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Although not a Wisconsin system, as one of the two last electric freight railways in America, the Iowa Traction
Railway (IATR) merits special consideration by all traction fans. It is the oldest and by far the busiest.
While the East Troy Electric Railroad handles a couple of carloads a year, Iowa Traction handles several
carloads every day.
A more detailed history of the line and roster can be found at our Yahoo Group (twerhsgroup).
Iowa Traction began operation as the Mason City & Clear Lake Traction Co. The inaugural run was made on
July 3, 1897 and it opened to the public July 4th.
The line was built to connect Mason City with the resort town of Clear Lake, about ten miles to the west. The
shops were built at Emery, near the middle of the line.
The franchise to operate in the streets of Mason City expired Aug. 30, 1936 and the dwindling passenger service
was discontinued. However, there was enough business to keep the freight operation going.
July 1, 1961 the line was sold to Michigan investors and renamed, Iowa Terminal. During the 1960's and
1970's there were attempts to make the line profitable. But the 1980's brought a downturn in profits.
Following years of ups and downs, on April 13, 1987 a group of local investors headed by David Johnson
purchased the line. The name was changed to Iowa Traction (IATR), which underscored their plan to remain an
electric line.
They upgraded much of the line, repaired the equipment as needed and found new business. Today, rather
than being just another memory, the IATR is alive and well. It interchanges over 1,300 carloads a year with CP
Rail, UP and I&MRL.
The fleet of old, but well maintained Baldwin locos are adequate for the job and are fascinating to watch as they
run back and forth with strings of hoppers and other freight cars.
There is additional, unused trackage around Mason City that once connected with other railroads. Various
abandonments and mergers made this trackage unnecessary, but it still remains intact.
Traction fans will find the operation most interesting. Although there is some new development along the line,
there are long stretches of open fields, where you can easily time warp back to the 1950's or 1960's. Because most
of the line runs alongside the road, there is no trouble taking photos or videos.
IATR personnel is generally co-operative with fans. But, remember, IATR is a not a museum. It is a working
railroad. Be courteous. Respect the equipment and observe safety precautions.
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Although dwarfed by modern hoppers, No.54, a classic
Baldwin steeplecab and its brothers have enough power to pull
a string of cars.
Limited to four or five full cars on a slight grade, they can
easily handle more on level track.
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Ex-CNS&M 727 rolls along the mainline on an annual
excursion for the Iowa Chapter NRHS.
Now owned by IATR, the 727 is undergoing restoration and
only operates for special occasions.
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Museums may close down for the winter, but a railroad must
continue operation despite cold and snow. Loco 50 glides
through a couple of inches of snow. If it gets too deep, IATR
has some rather adequate plows. Photo courtesy of Tom Sharratt
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