Iowa Interstate Railroad HO Scale Models

The Iowa Interstate Railroad came into existence on November 2, 1984, emerging from the wreckage of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, one of the more dramatic railroad failures in American history. The Rock Island had ceased operations in 1980 after a prolonged bankruptcy, leaving its main corridor between Chicago and Omaha dormant for several years. A real estate firm called Heartland Rail Corporation saw an opportunity in the abandoned right-of-way and acquired the infrastructure for approximately 31 million dollars, with roughly half of that sum financed through a loan from the Iowa Railway Finance Authority. Heartland then leased the tracks and facilities to the newly formed Iowa Interstate, which took on the operational responsibilities of running freight over the corridor while Heartland retained ownership of the physical plant. Operating under the reporting mark IAIS and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the railroad rebuilt itself into a viable regional carrier serving the heart of the Midwest. Its primary mainline stretches from Council Bluffs on the Nebraska border through Des Moines and Iowa City before crossing into Illinois and continuing on to the Chicago area, covering roughly 580 miles of track in total. A branch line extends southward from Bureau, Illinois to Peoria, and the railroad also dispatches and operates the Cedar Rapids Subdivision, a line owned by the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad connecting South Amana to Cedar Rapids. Between Bureau and Chicago, Iowa Interstate trains operate over former Rock Island trackage now controlled by CSX and the commuter agency Metra, with yard facilities maintained at Burr Oak Yard and Evans Yard, both located in Blue Island, Illinois. In 2003, Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania purchased both the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the underlying infrastructure from Heartland Rail Corporation, consolidating ownership and operations under a single entity. Under this ownership the railroad has continued to grow its role as a regional bridge carrier connecting shippers across Iowa and Illinois to the broader national rail network. One of the more notable distinctions the Iowa Interstate holds is that it maintains interchange connections with every Class I railroad operating in the United States, a claim no other Class II regional railroad can make, and one that gives its customers unusually broad reach for a carrier of its size. The railroad received the E. H. Harriman Award for safety in 2004, a recognition of its operational discipline despite the challenges of rebuilding from the Rock Island's troubled legacy. The Iowa Interstate has maintained a deliberate connection to its Rock Island heritage throughout its history. Its corporate logo echoes the shape of the Rock Island's well-known emblem, and two of its General Electric ES44AC locomotives have been painted in schemes inspired by the predecessor railroad's iconic red and black colors. The railroad also briefly ventured into steam excursion operations after acquiring two former China Railways QJ class 2-10-2 locomotives in 2006, which were used for fundraising excursions and public outreach events before eventually being donated to a preservation organization. On the passenger front, the Iowa Interstate mainline has been identified since the mid-1990s as a candidate route for improved intercity rail service as part of the broader Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, and as of the early 2020s, planning for Amtrak service between Chicago and the Quad Cities utilizing portions of the IAIS corridor has advanced with state funding commitments from Illinois.