Marshalltown, Iowa

Marshalltown

Marshalltown yard, shops and station looking west.
Postcard fron Lyndon Groth Collection

Photo from Dennis Holmes Collection

1968 - Jim Sands Photo
Back in the 60s and 70s I could roam around the yards most any where I wanted . Sure cant do that today. Here they were putting in some new tracks and it looked as though they were doing narrow gage tracks. Jim
Click here to see more of Jim's excellent Marshalltown photos.
Jim has photos of many interesting pieces of rolling stock, structures and events from the 1960s and 70s in Marshalltown.

Photo by Steve Pagel

R.I.P. The depot pictured above was destroyed by fire in October 2001 shortly before scheduled razing by the UP.

Click here to see some nice photos of the Marshalltown yard taken by Steve Pagel.

M&STL in Marshalltown 1949 - A history of the line in Marshalltown
Thanks to Dennis Holmes for making this available through the M&StL Yahoo! Group

Click map to see a larger version.

Old Iowa Central shop building south of engine shops built in 1908. Jim Sands Photo

Click here to see more of Jim's Marshalltown photos
including an interior shot of this building (page 5).
The building is shown in the map above as M&StL Car Shop.

On one trip to Marshalltown I was able to catch the UP executive train. It was the only time I ever entered the Marshalltown depot. I have shots that I pulled off VHS video tape of the whole train.

Marshalltown Times-Republican March 23, 1923 Page 8

"Railroad Balks at Cost of Crossing"

M&StL Engineer Says Underground way is too costly. Seeks Delay of West Main Street Work Estimates Cost of Structure Alone on Timber Supports to Be $8,000 Traffic Committee of Chamber of Commerce to Continue Effort For Improvement "The first attempt of the M.& St.L. railroad to sidetrack the proposed improvement and safety precaution-that of an underground crossing in West Main street-which has been urged by the traffic committee of the Chamber of Commerce and by the city council, is made in a letter received from R. G. Kenly, chief engineer for the railroad company. Mr. Kenly writes that due to the flat angle at which the highway crosses the railroad tracks in order to make a twenty-four- foot clearing under the bridge supports, plate girders fifty feet long would be required and this would make a bridge too expensive to be considered at this time. (Unable to read.) that the railroad has not been able to get in touch with the county board of supervisors, and Mr. Kelly (sic) asks that the improvement be postponed until conditions are more favorable.

Will Not Drop Action According to J. C. Peart, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the traffic committee of the chamber will not drop the matter, because members know that in all cases of improvements such as the one asked at the Main street crossing, railroad companies make efforts to delay as long as possible. The estimated cost of the bridge alone, if timber supports are used is $8,000 according to the railroad's engineer. The traffic committee will ascertain if the state law requires a twenty-four-foot clearance as Mr. Kenly says. The city council has agreed to pay for the moving of earth and excavating, and the railroad would have to pay for the building of a temporary crossing and the permanent bridge.

According to Harry F. Fessler, whose office is close to the crossing, there have been a score of cars that have come close to being hit by M.&St. L. trains and by colliding with each other on the crossing. The danger of the crossing is twofold. Not only are cars in danger of being struck by trains, but they can easily collide with each other, because cars coming from both directions are not visible until the top of the crossing is reached."

The M&StL had a small yard? on the south side of West Main Street in Marshalltown. Today this area is still vacant. I'm employed by the Veterans Home in Marshalltown and the chief engineer told me that the Vets Home used to get their coal from this M&St. L "yard". On the West side of the Vets Home grounds is the "Coal" road. I had always assumed this was just a secondary entrance to the grounds. The engineer told me this road was for the trucks to enter and exit Summit street on their coal runs. Scot

Hello, I just happened on your site and thought that maybe you have have some information that I could use....... I am looking for information on the first streetcar line in Marshalltown. My G-grandfather apparently helped to establish it and I am seeking some information about it and him. His name was Thomas E. Foley and apparently worked along with A.E. Shorthill. He lived there from 1876 until 1888 when he left from Des Moine where he died in 1914. He was a saloon keeper there and restaurant owner. Any idea where I could find this information on the streetcar venture. Judy Dollard Missouri judy55@charter.net Posted 1/27/2002

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