Home
Profile
Search For Bridge
Logout
Manage RR Stories
Update RR Story
Update Railroad Story
Story Name
Railroad
Current Railroad
Valuation Section(s)
Subdivision(s)
State
South/West Terminal
North/East Terminal
Description
Text
HTML5
<p>In 1884, the Chicago, Iowa and Dakota Railway (CI&D) constructed a short 26 mile branch line, extending from an existing Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) secondary line at Eldora Junction, Iowa to Alden, Iowa. The C&ID was mainly constructed to provide Iowa Falls, Iowa access to the C&NW system; and to access quarries at Alden and some coal industry at Eldora, Iowa. The CI&D may have intended to extend further north and west, the line was never extended past Alden. In 1903, the C&ID was purchased by the C&NW. In the early 20th Century, the line was known as the "Slippery Elm", and operated two trains per day. By the early 20th Century, the C&NW had developed into a significant midwest railroad network, with lines radiating north and west from Chicago. In particular, the C&NW developed dozens of secondary and branch lines in Iowa to serve agricultural industries and small towns. </p><p>This line served exclusively as a short branch line, connecting the C&NW to a modest sized Iowa Falls. By the late 1930s, the automobile had become the preferred mode of transportation, and this line lost significance. Despite this, the C&NW continued to operate the short branch line to serve industries. After the C&NW purchased the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (M&StL) in 1960, a new connection was made at Eldora. In response, the line between Eldora Junction and Eldora was abandoned in 1976. In 1981, the C&NW purchased the St. Paul to Kansas City "Spine Line" from the bankrupt Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island). This line provided the Alden Branch with a better connection, and the segment between Eldora and Iowa Falls was abandoned in 1985. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Today, UP operates the Iowa Falls to Alden section of this line as the Alden Industrial Lead, while the remainder of the line has been abandoned.</p>
Update Story