Ottumwa, IA (Amtrak's California Zephyr #5 & #6)

Ottumwa, IA is an Amtrak Station in a small city in southeastern Iowa. It is served by one train per day, The California Zephyr. The current station building is a large limestone faced building that was opened in 1951. Most of it currently contains the Wapello County Historical Society. That also has a Burlington Route locomotive that is barely visible behind the station building on the western end of the platform. Amtrak still maintains a staffed station and waiting area in the building, although there is no checked baggage service. The stop has two platforms since the line is two tracks here. Both have quite weathered looking canopies, one is a side platform alongside the westbound track, the other is alongside the eastbound track and is an island platform that is accessed via a single small wooden walkway in the middle of the westbound platform.
2011: The stop recieved quite a few new grey Amtrak Ottumwa, IA station signs that are now along both platforms.
Photos 1-15: 20 August, 2008, 16-20: 29 May, 2011

The simple track level tar platform at Ottumwa, IA gets narrower at the perfect place and ends just after the door of the last Superliner car of the California Zephyr that is stopped for a fresh air stop.

Passengers wait to board the westbound California Zephyr at Ottumwa, IA under the at least fifty year old peeling metal canopy.

The large former CB&Q (Burlington & Quincy Railway) limestone station building at Ottumwa, IA viewed from a distance from the platform.

An old style Amtrak sign for Ottumwa is over the small canopied area right in front of the door to the waiting room.

A closer view of the entrance to the decent sized waiting area of the Ottumwa Station building. The doors into it from the platform have a very 1950s look.

Basic block black Ottumwa text on a side of the very large station building, part of which is now a historical society.

The front two Superliner sleepers haven't opened their doors on the California Zephyr stopped at Ottumwa, IA.

A sign for the Wapello County Historical Museum that now occupies most of the large station building at Ottumwa, IA.

A metal structure that looks like a former platform canopy covers some cars parked at the Ottumwa, IA Amtrak station.

The metal canopy on the long platform at Ottumwa, IA fades into the distance with the baggage car and Genesis P42 Locomotives of the California Zephyr coming into view.

A close up of the baggage car of the California Zephyr It's Heritage Baggage Car #1756. That still has its former use for United States Mail written on it.

An unprecedented four Genesis P42 Locomotives are being used to pull the 9 Superliner Cars and Heritage Baggage car of the California Zephyr. The extra locomotives are there probably because Amtrak needs to move some of them across to California.

The sun sets on the Genesis P42 Locomotives of the Westbound California Zephyr, the first of two sunsets (if not three before a late night arrival) viewed by passengers going all the way to the Bay Area onboard the California Zephyr.

A side of the Ottumwa, IA station building as some garage style doors into it. The Ottumwa lettering looks quite warn.

Mostly the tender of CB&Q Locomotive #3001 is visible behind the cars parked in the small parking lot at the Ottumwa, IA train station.

Additions to the Ottumwa Station since my previous visit 3 years ago: two wheelcair lifts and a shed to house the equipment

Looking down the second track at Ottumwa, used by westbound trains

Modern signage has come to Ottumwa, like almost every other station it seems

An Ottumwa sign on the middle platform, as passengers enjoy a fresh air stop

Another view down the platform at Ottumwa