IATR, one of five finalists, has been a subsidiary of Lakeville, Minn.-based Progressive Rail Inc. since 2012. This unique carrier, only 10.4 miles long, is the last functional interurban freight railroad in North America. It was founded in 1896 as the Mason City & Clear Lake Railway, a passenger carrier. Business has been exclusively freight since 1936, when its trolley service charter in Mason City, Iowa, expired Aug. 30 that year.
IATR’s electric locomotives, Baldwin/Westinghouse steeple-cabs 50 and 54, acquired in 1963 from defunct interurban Kansas City, Kaw Valley & Western Railway, continue to serve their original purpose: moving freight. Both these units are more than 100 years old, and while not restored, are repaired and maintained “in a manner consistent with their original construction.” That’s kind of like using a 1928 Ford Model A equipped with its original power train as a daily driver—no “resto-mod” here! Configuration and maintenance of the overhead electric traction power system “is contemporary with the era of the rolling stock.”
Interchanging with Union Pacific and CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City), this “functional example of century-old technology” continues to “effectively and efficiently serve the needs of 21st century customers and shippers.” Operating adjacent to public roads and through many locations visible to the public, IATR “provides an education in early 20th century electric railroading, providing many lessons to current generations.”
In that respect, IATR is truly an example of living history.
We look forward to the 2024 award. Stayed tuned for details.
