Jan and I decided to take a run up to Newton on Sunday afternoon, preliminary to my excursion with the May Term class on Tuesday. When we arrived at the Maytag yard area, the IAIS was rearranging the power on a grain train. They dropped off two NREX units in the yard area west of the depot and reassembled the remaining units. The engines left behind were both SDs, 2003 in gray and 2005 in black paint. 2003 was chalk-marked "SD-20" under the cab window.

They pulled out with the following power left on the train: 466 (ICG orange and white), 603 (IAIS black, red and yellow - an Operation Lifesaver unit), 481 (orange + white), 431 (black + red), and 484 (black + red). We paced them to the northeast part of town, where, at about 5:15, they tied up the train and went for beans. We went out into the country northeast of town to check the construction of the new IAIS yard.

We drove over to Grinnell, and got to the UP/IAIS junction at about ten after six, just in time to catch a northbound local as it reached the diamond, now converted into a restaurant. This train had CNW 4606, EMD Leasing 788 (both Operation Lifesaver units), and UP 912 on the head end. Cars for corn both before and after processing, trailed across the diamond and by the depot's restored tower. After a short break for a Dairy Queen, we were back at 6:45 to see the IAIS train that we'd left in Newton take its turn on the diamond.