The Union Pacific Railroad is sending out special trains as part of their “Operation Lifesaver” program that helps teach about railroad crossing safety. U.P. spokesman Mark Davis says they’ve set up several trips in Iowa that will include cars carrying local officials.
Davis says the purpose is to bring on board elected officials and community leaders to give them a view of what the engineers see at the rail crossings on a daily basis. He says they’ll have cameras mounted on the locomotive to show what is happening. The local officials will ride in some historic passenger cars.
Davis says these passenger cars were some of the last built for Union Pacific and he says it will allow the officials to learn about crossing safety, but will also give them the experience of riding in these rail cars. The company eliminated passenger service nearly 40 years ago.
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- Here is the schedule for the Operation Lifesaver trains:
Monday, August 9, 2010: Nevada to Cambridge nine A.M.; Mason City to Sheffield two p.m.; 4:15 p.m. Mason City to Northwood.
Friday, August 13: 3:00 p.m. Sheldon to Ashton; 5:00 p.m. Sheldon to Alton.
Saturday, August 14: 2:30 p.m. Lake Mills to Joice.
Sunday, August 15: 9:30 A.M. Estherville to Gruver; 11:50 A.M. Emmetsburg to Graettinger; 2:40 p.m. West Bend to Bode.
Monday, August 16: 10:15 A.M. Clarion to Belmond: 1:00 p.m. Webster City to Eagle Gove; 4:40 p.m. Gowrie to Moorland: 7:10 p.m. Ft. Dodge to Moorland.
- Here is the schedule for the Operation Lifesaver trains:
You can find out more about Operation Lifesaver on the Union Pacific website at: www.up.com.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City