The Iowa Northern Railway
The Iowa Northern Railway was originally created from former Rock Island Railroad trackage from Cedar Rapids to Manly, Iowa. The line was purchased by a combination of grain shippers that feared losing rail access to the grain processing industries Cedar Rapids hosts. The line was operated only during grain moves in the early years. eventually a short branch from Vinton to Dysert was abandoned and the tracks removed. Year around operations started when the line picked up bridge traffic from the former CNW's orphan Waterloo line. It is not unusual to see John Deere tractors on flats or empty autoracks, even an occasional woodchip car for Transco in Oelwein. Today, some DME and IMRL grain flows on IANR trains to Cedar Rapids, especially in the fall and winter months. The line was once owned and operated by Iron Road Railways based in Washington, DC. The company previously owned the BAR and CDAC Railways of the Northeast, now sold to the Burkhart consortium. Rumors abound that the IANR is up for bid by other roads, but nothing has ever materialized. The road currently operates one train per day each way. One locomotive was once leased to the UP in Waterloo for their operations. Today UP uses its own power, usually GP-15's. However, the IANR did have nicely painted GP-20's in maroon with gold lettering. Later, the scheme was changed to add more gray, and a new emblem combining Iron Road with the Iowa state outline could be found under the cab windows. The road also once sported CDAC and BAR units. Today, the IANR is back under the Sabin Family ownership and management. The IANR currently uses 6-8 leased GP-38's from LLPX and the 2003.