Rock Island Railroad's Montezuma, Iowa branch line, early 1970s

Join us for one of railfan photographer Ben Safourek's home made feature films covering history and operations on RI's Montezuma line in the early '70s. Original film and production work by Ben Safourek. All rights reserved. Copyright violators will be forced to watch the video again.

[@rjb5847]

I really enjoyed this & other videos you've posted. I am also a retired railroader. In the early 1970s I worked local wayfreight jobs for CP out of Woodstock Ontario. We had an S-3 for a few years until they upgraded us to SW1200RS units. Those little switchers had their hands full pulling 15 car trains, especially up slight grades. We worked 6 days a week 12 plus hrs each day and somehow got the same amount of work done in 8 hours when we had to work Saturday. My 37 yr career ended 13 years ago, but it seems like yesterday sometimes. I went from wooden cabooses (that we slept in) and 5 crew members (if we had a a fireman on the train) to 2 man crews & distributed power (&10,000 ft plus trains) in my last few years. Keep the videos coming Andy ...while I'm in Canada, railroading is pretty well the same on both sides of the border & they make me think back to the old days. My first trip on CP was 50 yrs ago Tuesday (June 13th). Ron

[@cedarvalleyrail8419]

This was something I thought was so obscure, that is never see anything documented, nevermind with side by side recorded sound! Thanks for sharing

[@JeffRichBLET129]

The subject matter is perfect. After 35 years on the railroad I can almost hear the crew and understand what and why they're doing. The professionalism and skill of the crew is something I'm so familiar with from my early days. It's to Railroading what Field of Dreams was to baseball in many respects, what was , what we perceive and what it can never be again. Thank you for this, I hope there's more to come Andy!

[@andybrown1539]

Thanks Jeff yes there is still more to come and I appreciate your remarks. I too am impressed by these guys' professionalism; I love the understated hand signals and general knowledge from each man of what the other is doing and what is expected of each other.

[@nathandalke9318]

This a classic footage especially watching in 2023 from 1971 to 1972 way before I was born in 1981 enjoyed watching I wonder if then trains are still operating today in 2023

[@bn13814]

That's cool...especially that June 2, 1971 footage!

[@jimikrentkowski4073]

Don’t know much about this line that existed so long ago but watching these videos is priceless. Thanks for sharing

[@joewins8710]

Hee Hee Heee ! The coupling sound effect at 13:35 was especially entertaining! I'm hooked!

[@jfreelan1964]

Incredible footage of a line I never saw in operation. Thanks for sharing.

[@samh3029]

They were rocking and rolling thru Kinross

[@JPF941]

Thank you for sharing this material. Priceless.

[@1JUSTGOTLUCKY1]

I Love these videos of forgotten railroads!! Thank you for the post!

[@shortliner68]

There's still an active industrial spur in Muscatine that was once part of the line to Montezuma. Years ago Trains magazine did an article about railroads in the Muscatine area. It was interesting that train crews in that article still referred to that spur as the "old Montezuma line" many years after it was abandoned.

[@andybrown1539]

I don't think any of the crews still call it the Montezuma Line (usually just "Heinz Spur" or "Upper Yard," but some of us locals still use the old name!

[@shortliner68]

@@andybrown1539 Yes, your video actually helped me understand why the train crew was calling the spur by the old name. The Trains magazine article came out sometime in the 1970s, I seem to remember. All I had was a 1965 Rand McNally RR Atlas to consult (no internet back then) and it didn't show any direct route between Muscatine and Montezuma. Your video showed the route out of Muscatine that was abandoned years before that atlas was printed, so that answered a question I've had for the last 50 years!

[@garysprandel1817]

Wow all the fallen flags. Kind of sad to think of all the road names seen on the rolling stock only one remains. Kind of interesting to see Riverside. Was out there last June for their Star Trek festival ( Riverside has declared themselves the future birthplace of James T Kirk for those that don't know) and could see the street along the park and festival area was obviously a rail right of way and it's kind of neat to see what was there before though it is also nice to see the RI again though my exposure was not the slow paced branch line Rock Island but the mainline about 95 miles west of Chicago but those red and yellow SWs and wood outside braced cabooses were always tied down not far from great grams place waiting for the work week to handle the local industry.

[@willwozniak2826]

OUTSTANDING!

[@supercuda1950]

Another great video; keep them coming. It's funny how weeds along the tracks is no concern. Now it's kill everything within 20 feet. You know that ends up in the water systems. Why was it not important then but now it is. Seems like a good way to save money and save the earth!

[@rjb5847]

I get your point but would note that weeds & grass could be quite a problem causing wheelslip on the engines, and premature tie deterioration. That's the main reason they spray them now. I worked a lot of jobs on CP branchlines & there were times when we need to have faith the track was still there because we couldn't see it , whether summer with tall grass or winter snow covering the rails.

[@joehoffman5308]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing. I couldn't help noticing that the track in some areas needs to be mowed.

[@andybrown1539]

Ha ha yeah isn't that great!?

[@tonyjanney1654]

Thank you for this.

[@SteveSleeperTrains]

That was excellent

[@NaomiClareNL]

Thanks for uploading this video. I have long been interested in M&StL's Montezuma branch (abandoned I think in 1935) and the Montezuma trackage was sold to neighbour Rock Island. To see the Rock Island side 35 years later is priceless. So is the seeing the rest of the branch.

[@davewallace8219]

so long ago!

[@25mfd]

really nice vid... what a cool time capsule... and to think if the ICC had done its' job back in the early 60s, the line would have been under UP ownership at the taping of these vids... the ICC took 10 years to finally approve the UP/rock island merger... the UP, not surprisingly, passed on the offer

[@Thunder_6278]

The Rock Island line was a might doomed line... They call this progress.

[@danielboone3770]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@robchit1]

I'm cringing to see how fast that train goes on that weedy track lol. Too bad even most of the old elevators are gone today. Which RR crossed at Webster?

[@fiddlyphuk6414]

It's too bad but all these branch lines died for all the railroads. Improved roads and far greater truck accessibility was their death knell.

[@raylrodr]

551 with no MU

[@intercityrailpal]

A underfunded effort was made to save the line and operate all of it. It had investors on the west end that demanded service on impossible track. They ran a tourist train with people standing in the ex CGW combine that was there at Kolona . I suggested volunteers and tourist trains. The old elevator jerk running it never heard of such a thing! Well your broke and it's all gone now!

[@andybrown1539]

Stay tuned there will be videos of the CIRC operation coming up later!

[@kenvandevoort7820]

I shot a slide of the ex-CGW combine. Watched this line being torn up. Hits you in the stomach.