Elizabeth and I arose and after doing our Internet duties, we left the Best Western and headed to Perkins Restaurant where I had French Toast and Elizabeth had an omelette. I then drove to Keoto, Iowa and the first depot of the morning.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific West Chester station which has been relocated to Greiner Farms in Keota. Next we proceeded to Oskaloosa for more than we planned.
The Oskaloosa Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific station built in 1888 on the south side of the tracks which served ten passenger trains a day. A separate freight depot was built to the east. President Theodore Roosevelt stopped here when he came to dedicate the new Y.M.C.A. in 1903. The freight and passenger depots were combined into a single facility once again in 1930, utilizing the passenger depot. The depot was officially abandoned in 1973.
Southern Railway caboose X555 built by Gantt Manufacting in 1971, painted as Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific X555.
The station and caboose in this view. The two of us drove over to the interurban station.
Oskaloosa-Buxton Electric Railway station ran from 1907-1920. The name Trolley Place comes from the earlier days of Oskaloosa when the trolleys would park in front of this location. In 1880 the Oskaloosa Street Railroad and Land Company had three lines radiating from the square, with a total of four cars and twenty-one horses over four miles of line. 1898 saw standard gauge track and the cars were electrified. In 1902, the name was changed to Oskaloosa Traction and Light Company In 1906 the interurban also served Beacon, and had a line that ran to the then boom town of Buxton, Iowa 15 miles to the southwest of Beacon.
Between 1913 and 1925 the system was bought and sold a couple of times, but by 1926 the trolleys had been switched to buses. 1930 saw the demise of the buses and Oskaloosa has been without public transportation since then.
We next found Trolley Stop Alley opened on June 10, 2023 and located off High Avenue West.
Historic District Oskaloosa.
A trolley mural painted on the alley wall by Brant Bollman.
There is also a cut-out replica trolley car.
Oskaloosa Music donated by Golden Goose Club.
The Trolley Map.
Local Trolley History.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific station photograph.
Horse-drawn Trolley.
Trolley Stop Alley Board Here.
Enlarged tokens for this line. Next I drove us to Albia.
Albia Light and Railway building, now housing the Monroe County Historical Society Museum.
The plaque on the wall. We were surprised to find some railway equipment here.
Chicago Burlington and Quincy caboose 13555, nee Burlington Northern 10421, built by the railroad in 1954.
Northern Pacific HH660 127 built by American Locomotive Company in 1940 painted as Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RE602. It was donated by Relco Locomotive Works.
Chicago Burlinton and Quincy Albia freight house. We saw a lone locomotive nearby and went to explore.
Iowa Southern GP7 116, ex. Appanoose Railroad GP7 116, nee Missouri-Kansas-Texas 1526, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951.
The Iowa Southern emblem on the locomotive. Our next stop was in Chariton.
Chariton freight house built in 1904 which reflected the town's importance as a division point for the railroad.
Burlington Northern 40 foot box car 281467, nee Chicago Burlington and Quincy 19867, built by Pullman-Standard in 1967.
Chicago Burlington and Quincy Chariton station across the tracks.
BNSF 9113 West came through so we had to wait to return to the car. Next Elizabeth drove us to Humestown.
During the years 1879-1880, tracks were laid from Corydon to Humestown by the Missouri and Nebraska, crossing the existing 1872 Chicago, Burlington and Quincy north-south tracks here. In 1881, the Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy agreed to build west from Humestown jointly. The Humestown and Shenandoah Railroad was created. These early trains carried passengers and essential freight across the Midwest. In 1883, the Humestown Union Depot was built to meet the needs of the growing railroads.
In 1883, the depot had two types of trainorder signals and was painted mineral red with forest green trim. In 1924, the outside surface was covered with stucco and brick. After that, women and children had a separate waiting room from the men.
The water tower in Humestown, which has a unique distinction.
It is the last remaining wooden railroad water tower in Iowa.
A crossing gate on display. We crossed the state line into Missouri and proceeded to Trenton.
Chicago, Rock Island Pacific Trenton station. Rock Island passenger train 18, The Plainsman, passed through here, which was known as The Twin Star Rocket until 1966 when Rock Island dropped the Kansas City-to-Fort Worth portion of a route that originally connected Houston with Minneapolis, while renaming the remaining Kansas City-Minneapolis service.
Chicago, Rock Island Pacific engine shop. That was planned to be the last station of the day but on the way Independence, we drove by a station so Elizabeth pulled into a petrol station parking lot and we went to capture this unexpected final depot of this day.
Chicago, Rock Island Pacific Winston station built in 1890. I then drove us to Jersey Mike's in Blue Springs where we both had an excellent meal before Elizabeth took her turn behind the wheel and took us to the Best Western Independence Hotel where we checked in for the night.
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