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MStL Presentation Notes
The switch for the Weaver Const. Spur was at the north end.
The Sugar Beet would receive enough sugar beets to stay in operation
year round.
Lehigh and NW States had their own railroads and powerhouses.
Before WWII the men cleaning the returned cloth bags were piece
workers and were required to clean 80 bundles a day. During WWII women
were placed in this job and the quota was raised to 120 bundles a day.
When the men returned after the war the quota was dropped back to 80
bundles!
NW States employed 350.
The MILW didn't serve the cement plants directly and was not part of
the car pool arrangement. They received cars to Plant customers on
their line from the CGW. A damage claim against the MILW reported the
car was unfit to put bagged cement in, it had oil spilled in it and
leaked. The MILW people questioned NW States and were told, "their
people would never load an unfit car". The men loading cars at NW
States were piece workers and could go home when they met their quota,
if they were to say a car was unfit, it could take an hour to replace
it. So the MILW was stuck for the damages.
Deckers had overhead rails from the Icehouse. This way they could ice
reefers at different locations plus transport ice for plant use.
'Headend' Switch moves at the Depot area included; Andrews Concrete,
MC Builders Supply, Pillsbury, Midland Coop, Red Star Oil, and EG
Morse.
Wheat middling: coarsely ground wheat mixed with bran. Wheat used was
average size hence the phase Fair to middling where referring to grain
crops.
Reefers for EG Morse were iced on the team track in front of the
Farmers Elev. There was space between the team track and the middle
track for the truck to get beside the reefers. Mason City Artificial
Ice had a truck with a hydraulic lift to raise the entire truck bed to
the height of the reefers. EG Morse was a 'headend' move. The switch
crew would rear couple to a reefer, pull ahead to the Block Coal
elevated track, push the car up it and set the brakes, the engine
would move ahead off the spur then back into the clear, a switchman
would release the car's brakes so it could roll down the spur ahead of
the engine. The crew could then front couple the car and spot it at EG
Morse.
The high point on the railroad in Mason City was south of the Middle
Yard. Deckers was the low point. Any runaway cars from the Middle Yard
would travel over a mile to the north before coming to rest on the
Mainline beside Deckers. This route took them over several grade
crossings and passed the Depot. Deckers yard also ran downhill to the
north. A runaway at Deckers crashed through the Beefhouse office
injuring several people.
Both the MStL and CNW served the Swift Plant. The MStL came in from
the south, the CNW from the north. The CNW crossed a county road, to
protect against runaways from crossing the road a derail was placed
south of the road. There was enough room between the Plant's north
switch and the derail for the MStL switcher to run around cars.
The Brickyards made three miles of drain tile a day in 1941
Charlie Strickland, Railroad Tycoon.
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