Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
logo_filename=Logo of the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad.gif
system_

map_size=300
map_caption=DM&E and IC&E combined route map as of 2002.
marks=ICE
locale=Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin
start_year=2002
end_year=2008
successor_line=Canadian Pacific Railway
hq_city=Sioux Falls, South DakotaThe Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E) reporting mark|ICE is a Class II railroad operating in the north central United States. The IC&E is jointly owned with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad by Cedar American Rail Holdings, making the combined system the largest class II railroad in the US. Created by the purchase of I&M Rail Link LLC, IC&E commenced operations on July 30, 2002. The convert|1400|mi|adj=on line, based in Davenport, Iowa, serves the states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Principal commodities include chemicals, coal, steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. Train dispatching is performed at a joint DM&E/IC&E facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

History

The ICE was formed by the parent company to take over the operations of the I&M Rail Link (IMRL). The Illinois and northern Iowa portions of the ICE were in earlier times a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the Milwaukee Road). IC&E began operations on July 30, 2002.

The line that ran from the Quad Cities through Ottumwa, Iowa, Chillicothe, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri was also part of the Milwaukee Road until the Soo Line bought it and began operations on it in 1986. In 1997, I&M Rail Link purchased the line, though it's time as a railroad was short-lived. In 2002, ICE acquired the line and Canadian Pacific still uses it today.

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), a division of the Teamsters, gained a contract with the transportation crews on January 24, 2005. Railroad employees first organized under the labor union on December 17, 2003. [cite news| author=Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen| date=January 24, 2005| url=http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=4066| title=BLET gets first contract at IC&E| accessyear=2005| accessmonthday=February 1| ]

Acquisition

On September 4, 2007, Canadian Pacific Railway announced its intention to purchase the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad in a transaction that would include the IC&E and other affiliated companies. [cite news| last=Goldfarb| first=Jeffrey| coauthors=Reuters| title=CP Rail to Buy DM&E For At Least $1.5 Billion| publisher=nytimes.com| date=September 5, 2007| url=http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-canadianpacific-dme.html| accessyear=2007| accessdate=September 5| ] cite press release| title=DM&E Announces Merger With Canadian Pacific Railway| publisher=dmerail.com| date=September 4, 2007| url=http://www.dmerail.com/News/DME%20Press%20Release%205Sep07Final%20(2).pdf| format=PDF| accessyear=2007| accessmonthday=September 4| ]

On September 30, 2008, the United States Surface Transportation Board The STB announced its approval of Canadian Pacific Railway's proposed purchase of the DM&E, IC&E and Cedar American Rail Holdings, with the official last day of operations for DM&E and IC&E scheduled for October 30, 2008.cite press release| url=http://www.stb.dot.gov/__85256593004F576F.nsf/0/92E608894122E673852574D40051052C?OpenDocument| title=SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD APPROVES CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY'S ACQUISITION OF CONTROL OF THE DAKOTA, MINNESOTA & EASTERN RAILROAD, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS| publisher=United States Surface Transportation Board| date=September 30, 2008| accessmonthday=September 30| accessyear=2008| ] cite press release| url=http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/Media/News/General/2008/STB+approval.htm| title=Canadian Pacific welcomes STB approval| publisher=Canadian Pacific| date=September 30, 2008| accessmonthday=September 30| accessyear=2008| ]

Equipment

Motive power consists of mostly ex-UP SD40-2s rebuilt by General Electric and ex-SP GP40-2s rebuilt by NRE in Silvis, Illinois. Four DM&E GP38s along with several ex-IMRL engines round out the roster. The SD40-2s and GP40-2s are painted in a DM&E inspired blue and yellow scheme with the name of the railroad spelled out on the sides of the locomotive. Starting in 2005 many of the "new" engines carry names of the towns that IC&E serves, a practice utilized on the DM&E.

References

External links

* [http://www.icerail.com/ IC&E official website]
* [http://www.illinirail.com/icerail/ IC&E Unofficial Web Page]