M&StL Otho, Iowa

M&StL

Otho, Iowa

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Abandonment - Kalo Jct to Otho

The M&StL abandoned 2.7267 miles of main line between Kalo Jct. Otho, Iowa and 1700 feet of house track (ICC #104) at Otho in 1937. This was part of the "Mud Line" between Kalo Jct. and Angus by way of Otho, Burnside, Dayton, Pilot Mound, Ogden and Berkeley, the portion between Otho and Berkeley having been abandoned earlier.

You will recall that, at one point in the M&StL's long receivership, a plan known as Associated Railroads was hatched to break up and parcel out portions of the M&StL to various other Midwest railroads. During a July 1936 Associated Railroads hearing an engineer (slide rule, not throttle) from the Illinois Central testified that the five bridges between Kalo Jct. and Otho, Bridges Nos. 165, 167, 168, 171 and 172, were in such poor condition that he would have "condemned them at once." By the IC engineer's estimate $59,460.00 would be required over the next five years to bring the bridges up to standards.

The M&StL itself inspected these bridges and issued an embargo on all traffic effective April 1, 1937. This action left two industries in Otho without rail service, Fullerton Lumber Company's lumber shed and R. G. Johnson's elevator and coal sheds. To compound the problem, on October 31, 1937 bridge no. 168 caught fire and the three west bents (out of ten) and the west bulkhead were completely destroyed.

In a touch of irony the M&StL had to patch the bridge so that the contractor scrapping the line could get flat cars in and out. Fort Dodge Iron & Metal was the scrapper. The M&StL furnished flat cars for loading the rail and fastenings and transported those cars to the Chicago Switching District without charge.

Enough main line was left of the Kalo Jct. end to serve the industry spurs for Red Wing Sewer Pipe Company and Johnson Brothers Clay Works.

This note from Gene Green willibecher@juno.com