Railroad
From Rofflehaus
Also known as the train tracks. Ames lies on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) superhighway, which explains why there are so many damn trains.
[edit] Lines
Ames is served by two UPRR lines. These are by no means their official names.
- Superhighway
- Sees 72 high-speed trains, unless they stop, every day (that's one every 20 minutes). Take the Grand Avenue Underpass or the Stange Road Underpass to minimize the risk of having to stop for a train.
- Northern Spur
- Connects the smaller towns to the north to the railroad superhighway. Generally one train a day, which can be annoying as it's not as regular as the superhighway traffic. Northbound trains travel far faster than southbound trains.
[edit] Old Lines
Many years ago, Ames was served by another rail line, which connected Ames to Slater, Ankeny, and Des Moines.
- Southern Spur
- Connected Ames to Slater and beyond. Remnants of the railroad right-of-way can be seen inside the Lincoln Center Hy-Vee's dining area, the bike trail starting at Grandwood Drive and S. 4th Street (behind Hy-Vee) extending to Airport Road.
[edit] Then and Now
When the Grand Avenue Underpass was originally built, there were two railroad bridges built. One for the superhighway and one for the southern spur. These pictures, one taken in the 1930s, the other in 2002, show the changes to the Lincoln Way and Grand Avenue intersection.
Lincoln Way and Grand - 1930s |
Lincoln Way and Grand - 2002 |
