M&StL AFE's

M&StL

M&StL AFEs

This is a sample of the material contained in the AFEs

Montezuma branch and other abandonments

The following information is taken from M&StL AFE 36-R-480 entitled "Retire Montezuma Branch:

13.638 miles main track and .778 miles of side tracks as follows: ICC #2 - 997', #3-552', #4-184', #5-1263', #6-711' and #7-400' and shelter shed and telephone booth at G&M Jct., Iowa." Petitions Nos. 614 and 670 to the bankrupty court were found in the file. No. 670 relates to the Montezuma branch only while 614 relates to the abandonment of the branches listed in the table below.

Also in this file was a copy of Finance Docket No. 10908 Before the Interstate Commerce Commission entitled "APPLICANT'S RETURN TO QUESTIONAIRE" relating to the Montezuma branch only. This latter appears to be a set of standard questions the railroad must answer concerning:

(1) when, by whom and for what purpose the line was built;
(2) history of past or existing receivership;
(3) investment costs;
(4) list of aid, gift, grant or donation used in construction;
(5) amount and description of any bonds, notes or other indebtedness;
(6) applicant's general balance sheet;
(7) applicant's income account for preceeding five years;
(8) gross and net revenues and income for segment to be abandoned;
(9) statement of effect of continued operation on gross and net revenues and income;
(10) names of villages and towns affected, populations, service by other railroads;
(11) population of territory tributary to line in question;
(12) distances from other railroads;
(13) names of other railroads;
(14) tonnage handled on line in question;
(15) names of industries in territory tributary to line;
(16) passenger traffic handled on line;
(17) reason for decline in volume of traffic in recent years;
(18) effort to dispose of line so as to insure continued operation;
(19) opinion of counsel that the proposed abandonment is within the charter powers of the applicant;
(20) all reasons relied upon to support application; and finally
(21) original map.

The following table is created from information contained in paragraph format in Petition No. 614:
(1)
Angus to Kalo Junction
Miles.........................44.0
Cost of reproduction.......792,000
Material to be recovered....48,000
Cost of recovery............17,600
Net value...................30,400
Number of curves..............33
Maximum curvature...........6 deg
Total angle of curvature.....762
Ruling grades................1 %
Pile trestles................25
Other bridges.................1
Maintenance expense.........20,000
Train Operation expense......7,745
Station payrolls.............3,525
Station supplies & exp.........134
Ogden interlocking plant.......720
Taxes for 1934...............3,460
Est. cost bridge repair*....47,800
Earnings frt & pass 1934....57,178

(2)
Spencer to Storm Lake
Miles.........................36.9
Cost of reproduction.....1,107,000
Material to be recovered....79,000
Cost of recovery............15,000
Net value...................64,000
Total angle of curvature.....460
Pile trestles................25
Other bridges................10
Maintenance expense.........23,600
Train Operation expense.....23,792
Station payrolls.............5,072
Station supplies & exp.........249
Taxes for 1934...............2,654
Est. cost bridge repair*...139,000
Earnings frt & pass 1934 119,972

(3)
Algona to Corwith
Miles.........................15.1
Cost of reproduction.......242,000
Material to be recovered....21,000
Cost of recovery.............6,000
Net value...................15,000
Ruling grades...............1 %
Maintenance expense......... 6,000
Train Operation expense.....18,738
Station payrolls.............1,852
Station supplies & exp..........81
Taxes for 1934.................847
Earnings frt & pass 1934....32,987

( 4)
Newburg to Van Cleve
Miles.........................16.1
Cost of reproduction.......193,000
Material to be recovered....15,000
Cost of recovery.............6,400
Net value....................8,600
Maintenance expense..........6,500
Train Operation expense......5.174
Station payrolls.............1,603
Station supplies & exp......... 42
Taxes for 1934...............1,283
Est. cost bridge repair......
Earnings frt & pass 1934.....8,058

(5)
G&M Jct. to Montezuma
Miles.........................13.6
Cost of reproduction.......177,000
Material to be recovered....14,000
Cost of recovery.............5,400
Net value....................8,600
Maintenance expense..........5,500
Train Operation expense......4,370
Station payrolls.............1,802
Station supplies & exp..........72
Taxes for 1934.................673
Earnings frt & pass 1934....14,722
*Estimated cost of bridge repairs for next five years.

Following is Montezuma branch traffic data in tons from ICC Finance Docket No. 10908:
Brick...........164...---....83....28....33
Cattle..........428...199...256...---....22
Cement..........493...187...184...205...239
Coal...........3500..2723..3243..1317..1549
Corn...........3297..2785..7479..5723..1021
Distillate.......--....48...116....--....54
Feed............199....65....98....56....83
Gasoline........986...906...453..1394..1055
Gravel.........7609....--....--....--....--
Hogs...........1066..1386..1149...144....--
Limestone.......891...725...116...100...349
Lumber..........495...134...116...192...206
Oats............860...123...681..1273....64
Oil, refined.....54....--...238....--....54
Pipe............669....--....--....--....--
Poles...........168...134....22....--....17
Posts............--....33....16....19....--
Potatoes.........60....33....18....--....18
Reels, cable....107....--....--....--....--
Rock, crushed....--....--....--....--..2314
Salt.............69....46....23....23....69
Sand & Gravel..1176..4102...822...857..1434
Shingles.........--....--....68....80....54
Stone, crushed...--....--..4806..1695....--
Tankage..........36....74....56....55....75
Tile...........1076...263....19....46....25
Tile, drain......--....99....16....--....35
Tractors.........63....16....--....--....--
Wheat...........100....--...188....--....--
Miscellaneous..1277...906...419...317...691
Merchandise.....798...540....75...185...160
"Abnormal tonnage, cement, sand and gravel, crushed rock and stone account paving project at Montezuma, Iowa during July 1931, and road resurfacing at Ewart, Iowa during June 1930, October 1932, and October 1934, and at Montezuma, Iowa during July 1933.
This statement also contains 669 tons of pipe consigned to Great Lakes Pipe Line Co. during September 1930, used in the construction of a pipe line."

Passenger traffic local to Montezuma branch:
............Passengers...Revenue
1930............182.......$48.25
1931............108........27.18
1932.............98........24.22
1933.............73........16.52
1934.............74........10.94

Passenger traffic originating or terminating on Montezuma branch and moving over other lines:
............Passengers...Revenue
1930...........1083......$683.56
1931............659.......419.99
1932............454.......283.44
1933............241.......144.60
1934............352.......137.82
If they could have hung on until 2001 they could fill every car every weekend all summer long.

The map from ICC item (21) is a blueprint map similar to the one on page 4 of MINNEAPOLIS & ST. LOUIS IN COLOR. Map in this AFE shows the greatest extent of M&StL, I believe. If there is interest I will see if it can be reproduced in a manner satisfactory for framing. Gene Green willibecher@juno.com

Return to AFE page