Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
Encyclopedia
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad
operating in the US
state of Iowa
.
service between Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, and Iowa City, Iowa
. In 1914, a line extending to Lisbon, Iowa
, was completed but was abandoned in 1928. In 1939, the Crandic purchased six high-speed light weight interurban cars (Red Devils) from the recently abandoned Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
interurban
, leading to the popular saying "Swing and Sway the Crandic Way", referring to the motion caused by high-speed running on the Crandic's uneven track. In 1953, the railroad ran its last passenger train, a charter by railfan
s.
While freight was important to the Crandic in the early years, it was better known for its passenger interurban operations. After passenger operations were discontinued in 1953, freight became the primary source of traffic for the Crandic. At the same time, the electric-powered locomotives were replaced with diesel-electric models. The customer base in Cedar Rapids continued to expand with the population in the area. In 1980, with the demise of the Milwaukee Road, Crandic purchased the Cedar Rapids to Homestead, Iowa
, portion of the Milwaukee. Also in that year, an Iowa City to Hills, Iowa
portion of the former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
was acquired by the Crandic. In 1996, a large locomotive and car shop was built in the southwest side of Cedar Rapids as a replacement for the original Rockford Road facility.
In late 2004, the Crandic chose to concentrate on its major focus, switching customers along its rail lines. A daily road freight between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City previously operated by the Crandic was turned over to the Iowa Interstate Railroad
in August 2004. In 2005, Railway Age
magazine named the Crandic its Short Line Railroad of the Year
. Also in 2005, Crandic opened its third shop complex. The newest shops are located on the site of the original Crandic shops. The previous shops complex was sold to Archer Daniels Midland
(ADM) for use as a railcar cleaning and repair shop for ADM's large fleet of rolling stock
.
The Crandic currently operates 60 miles (96.6 km) of main line and 40+ miles of yard trackage in four east central Iowa counties. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway employs 90 individuals. 90,000 car loads of traffic are handled each year on the Crandic. The largest customers include Alliant Energy, Archer Daniels Midland
, Cargill
, Weyerhaeuser's
Cedar River Paper, and Penford Products.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
operating in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
History
The Crandic began operations in 1904, providing interurbanInterurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
service between Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, and Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. In 1914, a line extending to Lisbon, Iowa
Lisbon, Iowa
Lisbon is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, adjacent to the city of Mount Vernon. The population was 2,152 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lisbon is located at ....
, was completed but was abandoned in 1928. In 1939, the Crandic purchased six high-speed light weight interurban cars (Red Devils) from the recently abandoned Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad was a short-lived electric interurban railway that operated in 1930-1939 Depression-era Ohio between Cincinnati, Springfield, Columbus, and Toledo...
interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
, leading to the popular saying "Swing and Sway the Crandic Way", referring to the motion caused by high-speed running on the Crandic's uneven track. In 1953, the railroad ran its last passenger train, a charter by railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s.
While freight was important to the Crandic in the early years, it was better known for its passenger interurban operations. After passenger operations were discontinued in 1953, freight became the primary source of traffic for the Crandic. At the same time, the electric-powered locomotives were replaced with diesel-electric models. The customer base in Cedar Rapids continued to expand with the population in the area. In 1980, with the demise of the Milwaukee Road, Crandic purchased the Cedar Rapids to Homestead, Iowa
Homestead, Iowa
Homestead is an unincorporated community in Iowa County, Iowa, United States. It has the ZIP code 52236.Homestead is a census-designated place with the population recorded as 148 in the 2010 census....
, portion of the Milwaukee. Also in that year, an Iowa City to Hills, Iowa
Hills, Iowa
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 679 at the 2000 census...
portion of the former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
was acquired by the Crandic. In 1996, a large locomotive and car shop was built in the southwest side of Cedar Rapids as a replacement for the original Rockford Road facility.
In late 2004, the Crandic chose to concentrate on its major focus, switching customers along its rail lines. A daily road freight between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City previously operated by the Crandic was turned over to the Iowa Interstate Railroad
Iowa Interstate Railroad
The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in the central United States. The railroad is owned by Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...
in August 2004. In 2005, Railway Age
Railway Age
Railway Age is an American trade journal for the rail transport industry. It was founded in 1856 in Chicago and is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. The magazine's original title was the Western Railroad Gazette, and was renamed the Railroad Gazette in 1870...
magazine named the Crandic its Short Line Railroad of the Year
Short Line Railroad of the Year
The Short Line Railroad of the Year is an annual award presented to North American short line railroads by rail transport industry publication Railway Age.Past recipients of this award are:* 1992 - RailTex...
. Also in 2005, Crandic opened its third shop complex. The newest shops are located on the site of the original Crandic shops. The previous shops complex was sold to Archer Daniels Midland
Archer Daniels Midland
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.ADM was named the...
(ADM) for use as a railcar cleaning and repair shop for ADM's large fleet of rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
.
The Crandic currently operates 60 miles (96.6 km) of main line and 40+ miles of yard trackage in four east central Iowa counties. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway employs 90 individuals. 90,000 car loads of traffic are handled each year on the Crandic. The largest customers include Alliant Energy, Archer Daniels Midland
Archer Daniels Midland
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.ADM was named the...
, Cargill
Cargill
Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, multinational corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the United States in terms of revenue. If it were a public company, it would rank, as of 2011, number 13 on the Fortune 500,...
, Weyerhaeuser's
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
Cedar River Paper, and Penford Products.