The Last Interurban: In a scene unique to the Iowa Traction Railway, the setting sun highlights the maze of poles and overhead trolley wire in the Emery yard, as IATR 54, the railroads newe... (more)

A 100-year-old Steeplecab, IATR 50, still earning its keep on the Iowa Traction Railroad in Iowa. The railroad was quite busy on this cool June morning. Not heaven, but close.

Ancient Colors
Number 51 is waiting for the days work at Emery, IA along highway 106 west of Mason City, Iowa on a pleasant July morning.

Isn't too hard to find the Iowa Traction lines, just follow the pole line! This Monday morning finds 2 jobs out at Emery doing a push-pull operation to get cars spotted at the local gas customer. ... (more)

One thing that is kind of cool about the Iowa Traction is how the operator must change the trolley pole for the direction of travel. So the operator does alot of moving around from end to end as h... (more)

Emery is where the Iowa Traction is based with a yard and a few customers. Alot of operations happen more in Mason City around the AGP plant, so I was happy to get some rare mileage for me. The IA... (more)

Engineer John Richards takes Iowa Traction trolley 727 east from Emery with a Steve Glischinski railfan special. The passengers are members of the railfan group who are riding to Mason City while ... (more)

IATR 50 has a short freight train on the main line, and CNS&M 727 has just left the carbarn at Emery (IATR owner Dave Johnson is at the controls). The Iowa Traction is the last operating interurb... (more)

The headquarters of the IATR is in Emery, where No. 54 is seen with a short freight consist during a photo charter in October 2010. IATR 54 is a 50-ton steeplecab built by Baldwin-Westinghouse ... (more)

If it's summer in Iowa, there must be thunderstorms! A spectacular thunderhead nearly covers the horizon to the east of Mason City, while IATR #60 stands ready for the next day's chores at the ya... (more)

Iowa Traction No. 50 is dwarfed by the ICE gondola it is coupled to at Emery.

Iowa Traction No. 50, a steeplecab electric built in 1920, rolls downgrade towards Clear Lake after finishing its work at AGP.

The motorman changes the poles on IATR No. 50 while switching cars at Butler Siding near Clear Lake Junction.

Iowa Traction 54 with a short 8 car train near Clear Lake Junction. No. 54 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in May 1923 as Southern Iowa Railway 400. When that road took down its wires in 1967,... (more)