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Mason City Iowa Traction Railway, Hiawatha Light Rail Line and the trip home 6/5/2017

Bill Compton and I checked out of the Mason City Days Inn and went to the Golden Arches for breakfast before we drove over toward the Iowa Traction Railway shops, but saw something photograph-worthy first.

The Iowa Traction Railway Company is the former Iowa Traction Railroad Company, is an electrically operated common carrier railroad running between Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa, and also serving Rorick Park near Mason City. It can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway, which was founded in 1896. The shops were situated in Emery, the midpoint between the two namesake towns. Passenger service began on July 4, 1897. Freight has been the major source of income since the beginning and has been the only source since the charter for trolley service in Mason City expired August 30, 1936. The Mason City and Clear Lake Railway's name was revised slightly to Mason City and Clear Lake Railroad in 1950, when new owners took over.

The name was changed to Iowa Terminal Railroad in 1961 when new owners from Michigan took over. They acquired the Charles City Western on December 31, 1963. The Charles City Division was dieselized after a tornado destroyed much of the overhead wire on May 15, 1968. Several years later the remaining trackage at Charles City was abandoned. Meanwhile, the Mason City Division continued to operate as usual. The Charles City equipment was transferred to Mason City to replace equipment burned in the November 24, 1967 shop fire. On April 13, 1987, the Iowa Terminal Railroad was sold to Dave Johnson and renamed to Iowa Traction Railroad.

Today, the Iowa Traction continues to actively operate the track between its Emery headquarters (southwest of Mason City) and the Clear Lake Junction with Union Pacific Railroad. Though track exists beyond Emery to Interstate 35 in the west and from Clear Lake Junction to 15th Street Southeast in Mason City to the east, the active portion is Emery to Clear Lake Junction.

The Iowa Traction Railroad was purchased in fall 2012 by Progressive Rail, a shortline holding company based in Lakeville, Minnesota. Upon purchase, the line was renamed Iowa Traction Railway. According to Progressive's President Dave Fellon, "It's [Iowa Traction] right in our wheel house [and] fits our model. It's a great little railroad." Comments by Progressive Rail officials in Trains Magazine indicate that the company plans to continue use of electric locomotives, possibly supplementing them with diesel, and that it is exploring the reopening of the line from Emery to Clear Lake.

We pulled onto a grade crossing to take our first pictures of the day.

Iowa Traction (IATR) type B steeplecab 50 built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in October 1920 for the Washington & Old Dominion Railway 1920-1948, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway 1956-1963, Kansas City, Kaw Valley & Western Railway 1963 and finally Iowa Terminal Railroad. We then drove over to the shops where we signed releases to be on the Iowa Traction Railway's property and started to take pictures inside the engine house.

The equipment inside.

Trolley 727 built by Cincinnati Car Company in 1927. Although the IATR does not operate scheduled passenger service, it does have a single passenger car, 727, which originally ran on the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad as 102. After the CNS&M ended service in 1963, this car went to the Iowa Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, which operated it on the Southern Iowa Railway; then, after the SIR was abandoned, it was bought in 1967 by the IATR's predecessor, the Iowa Terminal Railroad. Car 727 is occasionally used for chartered excursions.

IATR type B steeplecab 60 built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in July 1917 for the Youngstown & Ohio River Railroad 1917-1932, Union Electric Railway 1932-1948, Mason City & Clear Lake Railway 1948 then Iowa Terminal Railroad 1963. Bill and I then walked outside into their yard to photograph trains moving and other electric engines on their property.

The Iowa Traction Railway engine house in Emery, Iowa built in 1968.

IATR 51 was switching a tank car this morning.

IATR type B steeplecab 51 built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in May 1921 as Northeast Oklahoma Railroad 1921-1940, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway 1940-1954, Kansas City, Kaw Valley & Western Railway 503 1954-1963 then Iowa Terminal Railroad 1963.

We watched IATR 51 move around the yard.

IATR type B steeplecab 54 built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in May 1923 for Iowa Southern Utilities 1923-1968, later Southern Iowa Railway then Iowa Terminal Railroad 1968. The crew than started using this locomotive this morning.

IATR 51 and 54.

IATR 54 then started its day.

One last view of IATR 51. We walked back to the rental car then drove back to the first grade crossing of the morning.

IATR 54 has a single tank car in tow as it starts heading to Mason City.

Heading to the car I snapped off one more picture as IATR 54 headed east with us following. It stopped to switch a local industry and we stopped to watch.

IATR 54 pulled out five more tank cars to add to its train.

Views of IATR 54 switching.

One last view of IATR 54. A special thank you to the Iowa Traction Railway for letting us visit this unique freight railroad in America. We then headed to Interstate 35 and the Mall of America to catch the last train rides of the trip.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area once had an extensive network of streetcars (operated for many years by Twin City Rapid Transit, a precursor of Metro Transit), but the tracks were removed and services were eliminated in the 1950s.

Over the years since the last trolley ran in 1954, many people have pushed for the reintroduction of rail transport in the Twin Cities. The primary reason is that traffic congestion has grown considerably since the streetcar system ceased operation: a 2003 report by the Texas Transportation Institute indicated that the area was the 17th most congested area in the country, with the second fastest congestion growth.

No new rail projects were able to get off the ground for many years until the 1990s when several factors combined to make the idea more palatable to area politicians. Governor Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg heavily promoted the idea of rail transport, and significant amounts of money became available from the federal government. Previous governors had advocated light rail but had not been able to get legislation passed. Governor Tim Pawlenty had campaigned on a promise to fight the expansion of light rail, but altered his opinions after taking office. He also initially opposed the Northstar Line commuter rail project, which is a rail corridor north of Minneapolis, but changed his mind about that project in January 2004 when a scaled-back version was shown to have good potential.

For many, the Hiawatha Avenue corridor was not the top choice for a new project. Popular other options included connecting Minneapolis with the western suburbs, though probably the most-desired option has been the Central Corridor connecting the Twin Cities themselves (Minneapolis and St. Paul) with a route down the middle of Interstate 94 or University Avenue. However, much of the land had already been acquired by the state in the 1960s to build a sunken radial expressway into downtown that was never built. In addition to the available land, the desire to connect to the airport and at least reach the vicinity of the Mall of America proved to be the bigger draw for decision-makers.

The idea of running a rail line down Hiawatha Avenue had already been around for at least a decade by the time the decision was made to go forward. In 1985, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) had produced an Environmental Impact Statement that concluded that light rail was the best alternative for the corridor. In 1996, the document was examined again as MN/DOT looked at the possibility of adding bus rapid transit along the road, but money for light rail became available soon after, leading to the current layout.

The first construction began in late 2010, including work in downtown St. Paul and near the University of Minnesota campus. By November 2011, construction was about 32% complete, including most heavy construction such as the installation of track segments, a new bridge, partial completion of stations, a rebuilt skyway in St. Paul and the construction of Green Line facilities at St. Paul Union Station.

Due to scope of project, a venture was created by C.S. McCrossan and Ames to complete an area known as The Civil West Project. This area extended from the west side of the 35W abutment, over the Mississippi River, through the UofM campus and ending at Bedford St. From Bedford to Saint Paul, Walsh Construction served as the general contractor.

In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially named the Central Corridor as the Green Line. As of August 2013, construction was completed and test trains began running over the line which opened to the public on June 14, 2014.

Some in favor of the line have expressed concern with the number of stations. The neighborhoods along University have demanded that the line have stations every half-mile, from Snelling to Rice Street, which would mean stations at Hamline Avenue, Victoria Street and Western Avenue. In February 2008, the Central Corridor Management Committee passed a resolution to include below-ground infrastructure for the Hamline, Victoria and Western stations "with the understanding that, if the CEI increases or other dollars are made available by mid-summer 2008, the first claim on those dollars would be one of the infill stations." The Metropolitan Council has included this infrastructure work in their Draft Environmental Impact Statement and has also committed to building one station if any funds become available.

As of 2009, the Federal Transit Administration has increased the Cost Effectiveness Index such that buildout of one station is now feasible. On January 25, 2010, the FTA announced that the three "infill" stations will be built. By 2016, five stations between Snelling and Rice Street were built - Hamline Ave, Lexington Pkwy, Victoria St, Dale St, and Western Ave.

Groundbreaking for the line took place on January 17, 2001. Regular service began on the first phase of the line on June 26, 2004, with the second phase opening later that year on December 4. Each opening was accompanied with two days of free rides on the train and area buses. The line was tested for months before opening, with regular service simulated for about a month before each phase went online. The Hiawatha Line opened exactly 50 years and one week after the last regular-service streetcars ran in the city.

Busways are still being examined for many future projects and it appears likely that at least one will be built. Construction of the area's second light rail line, the Green Line connecting downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul began in late 2010 and opened on June 14, 2014. On April 26, 2011, the U.S. government announced $478 million in funding for its construction.

Once we found the station, we bought a Day Pass ticket for $4 and walked over to a waiting train.

Our train that will take us on the Blue Line. I had already ridden that line in its entirety but not the newer Green Line. We boarded that train and waited to leave the Mall of America station.

Leaving the covered Mall of America station and out into the fresh air of Minnesota.

Passing a train heading into the station at the Mall of America.

Mall of America East parking structure. We stopped at the 28th Avenue station.

The train took the next curve into the Bloomington Central station.

We met another train as we left Bloomington Central before proceeding to the American Boulevard station then went under Interstate 494.

The National Cemetery in the State of Minnesota.

Next we came to the Airport Terminal 2-Humphrey station.

We next entered the tunnel under the MSP Airport runways to get us to the Airport Terminal 1-Lindbergh station.

We exited that tunnel and headed to the Fort Snelling station.

We crossed MN Highway 62.

We crossed MN Highway 55.

We stopped at the VA Medical Center station and met another Blue Line train then stopped at 50th Street/Minnehaha Park, Minnehaha Parkway, 46th Street, 38th Street, Lake Street/Midtown and the MN 55 (Hiawatha Ave) stations.

Crossing MN Highway 55. We then stopped at the Cedar Avenue, Franklin Avenue and Cedar-Riverside stations.

US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, and on the site of the Metrodome where I once saw the Minnesota Twins play in 2004.

Green Line Juncton which is where I would start my new rail mileage later this early afternoon. We stopped at the US Bank Stadium station.

Two more views of US Bank Stadium.

Open air park space in Minneapolis. We made stops at Government Plaza, Nicollet Mall, Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station and arrived at Target Field station which has connections to the Northstar Commuter train line.

Two Blue Line trains at the Target Field station.

A Green Line train waiting to enter the station here.

Entrance to the Northstar Commuter train station platforms.

A Green Line train enters the Target Field station.

A Blue Line train leaves for the Mall of America.

The Green Line train arrived at Target Field station with Bill and I boarding it and we made stops at Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Mall and Government Plaza stations.

Another view of U.S. Bank Stadium before we stopped at that station.

Leaving the Blue Line with me on new rail mileage all the way to Central Avenue in St. Paul. We first stopped at West Bank station.

Crossing the Mississippi River. We stopped next at East Bank station.

The University of Minnesota campus, through which our route passes. We then made stops at Stadium Village, Prospect Park, Westgate, Raymond Avenue, Fairview Avenue, Snelling Avenue, Hamline Avenue, Lexington Parkway, Victoria Street, Dale Street and Western Avenue stations.

The first view of the Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul. We stopped at Capitol/Rice Street station.

The Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul. We went by it, turned right and stopped at Robert Street station before making another right-hand turn to get off Capitol Hill. At the bottom we turned left to get across Interstate 94.

The Minnesota State Capitol Building. We stopped at 10th Street station then turned left to our final stop at Central, which is Saint Paul Union Depot and the connection to the Empire Builder and the east end of the line. Bill and I just completed riding the entire Hiawatha Light Rail system.

Our Green Line Train and Saint Paul Union Depot.

A Green Line train left Central station.

Our Green Line train waits to take us back west to the Target Field Station.

Saint Paul Union Depot. We boarded and I enjoyed the ride to the Target Field station.

Another view of US Bank Stadium on the way there. Once we arrived, we went down to the tracks to see the Northstar Commuter trains.

Northstar MP36PH-3C 505 built by Motive-Power in 2008.

Northstar MP36PH-3C 512 built by Motive-Power in 2008 as Utah Transit Authority 12 for their FrontRunner service, though it never ran in revenue service there. It was leased to Metro Transit and subsequently purchased and re-numbered 512.

Northstar commuter trains.

Northstar commuter trains.

Both Northstar commuter trains in the Target Field Station.

Northstar MP36PH-3C 505.

Northstar MP36PH-3C 512. We returned to the Light Rail station.

The next trolley in was a Green Line train.

Next a Blue Line train came into Target Field station.

Next the Green Line train for St. Paul left.

Our Blue Line Train arrived and we boarded it for the Mall of America.

This track is how you get light rail vehicles from trucks to the rails.

The Blue Line train at the Mall of America after we completed the train ride back. Bill and I returned to the rental car and I put the pictures in the computer while he went shopping. Bill then returned and we took the rental car back to Airport Terminal 2-Humphrey. We had a long walk back to the train station then took the tram to the Terminal where I breezed through security as I was TSA Pre-screened, then waited for Bill to come through. We walked to Gate G12 where we found a Volante restaurant and I had a rib eye steak. We enjoyed the meal while waiting for the flight home.

The flight was quick and I watched the "Lego Batman" movie which occupied most of it. I found out that my Penguins lost Game Four while I was flying home. We landed and found the shuttle that took us to Bill's car and he drove me home after an excellent adventure to ride Milwaukee Road 261 in North Dakota.

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