Chinese Steam Train in the US: Iowa Interstate 6988

Iowa Interstate is a freight rail carrier operating in the Midwestern United States between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois over former Rock Island Railroad trackage. In 2006, the railroad began operating two former China Railway steam locomotives that were built in the mid 1980s for special events. Railroad investor, Henry Posner III, purchased "QJ" type locomotives 6988 and 7081 following their retirement from regular passenger and freight service in China in 2005. In this video, we will follow locomotive 6988 on some of its final trips prior to its removal from service for a federally mandated 14 year boiler inspection in October of 2021. We will follow the big 2-10-2 type locomotive on a series of trips over the railroad's mainline between Newton and South Amana, Iowa.

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