Iowa Interstate steam trips to benefit local volunteers
Iowa Interstate Railroad Chinese built QJ Class 2-10-2 No. 7081 will be operating steam excursions in early September, 2013 to raise funds for volunteer fire departments in Tiskilwa and Sheffield and for the Trains, Planes & Automobiles event in Geneseo.
The QJ-led Walcott excursion crosses into Iowa from Illinois as seen from Tar Beach. Photo by Ray Peacock. 7/23/11
Iowa Interstate QJ 7081 2-10-2 will depart its home base in Newton, Iowa, on Sept. 5 and run to Rock Island where it will spend the night. On Sept. 6 the engine will move to Geneseo.
Sept. 7: No. 7081 will pull three trips out of Geneseo for the Planes, Trains and Automobiles event. Trips will depart Geneseo at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. operating to Atkinson or Annawan The steam locomotive will be on one end of the train and a diesel on the other. That evening the locomotive will deadhead to Bureau Junction to turn on the wye and stop overnight.
Sept. 8: Iowa Interstate No. 7081 steam engine will deadhead to Tiskilwa to pull trips from there to Sheffield to raise funds for the volunteer fire departments in both towns. The first trip will depart Tiskilwa at 9:00 a.m. arriving in Sheffield at 9:45 a.m. It departs Sheffield at 10:30 a.m. and arrives in Tiskilwa at 11:15 a.m.
The second trip will leave Tiskilwa at noon arriving in Sheffield at 12:45 p.m. It will depart Sheffield at 1:30 p.m. arriving in Tiskilwa at 2:15 p.m.
Depending on ticket sales a third trip could be added. If it runs, the train will leave Tiskilwa at 3:00 p.m. with arrival in Sheffield 45 minutes later. It will depart Sheffield at 4:30 p.m. arriving in Tiskilwa at 5:15 p.m. The train will then deadhead to Silvis for the night.
Sept. 9: No. 7081 will deadhead from Silvis to the railroad’s shop at South Amana, Iowa,
Sept. 10: No. 7081 will run from South Amana back to Newton.
Tickets for the Plans, Trains and Automobiles event are $14 for adults and $7 for children ages 2 to 10. They are available by calling or sending a check to the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce at 100 West Main Street, Geneseo, IL 61254-1502, 309-944-2686.
Tickets for the fire department fundraisers are $14 for adults and $7 for children and can be obtained by calling the fire departments in Tiskilwa at 815-646-4722, or Sheffield at 815-454-2212.
