Passenger Service On IC/ICG's Iowa Division To Council Bluffs/Omaha

[Los Angeles Rams Guy]

I definitely remember the"Hawkeye" passenger train on IC's Iowa Division that ran between Chicago and Sioux City but am curious as to when the IC discontinued passenger service on the segment to Council Bluffs-Omaha.  Anyone know any details of the service?

[nanaimo73]

Ray, I came across this in the December 1998 issue of RailNews-

1939
-July 17: Hawkeye Limited discontinued between Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Omaha, along with connections 711 - 712 between Cherokee, Iowa, and Sioux Falls.

I'm only guessing that was their last service to Omaha.

There is a 1937 IC timetable here-
http://www.illinoiscentral.net/1937TT.pdf

[clarkfork]

I recently acquired the book Images of Rail - Railroads of Omaha and Council Bluffs by William Kratville.  According to Mr. Tratville, the Omaha section of the Hawkeye was pulled off in 1939.

[Los Angeles Rams Guy]

WOW, that really seems unusually early for discontinuance of passenger service - even for a segment that had more than enough comp from the MILW and CNW alone at that time. 

[passengerfan]

WOW, that really seems unusually early for discontinuance of passenger service - even for a segment that had more than enough comp from the MILW and CNW alone at that time. 

And don't forget the CB&Q and CRI&P were operating Chicago - Omaha as well.

Al - in - Stockton

[fredswain]

When I was in Des Moines a month ago I picked up a book there on the history of Iowa's railroads. It's got a ton of great info and I'm pretty sure your question can be answered in it. When I get hom this evening I'll try to remember to look it up.

[Los Angeles Rams Guy]

Al,

Oh yes; I'm certainly aware of both the Rock and the "Q" in that corridor as well not to mention the CGW at that time as well.  It just seems hard to believe that the IC would have bailed so soon on passenger service on the Council Bluffs segment even with the competition that was there.  The somewhat cruelly ironic thing is that IF the CN were to put in the money on the Tara - Council Bluffs segment and bring it up to the same standards as the rest of the Iowa Division mainline right now it probably wouldn't be a bad route for today's current California Zephyr under Amtrak auspices.  You get Ft. Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and Dubuque for important stops and you could probably throw in Manchester, Dyersville, and Rockwell City as well.

Fred, will be interesting to see what you have to say about that book you got a hold of.  I used to go to the library in my hometown of Edgewood, IA. and get the "Palimpsest" book series on Iowa's RR's.    

[timz]

It just seems hard to believe that ...

June 1939 Guide shows the Hawkeye running Chicago-Omaha, overnight each way in about 14 hours.

April 1940 Guide shows just a mixed between Fort Dodge and Council Bluffs-- nothing to Omaha.

June 1941 -- freight only Ft Dodge-Council Bluffs.

[fredswain]

I forgot all about this thread. There is an entire chapter on the IC in Iowa. I need to go read through it to see if I can answer the original question. There is a picture of the Hawkeye from Sioux City to Chicago that was taken in April 1954 though.

[KCSfan]

WOW, that really seems unusually early for discontinuance of passenger service - even for a segment that had more than enough comp from the MILW and CNW alone at that time. 

Chicago - Omaha was one of those routes that simply had too many roads (CNW, Milw, CB&Q, RI and IC) competing for a share of the finite sized market. Overnight travelers, particularly business travelers, between the two cities would most likely take one of the faster trains of the other roads rather than ride the IC's slower Hawkeye. This resulted in most of the Hawkeye's passengers being those traveling between its numerous intermediate stops or those going between one of these stops and either Chicago or Omaha. Even as early as 1939 it just didn't carry enough passengers west of Ft. Dodge to justify its continued operation on to Omaha. 

Mark