The section boys watch as this eastbound train pulls into Marquette from Mason City. The train is about to pass under highway 18 at the west end of the yard. Train slowly creeps into town due to yard limits and the heavy grade coming in.
The IMRL was owned by the Washington Corporation and began operating 1,385 miles of track in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin on April 5, 1997. The lines were acquired in from the Canadian Pacific, which were mainly built by the Milwaukee Road and then operated by Soo Line. The company only lasted 5 years and was sold off to the DM&E group in the mid 2002.
