This is sad and just ain't right
- Thread starter Seth53
- Start date
Fryowa
Administrator
Damn. That’s less than an hour and a half from me.
Chickenlounge
Well-Known Member
Fryowa
Administrator
Since it's close to me physically I got a little interested and did some digging around with people my boss (donor) knows...
Two of the cars are sitting in Hawarden, IA. They got repainted and were used for a "Polar Express" type of holiday ride. From what I'm told they only got used for that once because they didn't make any money from it and they're just sitting in a rail storage yard over there. For context, Hawarden is a less than one horse town about 30 mins from me right on the Missouri river.
Sounds like the Hawkeye Express doesn't exist anymore outside of that one lonely car sitting in Dell Rapids rotting away. There were 6 cars total, so even if they wanted to use it again someone would have to buy back the remaining 4 cars, (if the 3 unaccounted for even still exist), repaint, and get them going again. You couldn't just have one or two cars running because there's no way that math works out.
I'm guessing with the kinds of winters we get 'round these parts that none of them are in good shape or being maintained. I'd hardly think whoever owns them is doing anything to winterize/maintain them.
Found this article from a local news place.
Two of the cars are sitting in Hawarden, IA. They got repainted and were used for a "Polar Express" type of holiday ride. From what I'm told they only got used for that once because they didn't make any money from it and they're just sitting in a rail storage yard over there. For context, Hawarden is a less than one horse town about 30 mins from me right on the Missouri river.
Sounds like the Hawkeye Express doesn't exist anymore outside of that one lonely car sitting in Dell Rapids rotting away. There were 6 cars total, so even if they wanted to use it again someone would have to buy back the remaining 4 cars, (if the 3 unaccounted for even still exist), repaint, and get them going again. You couldn't just have one or two cars running because there's no way that math works out.
I'm guessing with the kinds of winters we get 'round these parts that none of them are in good shape or being maintained. I'd hardly think whoever owns them is doing anything to winterize/maintain them.
Found this article from a local news place.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
It would be cool to see the cars come back to campus and just be displayed somewhere. The express isn't ever coming back I suspect. But, you could put them on campus somewhere and peeps could take pictures of it. Its a bit of history and a bit art, I suppose.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
For those who grew up in NW in the 90s, the owner of the local Hardees in Spirit Lake had a genius idea to buy and ship a full sized passenger railcar to his restaurant and use it as a dining car. He even set up fake rail tracks for it to sit on. However, the idea was a flop for two reasons. One, Hardees is not exactly a place where one is looking for an upscale dining experience. More importantly, it did not connect to the restaurant. You had to order your food, get it, and walk across the parking lot to eat on the train? Very few people bothered to do that. It was a massive flop and eventually the spot became a Burger King and I think someone finally removed the train. Some brilliant ideas should stay on the napkin.
Seth53
Well-Known Member
My dismay is that the Hawkeye Express was something very unique which represented Iowa City and the Hawkeyes perfectly. People who rode it, especially the out-of-towners, were treated to something special.
I know of no other similar venue anywhere.
Practically speaking, it certainly lessened congestion around the Kinnick area which as we know is a traffic nightmare
I know of no other similar venue anywhere.
Practically speaking, it certainly lessened congestion around the Kinnick area which as we know is a traffic nightmare
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
Sad
