Western Railroad Discussion > Illinois Central Chicago to Omaha Line

How many customers does the old IC from Chicago to Omaha generally have? How does this line compare with the CB&Q, Rock Island, MILW and C&NW? Did the IC ever consider purchasing or obtaining rights on MILW's South Dakota network of lines as a source for through traffic?

The line has six grain Shuttle Elevators plus a gypsum wallboard plant in the area around Fort Dodge, IA where the line to council Bluffs splits from the mainline to Sioux City, IA.

Northern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many customers does the old IC from Chicago to
> Omaha generally have? How does this line compare
> with the CB&Q, Rock Island, MILW and C&NW? Did
> the IC ever consider purchasing or obtaining
> rights on MILW's South Dakota network of lines as
> a source for through traffic?

To answer the last question first, probably not. In the 1980's, IC was
looking o shed routes not add them. As for comparisons to the other routes,
probably favorably. The IC hauled coal for various meat packing power plants
and did a good meat business as well as the John Deere tractor plant in
Waterloo, However, I can't totally answer the first question so I would
agree with the previous post.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

They also run grain trains to and out of Cedar Rapids via Manchester plus several ethanol plants on line.
JC

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Northern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many customers does the old IC from Chicago to
> Omaha generally have? How does this line compare
> with the CB&Q, Rock Island, MILW and C&NW? Did
> the IC ever consider purchasing or obtaining
> rights on MILW's South Dakota network of lines as
> a source for through traffic?

Hello,

I can probably help with the answer but want to be clear on what you're asking. Your question is on the Western Board which implies current topics, so are you asking about current customers on the former Q, RI, IC, etc lines? Or are you asking more of a Nostalgia & History board question about past customers, say from the 1960s & '70s before the mergers / abandonments?

Thanks,

Mark

The Ida Grove branch services a major ethanol facility at Arthur and several elevators in Ida Grove plus
an amount of inbound steel.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Ida Grove branch services a major ethanol
> facility at Arthur and several elevators in Ida
> Grove plus
> an amount of inbound steel.
>
> Out

Where does steel go on that branch?
There is only one elevator in Ida Grove, a couple along the branch.

Big fabricator in town on occasion gets loads of steel, thought there were a couple active elevators at the end
of the line.

Out

mamfahr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Northern Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How many customers does the old IC from Chicago
> to
> > Omaha generally have? How does this line
> compare
> > with the CB&Q, Rock Island, MILW and C&NW? Did
> > the IC ever consider purchasing or obtaining
> > rights on MILW's South Dakota network of lines
> as
> > a source for through traffic?
>
> Hello,
>
> I can probably help with the answer but want to be
> clear on what you're asking. Your question is on
> the Western Board which implies current topics, so
> are you asking about current customers on the
> former Q, RI, IC, etc lines? Or are you asking
> more of a Nostalgia & History board question about
> past customers, say from the 1960s & '70s before
> the mergers / abandonment?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark

Customer wise, how does the compare with the CB&Q, Rock Island, MILW and C&NW? What has made this line successful overall when other lines have been abandoned, most especially the MILW's Omaha line? Did the MILW simply not have any kind of a customer base on their line between Savanna and Bayard?

What killed the Milw. main was lack of interchange from the UP at Co.Bluffs. With the CNW gaining most of UP's interchange traffic the need for Milws line became redundent.
JC

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