Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
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Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad | |
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DM&E and IC&E combined route map as of 2002. |
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Reporting marks | ICE |
Locale | Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin |
Dates of operation | 2003 – present |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
Headquarters | Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E) (AAR reporting marks ICE) is a Class II railroad operating in the north central United States. The IC&E is jointly owned with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad by Cedar American Rail Holdings, making the combined system the largest class II railroad in the US. Created by the purchase of I&M Rail Link LLC, IC&E commenced operations on July 30, 2002. The 1,400 miles (2,253 km) line, based in Davenport, Iowa, serves the states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Principal commodities include chemicals, coal, steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. Train dispatching is performed at a joint DM&E/IC&E facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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[edit] History
The ICE was formed by the parent company to take over the operations of the I&M Rail Link (IMRL). The Illinois and northern Iowa portions of the ICE was in earlier times a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the Milwaukee Road). IC&E began operations on July 30, 2002.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a division of the Teamsters, gained a contract with the railroad on January 24, 2005. Railroad employees first organized under the labor union on December 17, 2003.[1]
[edit] Equipment
Motive power consists of mostly ex-UP SD40-2s rebuilt by General Electric and ex-SP GP40-2s rebuilt by NRE in Silvis, Illinois. Four DM&E GP38s along with several ex-IMRL engines round out the roster. The SD40-2s and GP40-2s are painted in a DM&E inspired blue and yellow scheme with the name of the railroad spelled out on the sides of the locomotive. Starting in 2005 many of the "new" engines carry names of the towns that IC&E serves, a practice utilized on the DM&E.
[edit] References
- ^ Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. "BLET gets first contract at IC&E", January 24, 2005. Retrieved on 2005-02-01.
[edit] External links
Current (operating) Class II railroads of the United States (Class I railroad, Class III railroad) |
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ARR, BPRR, CSS, DME, EJE, FEC, IAIS, ICE, IHB, ISG, LIRR, MMA, MRL, PAL, PAR, PW, TMTC, TM, WE, WSOR |
Former or fallen flag Class II railroads of the United States |
BOCT, BLE, CC, CMNW, CRN, DMIR, GWWR, IMRL, MAA, MGA, MNS, OKKT, SI, WC |