I am starting a new layout and need to do some research about railroads operating in Eastern Iowa in from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. As I live in Michian and am new to attempting to create a somewat realistic layout, I am not sure where to go for research aids. I am interested in the Belle Plain, Vinton, Cedar Rapids portion area of Iowa. Any suggestion?
When you cite Vinton, Iowa, which was served only by the Rock Island, it suggests that your search should begin with that line. Some of the larger book distributors, such as Ron’s Books, have searchable web sites that would help.
A good color source showing most all of the lines through eastern Iowa (including the Rock Island) is Trackside Around Granger Country 1952-1955 With Rich Wilson by Jim Boyd (Morning Sun Books). The book includes a photo series on a derailment in Muscatine in 1952 which provides some great information on the mix of rolling stock at that time… and the majority of the men in the crowd watching the recovery were wearing hats.
Also from Morning Sun Books and relating to this area are: Trackside Milwaukee Road East With Jim Boyd and Chicago Great Western In Color by Lloyd E. Stagner. There is also a fair amount of coverage of the Milwaukee in that part of the country in Milwaukee Rails by Robert P. Olmstead, although that one is all black & white photography.
Bill
The CNW Historical Society would probably be of help, especially regarding Belle Plaine and Cedar Rapids. CR would be an interesting choice. At that time it was a rail hub: CNW, IC, MILW, RI, CRANDIC, WCF&N all serving the many industries ranging from Quaker Oats to Wilson meat packing with several heavy equipment manufactures as well.
There are some Yahoo groups that may be of help too: CNW, CRANDIC, Ames Railfans, Cedar Rapids area Railfans.
Also:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locThumbs.aspx?id=33450&Page=1
If the link doesn’t work, go to RRPictureArchives.net and search “by location.”
I’m trying to work-out a trackplan very loosely based on the “4th St. Corridor” which runs through downtown Cedar Rapids from the ex-Rock Island “North Yard” past Quaker Oats and down to a Cargill facility. My era is '87-'93, when I was wasting a lot of my time railfanning the CNW, CCP and CRANDIC.
Good luck to you, and feel free to post updates as your research continues and the layout evolves!
Chris
Here’s a few pics from Cedar Rapids to give you an idea of what used to be…
Both photos by me. Below, a scan of a 1970s era postcard I have.
Interesting that you are from Michigan, but are planning a layout based on my hometown. Do you have a Cedar Rapids connection somewhere in the past?
Anyway. As was stated in a previous post CR was a rail hub with the three major roads being the Milwaukee Roiad, the Rock Island and the C&NW. And I can give you an idea of the general geography. The Milwaukee Road did not actually run through CR. Rather it’s main line ran east/west across the northern boundary of the city, through the adjoining town of Marion. The UP/MILW “City” streamliners ran this route daily. The Milwaukee then had a spur that ran down into CR to connect to the CRIP lines that ran through the center of town.
The Rock Island line that ran through town was not the main east/west line through Iowa. The CRIP east/west main ran through Iowa City, to the south. The line that ran through CR was an offshoot of the main known as the “P-Vine”, it ran up through the city to north central Iowa all the way to the Minnesota border. In CR there was a major yard and locomotive service facility, including an old roundhouse. It had seen better days even in the 60’s and 70’s when I lived there. Here is link to the map of Rock Island lines track in Iowa.
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/msc/ToMsC800/MsC782/fullCRIPcollection.html
The C&NW, like the Milwaukee Road, did not actually run through the city. It’s double track main ran across the southern edge of the city, as it is today as the main Chicago/Omaha route of the Union Pacific. A secondary line ran up from the main line. It ran through the center of town on shared track with the CRIP and then took a sharp left turn at the Quaker Oats facility. There it crossed the Cedar River and ran back south to the C&NW main.
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Thank you for the information and it will be of great help as my research continues.
Yes, I do have an Iowa conntection. My wife grew up on a farm in Garrison and graduated from the University of Iowa. Her Grandfater was an railroader and engineered out of Belle Plain. She does not remember which line he worked for, just that the locomotiver were big, black and loud.