We said goodbye to the Chinese QJ's and stopped for five dollars of gas and snacks before leaving Iowa City. Our first stop would be in the town of Atalissa where Elizabeth and I spotted a brick Rock Island Station still standing.
The Rock Island Atalissa Station. We continued east heading next to Wilton where we had spotted a stone Rock Island Station.
The Rock Island Wilton Station is a museum with a Milwaukee Road Caboose painted as Rock Island.
Looking east down the former Rock Island.
The Milwaukee Road Caboose painted as Rock Island.
The east side of the Rock Island Station.
The plaque on the historic station in Wilton. From here we drove north to Interstate 80 and headed east to Illinois.
The Mississippi River. As we drove east we listened to XM Radio and soon I was making jokes after hearing some of the 60's One Hit Wonders. Teen Angel played after we had heard the Monster Mash. I said "The Teen Angel went to the Monster Mash and got bit first by Dracula and later by the Wolfman. That means she can not come out during the day and must howl at the moon at night. This became expanded as the miles and songs passed. Soon we were turning off Interstate 88 Tollway and drove into Rochelle.
The first stop was the former Chicago Northwestern Station in Rochelle. From there we drove over to the Rochelle Railroad Park. We parked in the parking lot and I started to look around.
The street side of the Rochelle Railroad Park.
Whitcomb Locomotive 3
A small steam engine shell that was once a Whitcomb 4 Ton that came from the Bucksgahuda & Western Railroad in St Marys, Pennsylvania.
Looking west down the former Chicago Northwestern now Union Pacific.
Across the Union Pacific tracks is this Milwaukee Road Caboose. Next I walked over to the other railroad in this town.
Looking west down the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy later Burlington Northern and now BNSF tracks.
The view towards the Viewing Platform.
Looking back to the parking lot.
The west side of the Viewing Platform.
Original 1854 Air Line Railroad section of track on display. The original Strap Rail railroad was laid down on the 14th of January 1854 connecting Hickory Grove (Rochelle) and Chicago.
The double track railroad crossing in Rochelle, the whole reason the Rochelle Railroad Park was put in.
Looking east down the Union Pacific.
Looking east down the BNSF. There is a scanner for listening to the two railroad road channels and there are power outlets on both sides of Viewing Platform that I used to charge my cell phone while I was watching trains here.
Our first train was a Union Pacific westbound.
Next came a BNSF westbound.
That was followed by another Union Pacific eastbound.
Bob and Elizabeth at the Rochelle Railroad Park. We decided to head back to O'Hare Airport to drop me off for my flight. On the way to the road out of town, we heard a horn and headed back over to the Union Pacific mainline and waited for the train to arrive.
A Union Pacific Powder River Coal Train heading east through Rochelle heading by the UP Station in town. We gassed with ten dollars of fuel before heading back on Interstate 88 Tollway for Chicago. At the Aurora Oasis Bob and Elizabeth stopped to get Subway Sandwiches before heading to O'Hare Airport. I said my goodbyes to my dear and good friends thanking them for a great weekend of Chinese Steam Engines. It took me 15 minutes to go through Security. I went to the O'Hare Grill for dinner and had a Rib Eye Steak. I watched the Packers kill the Colts before watching the Raiders give the Jets a gift trip to Overtime. They called a timeout right when the Jet kicker hit the upright with his game tying field goal. The kicker then made his second attempt tying the game. I learned later that Sebastian Janikowski kicked a team record 57 yard kick in overtime to win the game. I went and found Gate H12. I was allowed to board the 757 Airplane. At 7:15 PM CDT the plane American Airline Flight 1677 backed away from the gate and took off at 7:28 PM. The movie on this flight was "Kitt Kitridge, an American Girl" which was an excellent film. I then did Sudoku Puzzles and saw Las Vegas out of my window. The airplane landed at John Wayne Airport at 9:20 PM PDT and soon I was out front waiting for my mother to pick me up. I drove us home via the freeway and I was glad to be home again after a fantastic first experience with the Iowa Interstate Railroad QJ Steam Engines.
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