Tama and Toledo Railroad

The Tama and Toledo Railroad was a short interurban railway line in the Tama, Iowa - Toledo, Iowa area.

History

The line began on February 3, 1894. This 2 mile (3.2 km) short line provided not only electric streetcar service between these two communities it also provided Toledo residents a direct connection with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad's (CMStP&P, the Milwaukee Road) east-west mainline and the east-west mainline of the Chicago and North Western Railway (CNW). Both lines having stations in Tama with the T&T serving both stations until 1919.

From July 1894 until 1919 the system originated at the TAMA CMStP&P station and traveled north on McClellan Street (Tama) where it crossed into Toledo on what is Broadway terminating at the northeast corner of the county courthouse in Toledo at Broadway and State streets.

In 1919 the City of Tama instituted new taxes which would prove financially unfavorable to the railway to continue using the city streets as their right-of-way. For this reason a new line, mainly for freight service between the two communities, was constructed from the CMStP&P station which paralleled the Toledo and Northwestern Railroad (T&NW, a subsidiary of the Chicago and North Western) terminating near the intersection of Washington and Park Streets in Toledo approximately two blocks west of the original courthouse terminus. This line interchanged with both CMStP&P and CNW in Tama and may have interchanged with the T&NW in Toledo. The Tama right of way on McClellan street was then abandoned south of the car barn located near the intersection of what is now 13th Street and McClellan in Tama. The original 1894 line from this point north into Toledo was maintained until 1925 and the connecting line from the CMStP&P station to the CNW was also kept in service. In 1925 the remaining 1894 line was abandoned along with all passenger operations. The "new" 1919 route was de-electrified in 1926 and the freight only line remained in operation until January 31, 1953.

Equipment

• 1 and 2 - Laciede single truck, 2 Walker motored, open cars (later enclosed). Built in 1894
• 3 - Laciede single truck, 1 GE motor, enclosed passenger area. Built in 1898
• 4 - McGowan Car, double truck, express car. Built circa 1906.
• 5 - St. Louis Car Company, single truck, closed car. Built in 1908.
• 6 - Pullman, Brill trucks, 2 GE 800 motors, closed car. Built in 1898.
• 2 trailers, possible ex Chicago cable car trailers. Arrived circa 1898.
• Unknown number locomotive possibly on loan from the Crandic (Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway) and returned in 1921.
• Unknown umber - Laciede, single truck, 2 Walker motored baggage car. Built in 1894 and delivered with cars 1 and 2.
• 1 (2nd) - Whitcomb CRI-6 gasoline locomotive. Built and went into service in 1929 and retired in the late 1940s. Now on permanent static display in the Toledo City Park.
• 2 (2nd) - GE 4 wheel diesel locomotive. Built in 1944. Replaced locomotive # 1 (2nd) and went out of service on January 31, 1953, transferred to the coal plant in Marshalltown.