FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION

MUSCATINE, IA

Railfanning below zero A cold day in January finds IAIS train CBBI running 1 by 1 near Walcott, Iowa. We counted 30 cars and trucks in the ditch between Iowa City and Davenport on the way down the previous night. — Railfanning below zero Credit: chief_huddleston

Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization located in Muscatine, Iowa. The organization was established to promote the preservation and restoration of historic buildings and landmarks in Muscatine. The group also works to educate the community about the importance of historic preservation and to encourage the responsible use of historic resources.

The Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation organization was founded in 2013 by a group of local residents who were passionate about preserving the history of Muscatine. The group has since grown to include members from various backgrounds and professions, all with a shared interest in preserving the city's rich history.

The organization is involved in a variety of projects, including the restoration of the Muscatine Power and Water building, which was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation organization also holds regular educational events and tours of historic buildings in the city.

Membership in the Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation organization is open to anyone who shares the group's mission and goals. Members have the opportunity to participate in various preservation projects and events, as well as to contribute to the ongoing efforts to preserve Muscatine's unique history and character.

FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in MUSCATINE IA. US MID #8401900239

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

IAIS CBBI 20 Under a clear blue October sky, IAIS CBBI 20 starts into the curve at Durant, Iowa

Island Number 319 Work barges in the Mississippi River Near Davenport and the Quad Cities.

Mississippi Sunset Continental Cement plant on the shore of the Mississipp River in Buffalo, Iowa.

Waves of Mutilation It's been a few days and my fingers still haven't fully recovered... When I embarked on this little day trip, I knew I wanted three shots: 1) decent wedge of the leading three locomotives, 2) Iowa City bridge, and 3) Moscow / Cedar River bridge.

So I went to Moscow, but I think I might have made like the Russian army and taken a wrong turn. It was sunny and clear an hour prior, and I arrived at the riverfront to find snow billowing around the small crowd amassing there and relentless waves of frigid wind cutting through all those layers of clothes. I'm not sure what happened, but a year or two ago I just lost all my cold resistance entirely. I just cannot handle it anymore. So, the 20-odd degree weather paired with wave after wave of piercing wind, and sudden snow - plus a half frozen river for good measure - really didn't quite feel too nice!

If nothing else, we all bonded over the shared cold. We were also all waiting there much longer than expected - I thought maybe five or ten minutes, as I wasn't all that far ahead, but it wound up being well over a half hour, maybe closer to 45 minutes. Turns out, the donation train had stopped back in Atalissa - a town I'd very nearly stopped at myself for a shot at the elevator there! But I skipped it as I didn't want to risk getting stuck behind chasers and missing the bridge.

We did not learn of the stop until most of that half hour had passed. At the same time, the snow and wind picked up, and nearly gave us full blizzard and white out conditions. You couldn't see past the third bridge span, and anything closer was plenty hard to see too! Just barely two minutes before UP5716 broke through the sticks. Too bad the wave of relief wasn't warm! I crouched down near the firepit and nearly froze my leg to the ground, hah!

Cranking the heat in the car never felt so good after this...

Modigliani The long journey nears its end as UPs donation train passes the small town of Durant, Iowa and the cemetery beside it. As our train nears the homestretch, one can't help but marvel at the whole thing. Long-dead locomotives and even rollingstock, each one carrying with it plenty of history and stories alike, now have a fresh chance at life they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. The Challenger has been dormant for a dozen years, and the 5511 five times that. Even the DDA40X, not pictured here, hasn't been roaming around for a fair few years now. It will be one hell of a day when they and the rest of the equipment have new life breathed into them.

I can't even imagine how insane the roads and photolines will be when those days come. Oh, boy. At least they were somewhat manageable here. More than once, people came and parked right in front of my shot, but thanks to another railfan intervening, we got the space cleared for our shots, and we got that striking view of the slow moving train. The days storms can be seen back behind the dormant steamers, and in fact some of those clouds were just overhead. Very, very narrow timing granted us a sliver of clear sky and the light we needed for our shots. Nice when things work out that way, eh?

Out of Stock(ton) At a local logging/woodchip company in Stockton, the IAIS 6988 flies backwards towards Wilton to restart the next excursion. On a busy day where you can get only one or two shots per run, there was only so many opportunities for shots in towns. Stockton was one I would have liked to have shot more of, but I had just the one shot - and for all intents and purposes, it worked out well enough.

Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) 2021-08-14 (2) Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) - 14 August 2021 - Wulf Road, Walcott, Scott County, Iowa

Retreat At a dirt road between towns, the IAIS 6988 comes to a stop after its first excursion of the day. The IAIS 700, tacked onto the back, will take control and pull the excursion train back to Wilton.

There were a lot of chasers who headed over to the next town, and I was nearly one of them until I saw the gravel road come up. Very luckily, I made it there with a few others, just in time to watch the QJ roll in and come to a stop beside the cornfield. I think a lot of other chasers got a hefty surprise when the train never made it to Walcott!

Drift Away The race to Moscow was one that wasn't particularly hard to do, but when you make a wrong turn before your target - well, that doesn't make things very easy.

On my approach to the bridge over the Cedar River, I took a turn too early, ending up by the south side of the bridge. In my all-too-tired brain in the morning, I had readily assumed that was the sun side. Spoiler: it wasn't. I spun the car around and flew down the road to get to the right place - not far, but with the QJ barreling down the tracks, it wasn't a sure thing, either.

I parked on the grass and sprinted down the gravel road to where dozens of others were all prepared, taking a seat on the edge of the riverbank. It wasn't even 30 seconds later that we heard the whistle, and not even half that time until the train broke through the trees and across the river. Not quite enough time to get really ready, but enough to get the camera up anyway. Cutting it close is something I seem to have found a natural talent for...

CP Ku81 On the old MB&S Track. (2-8-2023, Muscatine, IA)

Walcott, Iowa Water Tower 2021-08-14 (1) Walcott Water Tower - 14 August 2021 - Walcott, Scott County, Iowa

Contact FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION

FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION
PO BOX 762
MUSCATINE
IA
52761-0013

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FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION Information

MID #	8401900239
Name	FRIENDS OF MUSCATINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	263358143
NTEECC	A80
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201212
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	41.421561, -91.058363
CODES	FIPS State Code: 19 FIPS County Code: 139 US Census Tract: 050500 US Census Block: 3018