[VIDEO] If you haven't checked out the webcam from Ft. Madison just across the state line from Illinois via Virtual Railfan you should check them out.
I've only passed through this town a handful of times going to Los Angeles via Amtrak which passes through daily with service on the Southwest Chief. You will see this train regularly as it heads towards it's Amtrak depot past what looks like an old Army fort, a decommissioned Santa Fe steam locomotive, and an old railroad depot trains would pass by.
Also you can't beat the scene of the Mississippi River streaming by. You might occasionally see the bridge part to accommodate river traffic from time to time.
BTW, I do have to note that due to this coronavirus pandemic the schedule for the Southwest Chief will change from daily to three days weekly. It's expected to happen on October 12, 2020 and some trains are already affected starting this month. As far as the Chief train #3 will depart from Chicago Monday, Thursday, and Saturday & train #4 will depart from Los Angeles Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
I typically watch the railcams for Amtrak trains especially cams where you will see the Southwest Chief. I've commemorated my two trips on that train via my Railcam page on my main blog. However, you can continue to watch any rail traffic through Ft. Madison, IA as I shared this stream on this blog over the summer when it was first available on YouTube
