Central Iowa Railway
Encyclopedia
Central Iowa Railway was a 63-mile freight railroad that operated during 1974 from Hills, Iowa
to Montezuma, Iowa
.
. The Central Iowa operated in Amish
-settled country and had one locomotive: a 600-horsepower EMD SW1
that formerly had been owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad
. The railroad's founders gave the blue and black SW1 locomotive the unusual unit number of J33-3 after verse 33:3 in the Book of Jeremiah
in the Bible
, which says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
The Central Iowa Railway was headquartered at 425 B Avenue in Kalona, Iowa
, and its president was Harlan A. Stubbs (1909-2003). Extending south and west from Hills
, the railroad's freight stations were in the towns of Hills
, Riverside
, Kalona
, Wellman
, Kinross
, South English
, Webster
, Keswick
, Thornburg
, Gibson
, Barnes City
and finally, Montezuma
.
The Central Iowa Railway was short-lived; it couldn't cover its costs and suspended operations in October 1974.
The Central Iowa Railway is not to be confused with the Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway, which now is part of the Union Pacific Railroad
, or with the Central Railroad of Iowa, which operated in Iowa in the 1800s.
, changed hands in 1980, when the trustees of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
sold the Rock Island's 7-mile line between Hills and Iowa City
to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
. The CRANDIC
operates that Hills-Iowa City line to the present day.
Hills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...
to Montezuma, Iowa
Montezuma, Iowa
Montezuma is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,440 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Poweshiek County.-Geography:Montezuma's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.584737, -92.525258...
.
History
On February 22, 1974, the Central Iowa Railway took over operations of a 63.41-mile branch line that its owners had purchased from the line's former owner, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
. The Central Iowa operated in Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
-settled country and had one locomotive: a 600-horsepower EMD SW1
EMD SW1
The EMD SW1 was a diesel-electric switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1938 and November 1953. Final assembly was at EMD's plant at La Grange, Illinois. The SW1 was the second generation of 600 hp switcher from EMD, succeeding the SW and SC...
that formerly had been owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
. The railroad's founders gave the blue and black SW1 locomotive the unusual unit number of J33-3 after verse 33:3 in the Book of Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, which says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
The Central Iowa Railway was headquartered at 425 B Avenue in Kalona, Iowa
Kalona, Iowa
Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,293 at the 2000 census. Kalona is the second largest city in Washington County.-History:...
, and its president was Harlan A. Stubbs (1909-2003). Extending south and west from Hills
Hills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...
, the railroad's freight stations were in the towns of Hills
Hills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...
, Riverside
Riverside, Iowa
Riverside is a city in rural Washington County, Iowa, United States, along the English River on Iowa Highway 22. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 928 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Highland Community School District.Riverside proclaimed...
, Kalona
Kalona, Iowa
Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,293 at the 2000 census. Kalona is the second largest city in Washington County.-History:...
, Wellman
Wellman, Iowa
Wellman is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,393 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Kinross
Kinross, Iowa
Kinross is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 80 at the 2000 census. The community is named after a place in Scotland...
, South English
South English, Iowa
South English is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census. It is named for the English River.-Geography:South English is located at ....
, Webster
Webster, Iowa
Webster is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 110 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Webster is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Keswick
Keswick, Iowa
Keswick is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 295 at the 2000 census.-History:The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway built a 66-mile branch to What Cheer via Keswick in 1879 The town is named for Keswick, England, the home town of a local woman who had...
, Thornburg
Thornburg, Iowa
Thornburg is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 84 at the 2000 census.-History:The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway built a 66-mile branch to What Cheer via Thornburg in 1879 The town was founded by the railroad and named in memory of Major Thomas T....
, Gibson
Gibson, Iowa
Gibson is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 92 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gibson is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Barnes City
Barnes City, Iowa
Barnes City is a city in Mahaska and Poweshiek Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 201 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Barnes City is located at ....
and finally, Montezuma
Montezuma, Iowa
Montezuma is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,440 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Poweshiek County.-Geography:Montezuma's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.584737, -92.525258...
.
The Central Iowa Railway was short-lived; it couldn't cover its costs and suspended operations in October 1974.
The Central Iowa Railway is not to be confused with the Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway, which now is part of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, or with the Central Railroad of Iowa, which operated in Iowa in the 1800s.
Abandonment
The federal government formally approved abandonment of the Central Iowa Railway's entire 63.4-mile line between Hills and Montezuma on May 4, 1978. The tracks were later removed. A small section of track just south of Hills, Iowa remained in place until it was removed in June 1992, however.Today
The Central Iowa Railway's line never was brought back into service, and its right-of-way largely reverted to adjacent farms. However, the Central Iowa's connection to the outside world, at HillsHills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...
, changed hands in 1980, when the trustees of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
sold the Rock Island's 7-mile line between Hills and Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...
. The CRANDIC
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...
operates that Hills-Iowa City line to the present day.