https://ctr.trains.com/photo-of-the-day/2020/02/troubled-times#11
This depot is where I spent a lot of Saturdays in 1977/78. By the time this picture was taken, the agent/operator’s position had been abolished. (The picture originally appeared in the article on RI train dispatching in 1980.) The agency work transferred to Iowa City. It remained as the headquarters for the section gang, who’s section truck is pictured, and a signal maintainer.
Marengo was the last open train order office between Iowa City and Newton. East of Iowa City was CTC to West Liberty and then double track east of there. West of Newton it was CTC to Des Moines.
After the RI’s demise, the depot was vacant. It was never used by the short lived Iowa Railroad or it’s successor, the Iowa Interstate. IAIS donated it to the Marengo Fire Department to burn it down as an exercise in 1984.
Jeff