(The following story by Dustin Lemmon appeared on the Quad City Times website on October 14.)
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Henry Posner first entered the railroad business in 1966 at a time the industry was struggling and it didn’t look like trains would play much of a role in the country’s future.
“When I went into the industry, it was basically to turn the lights off,” said Posner, owner of Iowa Interstate Railroad. “We survived the eras of regulation, and we survived the flooding, and now we’re in a position where we can help.”
This weekend, Iowa Interstate Railroad will bring two Chinese steam engines and 11 passenger rail cars to the Quad-Cities with plans to offer tours, rides and a dinner. If all of their tickets are sold, the company will raise $75,000 to donate to the Salvation Army.
The money will help cover flood damage, which Iowa Interstate officials saw first-hand from their headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and had to deal with on some washed-out lines, Iowa Interstate’s president Dennis Miller said.
“One thing we noticed everyday was the articles about the Salvation Army stepping up to the plate to help people,” Miller said.
Maj. David Luft, Quad-City coordinator for the Salvation Army, said the flood relief has been costly for the organization as it has served 186,692 flood victims in Iowa and Illinois. The group expects donations to be down while there is uncertainty about the economy, he added.
“We’ll be working with folks even through this Christmastime,” he said of helping flood victims. “We appreciate the donations.”
Two of the older rail cars, which Iowa Interstate purchased within the past two years, were on display Tuesday in downtown Rock Island. They have been painted black with red and gold stripes and were renamed the Abraham Lincoln and the Hawkeye. The trains were built in 1928 and 1949, respectively.
Miller said the Hawkeye has the distinction of going on one of the farthest trips north into Canada for a passenger rail car. The line the train took for that trip no longer exists.
The QJ-type steam engines are from China and were among the last 4,000 built in the 1980s, Posner said. Iowa Interstate purchased them for parts and to operate and display on occasion, he said.
The full trains will be arriving at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at 17th Street and 1st Avenue in Rock Island. Tickets for the rides and T-shirts can be purchased there from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 7 to 8 a.m. Sunday.
Miller said the company will also have a brand new General Electric locomotive in Rock Island for visitors to see.
Five shorter rides Saturday will go from Rock Island to Silvis and Walcott and will cost $40 and $25 for children. The Sunday tickets to Iowa City will cost $125 for coach and $200 for premium cars.
Tickets and “Rail Ride for Flood Relief” T-shirts can be purchased by calling (309) 732-7275 or going to rigov.org. They can also be purchased in person at Rock Island’s Parks and Recreation Department, 1320 24th St.
Tickets for a full-course meal on the train Saturday evening have been sold out.
Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com.
Passenger trains in the future
If Illinois provides the funding, Iowa Interstate Railroad officials say they would like to see
passenger rail services between the Quad-Cities and Chicago, and possibly Iowa City.
Dennis Miller, president of Iowa Interstate, said his company would support bringing Amtrak to the company’s rail lines, but is waiting to see what the state does with its budget.
“There are all kinds of positives about that,” he said, adding he’s heard it could be extended to Iowa City.
Henry Posner, Iowa Interstate’s owner, remembered a trip he took on a passenger train called the Peoria Rocket when he first started in the business in the summer of 1966.
“I personally have always believed in passenger trains,”
Posner said. “I think Americans are coming around to that way of thinking.”