~ Andy
Charlie and I had a rare and special opportunity this week. My lifelong school friend Henry Posner, partner with Bob Pietrandrea in Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corporation, invited us to a cocktail reception onboard the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) Inspection Train in conjunction with the U.S. Open Golf Tournament in Oakmont, Pa. The train, consisting of two locomotives and two private cars, and dubbed the "Golf Tournament Special," is spending the week parked on the Allegheny Valley Railroad's main line next to Allegheny Avenue in the heart of Oakmont. It was a very posh affair and we had a wonderful time. Here are some photos of the train. ~ Andy The train was led by locomotive #716, a GP38-2 originally built for the Penn Central Railroad in August 1972. Under Conrail ownership, this unit was numbered #8017. The second unit #711, also a GP38-2, built in July 1972, was also previously owned by Penn Central and Conrail. Both were gleaming in their black paint with red and yellow accents. There are many more (and better) photos of IAIS motive power at www.iaisrailfans.org. The Iowa Interstate is one of eight railroads around the world operated by RDC. It is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and operates the former Rock Island routes between Chicago, IL and Omaha, NE. IAIS is one of the few railroads that connects with every Class 1 railroad in the U.S. We enjoyed some good conversation, delicious food and the pristine private railroad cars. Thanks for including us Henry and Bob! We wish you safe travels back to Iowa aboard the Golf Tournament Special.
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December 2023
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