

Murphy, did you see any Blue Bunnies?

Jeff

 

     Since you ask.... my wife decided we should go to the wedding 3 hours early to go to the Blue Bunny Ice Cream museum etc. and get free ice cream. It turns out the place is closed for all of October for remodeling. You'd think there would be at least some mention of it on their website and such.   I felt like Clark Griswold in Vacation at Walleyworld, except I was stuck in LeMars Iowa for the day.

[tree68]

samfp1943

 And as for the town of 'Remsen'... I thought the only Remsen was in New York,[on the ASR] ask (tree68), Larry about it!

I checked - there is a Remsen in Iowa, too.  

But Remsen, IA doesn't have the Welsh heritage that Remsen, NY has.  

The (rebuilt) station platform at Remsen, NY contains the name "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch", which is a large village in Wales.  I forget the significance, other than the Welsh heritage.

Remsen is a regular destination for many of our trains, including our wine and beer trains, trips to visit "The Soda Fountain," a 1950's themed restaurant (you have to try the "garbage plate"), and our Easter and Halloween trains.

But it does sound like Murph had a good time.

Rollin', rollin', rollin' down the river...

[erikem]

tree68

The (rebuilt) station platform at Remsen, NY contains the name "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch", which is a large village in Wales.  I forget the significance, other than the Welsh heritage.

IIRC, the significance is the length of the name.

[Murphy Siding]

jeffhergert

That's the CN, former IC/CC&P, to Tara (junction with the Council Bluffs line) and Ft Dodge.  That line is actually busier than the Council Bluffs line.

The UP line has been out of service for through trains since late September due to a bridge collapse at Alton, IA   https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/3940629-bridge-collapse-causes-train-derailment-in-iowa/  We were still getting detours a few days ago, but I don't see any on our line ups so it may now be open.  For some reason, a bridge collapse during a flood never came up for discussion on here.

Murphy, did you see any Blue Bunnies?

Jeff

 

CCP/CCR tomatoe tomato according to the only map I could pull up on my phone. It looks like the 2 line merger into one on the south side of LeMars. Do CN trains then run on UP tracks the rest of the way Sioux City?

[tree68]

erikem

IIRC, the significance is the length of the name.

There's more to it than that (sister villages or regional heritage).  One of our conductors lives there, is involved with the operations of the rebuilt station, and can fill you in on the whole story - I haven't heard it enough to memorize it.

[Deggesty]

Here is the translation, from Wikipedia:

The name means: Parish [church] of [St.] Mary (Llanfair) [in] Hollow (pwll) of the White Hazel [township] (gwyn gyll) near (go ger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrn drobwll) [and] the parish [church] of [St.] Tysilio (Llantysilio) with a red cave (g ogo[f] goch). 

[selector]

SD70Dude

 

 

jeffhergert

For some reason, a bridge collapse during a flood never came up for discussion on here.

 

 

 

Surely you jest!

Oh wait, it was a washout in that other thread.  Big difference.

 

Hey, no name-calling on this forum!!!

[Murphy Siding]

Dakguy201

That line going toward Remsen was the Illinois Central mainline across northern Iowa.  It goes to Ft. Dodge, Waterloo, Dubuque, and so on to Chicago.  At one point it was spun off as a seperate railroad but then reacquired by the IC/CN.

 

It looks like one of those branch lines off that main also found it's way to my hometown after getting a little lost in Minnesota.

[jeffhergert]

Murphy Siding

 

 

jeffhergert

That's the CN, former IC/CC&P, to Tara (junction with the Council Bluffs line) and Ft Dodge.  That line is actually busier than the Council Bluffs line.

The UP line has been out of service for through trains since late September due to a bridge collapse at Alton, IA   https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/3940629-bridge-collapse-causes-train-derailment-in-iowa/  We were still getting detours a few days ago, but I don't see any on our line ups so it may now be open.  For some reason, a bridge collapse during a flood never came up for discussion on here.

Murphy, did you see any Blue Bunnies?

Jeff

 

 

 

 

CCP/CCR tomatoe tomato according to the only map I could pull up on my phone. It looks like the 2 line merger into one on the south side of LeMars. Do CN trains then run on UP tracks the rest of the way Sioux City?

 

 

Yes, But...  Originally, the CNW used the IC tracks between LeMars and Sioux City.  This carried over into the UP and CN eras.  Some years back, the UP took over dispatching, and I'm assuming (bad thing) maintenance and possibly ownership.  

Jeff 

Jeff 

[ChuckCobleigh]

selector

Hey, no name-calling on this forum!!!

And don't call Jeff 'Shirley" either.

[SD70Dude]

ChuckCobleigh

selector

Hey, no name-calling on this forum!!!

And don't call Jeff 'Shirley" either.

But I'm serious.  Can't quite remember what now, but I was serious about it!