The Flickr Sabulaiowatrains Image Generatr

It's the second year for the CPKC Holiday Train since the merger in 2023, and for the first time, the train's consist has been slightly altered to replace the "Canadian Pacific" script lettering on the boxcars with the new "CPKC" logo. Other than that, the trainset presses on as usual, holding its Christmas-themed concerts and canned food drives in communities across the CPKC system.

Here, the train takes the left-hand turn onto the Davenport Subdivision after crossing the causeway in Sabula, IA.

It's the second year for the CPKC Holiday Train since the merger in 2023, and for the first time, the train's consist has been slightly altered to replace the "Canadian Pacific" script lettering on the boxcars with the new "CPKC" logo. Other than that, the trainset presses on as usual, holding its Christmas-themed concerts and canned food drives in communities across the CPKC system.

Here, the train begins to cross the causeway in Sabula, IA, getting ready to turn left onto the Davenport Sub towards Clinton.

This week, I had the immense privilege to witness CP 2816, the "Empress" 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive, make its trek south on the Final Spike Steam Tour celebrating the Canadian Pacific - Kansas City Southern merger that occurred 1 year ago. This is the locomotive's first extensive tour in over 17 years, having sat in storage until being chosen to lead this special anniversary train to Mexico City, emphasizing the new railroad's ability to link three different countries on one continent.

Because of its significance, I chose to chase the train from the Twin Cities to southeastern Iowa - four different states over 10 days, by far the longest chase I have ever attempted.

In this view, the Empress and her entire train can be seen on the causeway connecting mainland Iowa to Sabula, across which the locomotive must chug before turning south towards Davenport.

This week, I had the immense privilege to witness CP 2816, the "Empress" 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive, make its trek south on the Final Spike Steam Tour celebrating the Canadian Pacific - Kansas City Southern merger that occurred 1 year ago. This is the locomotive's first extensive tour in over 17 years, having sat in storage until being chosen to lead this special anniversary train to Mexico City, emphasizing the new railroad's ability to link three different countries on one continent.

Because of its significance, I chose to chase the train from the Twin Cities to southeastern Iowa - four different states over 10 days, by far the longest chase I have ever attempted.

In this overhead view, the Empress can be seen passing through the river town of Sabula, IA, having just crossed the famous swing bridge over the Mississippi River there and now beginning its trek across the causeway to the Iowa "mainland", where it will turn south towards Davenport.