This is a curiousity question and perhaps would be better placed over on the Trains forum but I am asking it here because I think that other model railroaders may be equally curious on this issue.
This A.M. I encountered an MSNBC story about a railway bridge washout in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which I believe has left the John Deere factory there isolated. Being a curious sort I Googled Iowa Northern Railway; apparently the Iowa Northern Railway is listed as a Class III railroad.
I know that shortlines are railroads with less than 100 miles of route trackage. Can someone enlighten me as to the definition of a Class I, Class II, Class III or any other classification of railroads or point me to where I can get this information.
I will be appreciative of your enlightenment and thank you in advance.
However, in this document the AAR doesn’t use the term “Class III” (or “Class 3”). It categorizes railroads as Class 1, Regional, Local Linehaul, and Switching & Terminal. It seems the term Class 3 is obsolete.
The John Deere ‘Tractor’ plant on the north side of the river is the one affected. The bridge should be the ex-CGW mainline. IIRC, CN(ex-/IC) can still access it.
KIM that I believe for many years the “class” status was based on tonnage hauled rather than amt of track or revenues, so that a relatively small railroad like the DM&IR was considered a “class one” given it ran many trains, most hauling a high-tonnage commodity (iron ore).
It wasn’t tonnage but revenue. “Class 1” is still defined by annual revenue of $346.8 million or greater. The lesser categories are now defined by combinations of revenue and mileage, except that Switching & Terminal roads are defined as those primarily providing those kinds of services, regardless of revenue or mileage. See the AAR document referenced in my earlier post.