Western Railroad Discussion > An Iowa Route 20 question...

in two weeks I will be heading out to the Midwest. Part of my drive will take me along Iowa's Route 20 from Dyersville to Waterloo. Looking at a Iowa Dept of Transportation map, I saw railroad tracks running parallel to this road. Would these be active or inactive tracks since there was no designation as to what railroad these tracks belonged to? Thanks for any information

The old Illinois Central Iowa Division mainline, now Canadian National.

Does it see much traffic?

There is a small yard at Manchester where the CN(IC) branch to Cedar Rapids takes off. At Waterloo, CN(IC) has a large yard and some remaining shops where locomotives are serviced. Also in Waterloo, Iowa Northern has their shops where they maintain their 12 newly-acquired GP38-2's that run in three direction out of Waterloo. They are located on the old RI line running up from Cedar Rapids on the southern side of Waterloo right off the main Hwy. Besides Cedar Rapids (nightly), they also run up NW to Manly (daily) and NE to Oelwein (Thursday). They are very friendly and will tell you where they are running if you ask at the shops.

Peter Arnold

East of Waterloo, the CN has a pretty fair traffic base. A significant number of grain trains. You will surely find trains to chase on this stretch. As you go west, traffic drops off. From Ft. Dodge to Council Bluffs, traffic is very weak.

Regards,

Rob L.

US20 parallels the tracks, but it is usually at a distance. The two CNIC freights, M337/338 are mostly night time/early morning trains in Iowa. Local jobs run out of Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Ft Dodge. Most trains on the Iowa Div are extras, usually BNSF coal and grain trains. These run fairly frequently from East Dubuque (grain) and Sioux City (coal). The CCPRR Yahoogroup always has plenty of information on what is running.

-Justin
RapidsRail.com

CNs m338 has a 3 am call out of Waterloo East so you can get it at Dubuque about 6 am as it dus 1 - 2 hours work thare .
M337 will be aroun to most likely before 338 as for the BNSF trains mit get one mit not . Richard

And also the CN operates a branch from Cedar Falls to Albert Lea, Minnsota over the ex-IC, ex-Cedar Valley, now Cedar River, a wholly owned CN subsidiary. Schedule is usually north Monday and Thursday, south on Tuesday and Friday and both ways on Wednesday.

And also the CN operates a branch from Cedar Falls to Albert Lea, Minnsota over the ex-IC, ex-Cedar Valley, now Cedar River, a wholly owned CN subsidiary. Schedule is usually north Monday and Thursday, south on Tuesday and Friday and both ways on Wednesday.

The CN runs a L571 West out of Waterloo to Webster City and back .Out of Waterloo 7 7:30 and into town3 to 6 pm . 161.190 main 1 and 160.920 will get you all you need. on the CN On the ICE 161.370 at Dubuque and 161.100 for the BNSF at East Dubuque . Iowa Northern runs a GWG out of Green Iowa about 2pm call South to Waterloo 161.385 and thay get into Waterloo 5 to 7 pm the photo at Green Iowa Richard

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