The Iowa 1902 railroad map shows two lines from Oskaloolsa to Winfeild one is the Iowa Central the other is a narrow gauge line called Burlington And North Western railroad. The IC line was abandond in 1920 but CNW abandond a line in this area the 1970's. Did M&stL buy the B&NW and switch lines, and if it did why?
Thanks.
The narrow gauge line was eventually changed to standard gauge and became part of the CB&Q. When the Q abandoned that line, the M&StL bought a segment of track because it was on a better alignment. I think the dates for this was in the 1930s.
Jeff
One more time, website is misbehaving
1884 Built Narrow Gage (Burlington & Western)
June 1934 Standard gaged with CB&Q money. (CB&Q had financial control from the 1920's ... all 123 miles of then B&NW converted in a single day)
December 1934 Abandoned and Parts sold to M&StL FD-10211 (202-ICC-68) plus swapped trackage rights from CRIP (Oskaloosa - Des Moines 63.4 mi)to CB&Q (Tracy - Des Moines/ 48.8 miles)
(Kept Tracy-Oscaloosa/13.85 mi and Martinsburg-Coppock/30.52 Miles, less flood prone)
Surviving M&StL Oskaloosa- Peoria Branch died in 1970 (FD-26231), 90 and 100 # jointed rail laid in the 30's and 40's, Oskaloosa = MP 302.5; Winfield= MP 372.0; Peoria = MP 488.0
per Hilton (Narrow Gage) and ICC Card index
Charles Mason and the Burlington & Northwestern
http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7783&context=annals-of-iowa
Iowa Railroad Abandonment Logs
https://www.iowadot.gov/iowarail/pdfs/current_abandonment_log.pdf
Victrola: Jan Wiley and his successors are still trying at IDOT. Unfortunately the highway bubbas still don't care about railroads until it bites them. (Similar story in Indiana) No level of government has a good handle on documenting abandonments and god forbid a millenial button-pusher gets involved. What's scary at ICC/STB is what is considered as being "significant" in their eyes.
When did the last train go there that way?
Do you hire summer college interns to search old newspapers etc. records at the State Historical Society Office. When you get your hands on original source material there are often conflicts between sources. Many states had railroad commissions. What remains of their records.
It may get worse in the future.
Acid paper from over a century ago is bad enough. When you come across digital records from say 25 years ago, where do you find a machine to read large floppy disks. If you do find a machine, will the disk material itself crumble up when inserted into the slot.
Amen, brudda.
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