My son-in-law and I have been discussing (indirectly via my daughter) the ownership of the various rail lines in and around Des Moines, IA, in particular the branch line that runs through Clive up to Grimes. He says that according to the 2016 Iowa DOT map, NS owns the line but it's serviced by IAIS. According to my DeLORME Atlas, it's IAIS's line. Another source he found says UP owns it. I know that NS has trackage rights into Des Moines via the BNSF line coming in from the SE, but I wasn't sure why. Can any of my Trains friends shed some light on this?
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
Don't know who actually owns what, however, NS via it's predecessor N&W which acquired the Wabash did go to Des Moines as well as Omaha and Kansas City.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Fascinating that the map shows as many actual railroad-company connections at Ottumwa as at Des Moines. Equally fascinating that it shows no railroad connections at all at Streator, and no crossing at our favorite cam site Rochelle...
Here is the site to figure out who owns what ..
http://web.assess.co.polk.ia.us/cgi-bin/web/maps/bigmap?lon=1620000&lat=607000&zoomto=32+mi
Once you select a parcel, click 'Get Listing' and you can see the owner.
OvermodFascinating that the map shows as many actual railroad-company connections at Ottumwa as at Des Moines. Equally fascinating that it shows no railroad connections at all at Streator, and no crossing at our favorite cam site Rochelle...
Remember the map was produced for the Wabash and highlights the stations and locations that the Wabash served and/or connected to. I am certain to get the Wabash station names on the map in a readable condition certain other lines that didn't directly affect the Wabash were kept off the map.
BaltACD I am certain to get the Wabash station names on the map in a readable condition certain other lines that didn't directly affect the Wabash were kept off the map.
I had thought it was purposeful competition to keep an adversary or disliked rival off there. You know Streator was an unlikely terminus for a branch line drawn as a main...
BaltACDRemember the map was produced for the Wabash and highlights the stations and locations that the Wabash served and/or connected to. I am certain to get the Wabash station names on the map in a readable condition certain other lines that didn't directly affect the Wabash were kept off the map.
Look at any Official Guide map from back in the day and you'll see similar phenomenon. The maps were of the railroad in question, not of the ilk you find in the SPV atlases, etc.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
The BNSF line to Des Moines is cobbled together from former BN (CB&Q) and N&W (Wabash) parallel branch lines. A 1963 CB&Q ETT shows Albia to Tracy as Wabash. I can't find my 1970s era BN ETT, but recall that by then there was another segment "governed by the rules and TT of the N&W." I think due to the building of the Red Rock Reservoir. By the 1970s both were using the same line, each running their own train. When the NS or N&W abandoned Albia to Moberly, they stopped using their own crews into Des Moines. NS business was then handled in BN/BNSF trains under haulage rights.
The NS still maintains a presence in Des Moines. This is through what was the Des Moines Union Ry, which they were a part owner, eventually owning it all. (MILW had the other part.) I believe they do the switching for both themselves and BNSF. (NS occasionally hires for Des Moines. Last I knew, it was a separate seniority district apart from the rest of NS. Just covered the Des Moines yard.) Through the DMU, NS wound up with the line (exMILW) to Grimes. I'm not sure now who actually owns it, but IAIS has ended up with serving all the former DMU (much of which was MILW before they left in 1980) west of the Des Moines River.
The same with the UP's exRI across Des Moines/West Des Moines. UP still owns it and sends switch jobs out to Waukee (exM&Stl line west of WDM) and the industrial lead that branches off south of downtown. Over the years, maintenance and dispatching have been turned over to IAIS west of 18th Street. It's all yard limits, but UP jobs needing to go west of 18th need IAIS track bulletins. Permission to use the IAIS is relayed by the UP yardmaster. Usually something like this: "Good on the Interstate until (time)"
Jeff
Also, maps published by railroads usually showed straight lines or almost straight lines between locations. I was amazed when I first saw an Illinois Central timetable map--it could not show every curve, but it did give a more realistic view of the railroad than any other that I had seen.
Johnny
rdamon Here is the site to figure out who owns what .. http://web.assess.co.polk.ia.us/cgi-bin/web/maps/bigmap?lon=1620000&lat=607000&zoomto=32+mi Once you select a parcel, click 'Get Listing' and you can see the owner.
NS basically has an operating switching island working inside Des Moines with their own people and equipment, and gets into town over BNSF (CB&Q) from the south. N&W, when it acquired WAB, found out that WAB had some pretty poor records at the end as WAB had cut corners and pitched documents that it really shouldn't have. Only small pieces of the original WAB and Hubbell (DMU, DMT and industrial leads) lines survive. Kinda funky from my experience south and east of downtown...Not helping matters is all the MILW, CRIP and CNW R/W that has been chopped-up in there by locals.
Assume by the "Grimes Line" we are talking the ill-fated Des Moines, Adel and Western RR (ng) branch that split off at Clive
DeggestyAlso, maps published by railroads usually showed straight lines or almost straight lines between locations. I was amazed when I first saw an Illinois Central timetable map--it could not show every curve, but it did give a more realistic view of the railroad than any other that I had seen.
Go to Google Earth - find a rail line of your choice and follow it - it is far from a straight line in most cases.
mudchicken Assume by the "Grimes Line" we are talking the ill-fated Des Moines, Adel and Western RR (ng) branch that split off at Clive
That would be correct. Built and operated by local interests with Gould (Wabash) backing under a couple of more railroad names. Ultimately winding up as part of the Milwaukee Road.
Thanks guys, I knew you'd have the answers!
Thinking about Des Moines, at least what now comprises the trackage UP has. All their trackage came via the CNW, but very little of the original CNW is still used. Most is exRI. Besides the exCNW and RI trackage, original* owners include Ft Dodge Des Moines and Southern and Des Moines and Central Iowa. Both former interurbans. M&StL and CGW round out the list. It's amazing to see old pictures and films of what once was, so much is gone.
As for the people working there, all now were hired by either the CNW or UP. All people who originally hired out on the other roads are all gone now.
*Owners in the "modern" sense that non-local people would recognize. Not necessarily the original builders way back.
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