This year's National Railway Historical Society spring conference was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and apart from the meetings, a very rare inspection trip was planned on the Iowa Interstate Railroad. Elizabeth is Secretary of the Advisory Council and the Central Coast Chapter's representative. Since Cedar Rapids is not too far from Columbia, we left a couple of days early to find and photograph Iowa depots, as well as visit some new places and a few old ones.
We departed Columbia on May 2nd, with our cat Chessie being looked after by our neighbour, Philip, and Elizabeth drove us into Iowa and our first stop of the morning, Donnelson.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Donnellson station built in 1881 and on display in Railroad Park. I drove us next to Winfield.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Winfield station built in 1878. Our next stop was Walker and on the way, it rained heavily but thankfully stopped as we neared the town.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Walker station built in 1873.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific end cupola caaboose 17766 built in 1940. We made our way to Waterloo.
Chicago Great Western Waterloo station built in 1904. We decided to have an early meal at Perkins, then fortified, we continued north to Waverly.
Chicago Great Western Waverly station built in 1904.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Waverly station constructed in the Spanish Mission style in 1909-10. Currently known as 4 Queens Dairy Cream (and over time, also as assorted businesses such as Laundry Depot, Quality Cleaners and Elsamiller Electric), it was built on land originally platted by William Sturdevant and later sold to the railroad by Edward Knott in 1904. It was later attached at one point (after 1959) to B & B Co-Op Oil on the north end. That addition, constructed in 1938 as a gas station, was torn down after a fire in 2017. The remaining original depot building was then purchased and restored by Mark Nagle, owner of 4 Queens.
A short distance down the road was a park with a washroom building which has had this Rock Island mural painted on the north side.
Rock Island Railroad information board.
The imitation railroad track and the mural.
Elizabeth then drove us north to Charles City where we checked in Sleep Inn for the night.
5/3/2024 Upon arising, we checked our e-mail and the Internet then checked out and drove to Dave's Restaurant where we both enjoyed French Toast, though Elizabeth had hers with berries. It was not difficult to locate the station and equipment of the American Passenger Train History Museum.
Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific Charles City station built in 1912. The Milwaukee Road reached Charles City in 1869 as part of building a line across northern Iowa from the Mississippi River to South Dakota. This route was eventually expanded west to for the mainline between Chicago and Rapid City.
The original depot was a wood structure deemed inadequate to serve the needs of the growing community. Charles City was the headquarters of the Hart-Parr Company which built farm tractors and actually coined the marketing word\ "tractor" to refer to this machinery. The company eventually became the Oliver tractor company. In the early 1910's, the city fathers were pressing the Milwaukee Road to build a substantial new depot and one that would be of brick construction.
The new 2,700 square foot structure was completed in 1912. It served as the front door to the city through the 1950's with two passenger trains daily to and from Chicago. The main train on the route was named the Sioux which travelled between Rapid City and Chicago. The second train was the Marquette that traveled to Chicago from Mason City. Many older citizens remember seeing brothers off to World War II and Korea at the station. The last passenger train, the Sioux left in April 1960.
In 1968, Charles City was subjected to an F5 tornado which destroyed most of the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The depot was one of the few major structured to survive. Aerial photos of the aftermath show that the depot narrowly avoided destruction as the tornado's path passed within 300 feet. Incidentally, this was the same tornado that destroyed the overhead electrification of the Charles City Western - then operating at the Iowa Terminal - which lead them to switch to diesel motive power. After being repaired from the tornado damage, the railroad continued to used the depot as a base for the Maintenance-of-Way department until 2011 when it was deemed surplus. In 2018, Canadian Pacific announced to the city that they were seriously considering plans to demolish the depot. It was at this time, mere weeks after the creation of the American Passenger Train History Museum, that citizens approached APTHM asking if the depot could be incorporated into the developing train museum. Thus started the depot's journey to being saved.
Burlington Northern maintenance-of way coach 968109, ex. Burlington Northern coach 1704, ex nee Chicago Burlington and Quincy 52-seat coach "Silver Glow" 4704, built by Budd Company in 1949.
Burlington Northern 52-seat coach 5290, nee Chicago Burlington and Quincy "Silver Crown", built by Budd Company in 1940.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific coach 639, nee Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 512, built by the railroad in 1948.
Amtrak 46-seat dome-coach 9640 1971, nee Great Northern 46 seat dome-coach 1320 built by Budd Company in 1955 for the Empire Builder. This was the class leader of the series and three of these cars were regularly assigned to each trainset. One of these cars was also assigned to the Western Star during the winter for first few years after delivery to the Great Northern. These cars were known for their colourful Northwest Coast native artwork, all of which still remains to this day. The car eventually became surplus and sold to APTHM's founder in a 1993 auction.
Autoliner coach 670 "Omaha Club 1975, ex. Amtrak 7509 1973, nee Southern Pacific coach 2389 built by Pullman-Standard in 1949 for Shasta Daylight service.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 52-seat coach 621 built by the Milwaukee shops for the Olympian Hiawatha in 1947. It regularly traveled between Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seattle/Tacoma along Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension. In 1948, new coaches were delivered to upgrade the Olympian and Twin Cities Hiawathas, which led to this car series being reassigned to other trains. After serving the railroad for 24 years, 486 was sold to Amtrak in 1974 and became 5296. Amtrak retired the car in 1975 and it was sold to the Griggsville Wild Bird Society in Griggsville, Illinois where it was used for their Purple Martin Junction Museum. In 1988, this car was sold, along with several others, by the Wild Bird Society to become a conference enter and scenic railroad in Atlantic, Iowa.
After the venture fell though, 486 was purchased by a private owner and moved to Chamberlain, South Dakota in 1995. In November 2022, 486 was donated to APTHM for preservation. After a year of stabilization, fundraising and prepping for shipment, it was delivered to APTHM on Friday, January 19th, 2024. This car is unique because it retains the original interior window-band design that mimics the original Olympian Hiawatha paint scheme.
Union Pacific 44-seat coach 5437 built by Pullman-Standard in 1950 for service on Union Pacific Cities trains from Chicago to the West Coast. This car represents the eleven UP coaches that Great Northern purchased in 1969. It also represents Great Northern's fleet of 48 seat coaches that were sold to New Jersey Transit and subsequently gutted for commuter service. 5437 was sold to Alaska Railroad in 1971 and then transferred into private ownership in 2005, which is when it returned to the continental United States. In 2011 this car arrived in Charles City and became part of APTHM's founding fleet. This car is currently painted in Great Northern's Big Sky Blue paint scheme to represent what its sister would have looked like while in service for the Great Northern.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 8-6-4 sleeper "Jefferson River" built by Pullman-Standard in 1948 for the Pioneer Limited. This car occasionally saw service on the Olympian Hiawatha during high travel seasons in the early 1950's. It was sold to Henry Castro in 1971, then to Don Barzak around 1980, who operated as part of the Milwaukee Great Northern Bar. In 2004, it was sold to the Kansas City Union Station Museum. After years in storage, the car was\ privately acquired by APTHM members in 2017 and moved to Charles City, IA. This car is unique because it is the sole surviving example of this series which had the duplex roomettes in the center of the car.
Northern Pacific baggage car 234 built by Pullman-Standard in 1963.
Chicago, Milwaukee. St. Paul and Pacific 48 seat diner 122 built by the Milwaukee Shops in 1948. It regularly travelled at speeds in excess of 100 mph on the Milwaukee Road's Twin Cities Hiawathas. After serving the railroad for 23 years, the car was retired in 1971 and sold to Autoliner Corp of Omaha, Nebraska then later donated to Durham Museum in Omaha, thus starting a string of private owners. The car was eventually rescued from Kansas City in 2010, moved to Charles City and now belongs to our Hiawatha train set.
Great Northern 6-5-2 sleeper 1384 "Lewis & Clark Pass" built by Pullman-Standard in 1950, owned much later by the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 40-seat leg-rest coach 623 1957, nee Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 518 built by the Milwaukee Shops in 1948. 623 regularly traveled in the Milwaukee Road's fleet of Hiawathas. After venerably serving the railroad for 23 years, it was sold to Amtrak in 1974 and re-numbered 4009. Upon retirement in 1975, the car was sold to the Griggsville Wild Bird Society and moved to Griggsville, Illinois where it was used for their Purple Martin Junction Museum. By 1983, the museum had closed, with the collection being sold to the Atlantic & Pacific Railway Corp in 1987 and moved to Atlantic, Iowa the following year. By 1995, the equipment was sold again and two years later, museum founder Bob Moen purchased the car.
Amtrak 10-6 sleeper 2708 1973, ex. Penn Central 10-6 sleeper 4372, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 10-6 sleeper "Greenwood" 8338 built by Budd Company in 1949 for use on the New York-to-Florida trains with Seaboard Air Line. Amtrak sold the car into private ownership in 1992. In 1995, several members of the museum went in together and bought the car and moved it to Minnesota. In 2003, the car moved with the majority of the founding fleet to Charles City. APTHM is planning to continue the work of its members in converting the car to a 6-Bedroom lounge. The lounge will be modelled after the lower-lounge of Great Northern's Great Domes.
Santa Fe 48-seat diner 1491 built by Budd Company in 1942. This car was frequently used on their luxury train, The Super Chief, between Chicago and Los Angeles throughout the 1940's. As newer equipment was delivered, this car was assigned to Santa Fe's other Chief services. In 1971, 1491 was transferred to Amtrak. Eventually, the car was retired and sold into private ownership and acquired in 2005 by APTHM's president; it was part of the collection at the inception of APTHM.
CSX coach-lounge-observation car 995002, nee Seaboard Air Line 6400 built by Budd Company in 1939.
Charles City Western Charles City station built in 1911. From here I drove us west to Rockford.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Rockford station built in the 1870's. We then made our way into Mason City to our next station and other items.
Chicago, Milwaukkee, St. Paul and Pacific Mason City station built in 1889.
American Crystal Sugar Company 457 1959, nee Minneapolis & St Louis 2-8-0 457 built by American Locomotive Company in 1912. It saw service in Minnesota and Iowa and hauled troop trains during World War II but, by late 1950, the railroad had dieselised and the steam engine was sold to the American Crystal Sugar Company in Mason City, Minnesota, where it was used to switch carloads of sugar beets during the annual beet harvest season. Exactly when 457 was last used is unknown but in September 1959, it was moved to its current location in East Park. The Mason City Noon Rotary Club funded relocation resulting in the locomotive’s nickname of "Rotary Cannonball".
The Resurrection of Minneapolis & St Louis 457 display board.
Railroads of Mason City display board.
Railroad Development in Mason City Steam Era 1869-1955 display board.
Steam railroading history in Mason City display board.
Iowa Railroad History display board.
East Park History display board.
Railroading in Iowa display board.
Orphan Train Riders display board.
Orphan Train Children display board. We drove over to the location where the Minneapolis and St. Louis station should have been but it had been torn down, so went to the last station in this city.
Chicago Great Western Mason City station built in 1950.
Mason City was the home of composer Meredith Wilson, most famous for "The Music Man". With Elizabeth being a musical theatre aficiando, we both wanted to tour the museum but they did not open until 1:00, so we would come back a little later.
"The Music Man" historical plaque. We made our way Clear Lake, but had to stop for locomotives of the Iowa Terminal Railroad.
Iowa Terminal Railroad type B steeplecab 51, ex. Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western 503 1954-1953, exx. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway 1940-1954, nee Northeast Oklahoma Railroad 1921-1940 built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in May 1921.
Iowa Terminal Railroad type B steeplecab 5, ex. Southern Iowa Railway, nee Iowa Southern Utilities 1923-1968, built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in May 1923.
Iowa Traction 40 snow plough, builder and year unknown.
Iowa Traction 31 maintenance-of-way equipment, builder and year unknown.
Iowa Traction flanger 32, nee Chicago, North shore and Milwaukee 239, built by Cincinnati Car Company in 1924.
Conner Lumber Company 25 ton switcher 259 built by Plymouth, year unknown.
Soo Line bay window caboose 175, nee Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific 02177 built by Thrall in 1956.
Iowa Traction box motor 33, ex. Iowa Trolley Park 2015 to present, exx. Iowa Traction 33 1987-2015, exxx. Iowa Terminal 33, 1963-1987, nee. Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee 1923-1963, built by Cincinnati Car Company in 1923.
An unidentified trolley car inside their shop buiding.
Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Clear Lake station, year of construction unknown.
San Francisco PCC car 1146, nee St. Louis 1146, built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1946. We then drove back to the Music Man Museum in Mason City and parked in the lot across the street.
A replica of the storefronts from the movie-musical.
"Of Thee I Sing" display.
A piano with a barbershop quarter.
Seventy-Six Trombones sheet music.
A grand piano and an organ.
North Iowa Band Festival drum.
Meredith Willson, the Music Man.
Meredith Willson,"Here's Love" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", two other shows he composed.
Professor Harold Hill.
State Theater Charlie Chaplin The Great Dictator.
A film showing the life of Meredith Willson.
The parlour area of Marian Paroo's house.
A close-up of the organ.
I had not realized that a very young Ron Howard, known for being in "Happy Days" and "The Andy Griffith Show" was in "The Music Man" playing Winthrop Paroo. We purchased a DVD of the film then I drove us to Bradford Pioneer Village in Nashua and asked if we could see the station; the response was "Yes".
Chicago Great Western station relocated from Fredricksburg, year of construction unknown.
Illinois Central end cupola caboose 9997 built the railroad in 1951.
Chicago Great Western motor car "Big Bill". We drove next to Planfield, but could not locate the station so I drove through Waterloo and stopped in Gilbertville.
Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern Gilbertville station built in 1912.
Signal display.
Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern track speeder.
The Gilbertville Depot display board.
The Cedar Valley Road emblem on the side of the depot.
The Cedar Valley Route map.
During our trip preparation, Elizabeth was zooming in on Google Maps and found the marker for this, the State's Largest Frying Pan, in Brandon.
Iowa's Largest Frying Pan display board. Elizabeth drove us to the Best Western Longbranch Inn, the site of the NRHS Spring Conference, and we received a room in the back tower.
One of the railroad pictures on the way down to the room.
That evening Elizabeth and I went to the AAA Cedar Rapids Kernels minor league baseball game. They are a farm team of the Minnesota Twins and were playing the Peoria Chiefs, the A-affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Kernels won 1-0 and we returned to the Inn for the night.
5/4/2024 The next morning we arose and had breakfast at the hotel then returned to our room to our Internet duties. We started with me driving and we went to Usher Village, but alas the station had been washed away by the floods of 2009. Next we went to Amana, but could not find the depot so moved on to Marengo, but the depot was on the grounds of the locked Pioneer Hertiage Museum and not photographable fro the road. We then made our way to Belle Plaine and we found more than expected.
Chicago and North Western Belle Plaine station built in 1894. The name of the new depot had been designated as Halifax by the railroad company. But the Hutton and White families, who owned land where the depot was located, were not fond of it, according to John Hutton, the son of Prestley Hutton. The families got together to decide on a name to present to the railroad and looking over the Iowa River Valley, the name came to them: Belle Plaine. The words in French mean "Beautiful Plain".
Chicago and North Western caboose 10347 built by International Car in 1955.
Historic Lincoln Highway mural on the side of the building. We proceeded to Vinton to take Elizabeth to another depot that I photographed in 2013.
Rock Island Vinton station built in 1900.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific wide-vision caboose 17023, nee Chicago Rock Island and Pacific 17823, built by International Car in 1958.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific signal display.
A sculpture depicting the first train's arrival in 1869.
"Fighting early snowstorms and frezeing tempertures, the first train arrived in Vinton on December 14, 1869".
We returned to the hotel early as Elizabeth was in charge of registration for the conference. I started working on the story but stopped to pick up our lanyards. Later, we went our to Perkins Restaurant with fellow members Jon Baake and Ron Gawedzinski, where I had a steak and Elizabeth had fish and chips, then returned to the hotel.
5/5/2024 Elizabeth and I arose and went for an early breakfast at Perkins before she organized what she needed for the morning's Advisory Council Meeting. I joined the audience and took some pictures of my beautiful wife.
Elizabeth in her position as secretary of the NRHS Advisory Council, representing the Central Coast Chapter. After a lunch break, a Chapter Best Practices roundtable was held, followed by the Board meeting. That evening, Elizabeth went for dinner with some of the convention committee members to Olive Garden and I went for dinner with Doug Scott, then we called it a night.
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