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Iowa Traction Railway
43°08′06″N 93°16′48″W / 43.135°N 93.280°W
The Iowa Traction Railway Company (reporting mark IATR), formerly the Iowa Traction Railroad Company, is a class III shortline railroad operating in the United States as a common carrier. It was originally founded in 1896 as the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway, a passenger carrier. Since 1937, Business has been exclusively freight. The company's main line connects Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa. The IATR is notable for being one of two remaining non-passenger railroads in the United States to use electric locomotives.
The 10.4 miles (16.7 km) IATR extends east–west between the Mason City Transload Center, the railroad's headquarters in Emery (southwest of Mason City) and the city of Clear Lake, where the western section of its tracks terminate immediately east of Interstate 35 (I-35). At its eastern end, the railroad interchanges within the Mason City Transload Center with the almost parallel Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to its north and with the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) at Clear Lake Junction. The railroad also interchanges with the CP within the Emery Transload Center. However, in 2020, most of the railroad's traffic traveled on only 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of track within Mason City.
The IATR can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway, which was founded in 1896. The shops were situated in Emery, the midpoint between the two namesake towns. Passenger service began on July 4, 1897.
Freight transport has been the major source of the railroad's income since its beginning and has been the only source since the charter for trolley service in Mason City expired August 30, 1936. The company replaced its passenger service with a bus service between Mason City and Clear Lake in January 1937. That service continued until September 1959.
William E. Brice, local utility magnate and a founder of the railroad, sold his interests to United Light & Railway Company in 1913. The successor of United Light & Railway was liquidated in 1950, and the railroad was sold to a utility executive at that time. The Mason City & Clear Lake Railroad (replacing Railway) was chartered as part of that transaction.
The name was changed to Iowa Terminal Railroad in December 1960 when General Motors executive and railroad enthusiast Harold C. Boyer of Detroit acquired the company. Boyer acquired the Charles City Western, a 23-mile (37 km) freight interurban operating between Charles City and a connection with the Rock Island at Marble Rock, on December 31, 1963. Plans to construct a connection between the two divisions were underway when Boyer died in May 1965 and were not pursued further.
Meanwhile, the Mason City Division continued to operate as usual. The failure of several locomotives in the early 1960s led to the company's acquisition in 1963 of three locomotives from a recently abandoned electric interurban railroad, the Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western Railway. Also in 1963, the Iowa Terminal ended service between Emery and Clear Lake, although the track remained in place.
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Iowa Traction Railway
43°08′06″N 93°16′48″W / 43.135°N 93.280°W
The Iowa Traction Railway Company (reporting mark IATR), formerly the Iowa Traction Railroad Company, is a class III shortline railroad operating in the United States as a common carrier. It was originally founded in 1896 as the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway, a passenger carrier. Since 1937, Business has been exclusively freight. The company's main line connects Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa. The IATR is notable for being one of two remaining non-passenger railroads in the United States to use electric locomotives.
The 10.4 miles (16.7 km) IATR extends east–west between the Mason City Transload Center, the railroad's headquarters in Emery (southwest of Mason City) and the city of Clear Lake, where the western section of its tracks terminate immediately east of Interstate 35 (I-35). At its eastern end, the railroad interchanges within the Mason City Transload Center with the almost parallel Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to its north and with the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) at Clear Lake Junction. The railroad also interchanges with the CP within the Emery Transload Center. However, in 2020, most of the railroad's traffic traveled on only 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of track within Mason City.
The IATR can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway, which was founded in 1896. The shops were situated in Emery, the midpoint between the two namesake towns. Passenger service began on July 4, 1897.
Freight transport has been the major source of the railroad's income since its beginning and has been the only source since the charter for trolley service in Mason City expired August 30, 1936. The company replaced its passenger service with a bus service between Mason City and Clear Lake in January 1937. That service continued until September 1959.
William E. Brice, local utility magnate and a founder of the railroad, sold his interests to United Light & Railway Company in 1913. The successor of United Light & Railway was liquidated in 1950, and the railroad was sold to a utility executive at that time. The Mason City & Clear Lake Railroad (replacing Railway) was chartered as part of that transaction.
The name was changed to Iowa Terminal Railroad in December 1960 when General Motors executive and railroad enthusiast Harold C. Boyer of Detroit acquired the company. Boyer acquired the Charles City Western, a 23-mile (37 km) freight interurban operating between Charles City and a connection with the Rock Island at Marble Rock, on December 31, 1963. Plans to construct a connection between the two divisions were underway when Boyer died in May 1965 and were not pursued further.
Meanwhile, the Mason City Division continued to operate as usual. The failure of several locomotives in the early 1960s led to the company's acquisition in 1963 of three locomotives from a recently abandoned electric interurban railroad, the Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western Railway. Also in 1963, the Iowa Terminal ended service between Emery and Clear Lake, although the track remained in place.