News : RAILROAD HISTORY WITH PHIL BORLESKE AT CP DEPOT MUSEUM

Phil Borleske, center, talks more train with railroad enthusiasts after his presentation “All Aboard: a Snapshot of Iowa Railroads, Past and Present” at the Center Point Historical Society Depot Museum, June 25.

Every seat was taken for a fun trip through Iowa railroad history conducted by Phil Borleske at the Center Point Historical Society Depot Museum in Center Point, Sunday, June 25.

Rev. Borleske, Vinton, is on the Benton County Historical Society Board (specializing in the depot) and is a member of the Benton County Historical Preservation Commission.

He showed a glorious glut of slides of Iowa trains, past and present, and said that railroads were so important in the state in the 19th century that often if a town wasn't on a railroad, they either moved it TO the railroad or the town died.

Then, starting in the 1930s, he said, when better roads lifted Iowa out of the mud, it was railroads that started to die, with trucks taking over livestock and grain shipping. After WWII cars and plane travel helped strike the final blow. The last WCF&N passenger car through Center Point was in 1956. CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, "Swing and Sway the CRANDIC way.") quit passengers in 1951.

But, Borleske said, "It's sort of fun to live in a town that still has a railroad."

Vinton has Iowa Northern, that runs from Manly through Waterloo and Vinton to Cedar Rapids, mostly shipping grain and ag supplies.

"It's a godsend to area farmers," he said.

Fun fact he shared: American standard gauge railroad track-4 foot, 8 and one-half inches-is based on the width of two horse butts. We inherited it from the English who inherited it from the width of Roman chariot roads.

Next up at the Depot Museum is Bike Day, 2 p.m. Sunday July 16, with speakers from Linn County Conservation and Linn County Trails Association.