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campground. Guest prices and hours of operation vary throughout the year based on the activities of the
Midwest Old Threshers Association. The trolley operation is most active on the five days preceding Labor Day during the reunion. The trolleys operate on special holidays and when special organized
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The
Midwest Electric Railway, a not-for-profit educational organization, was founded in 19xx . Its goal at that time was to preserve historic electric-powered passenger trolleys that had operated in Iowa and transport passengers around the campground during the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion. The
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The
Trolley Barn was built in the early 1970s to store the growing stock of equipment. While the building has no real antique value, it provides a well-used maintenance pit for trolley maintenance, room for trolley storage, and a health & welfare room for volunteer operators and conductors.
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The
Midwest Electric Railway is located in the heart of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa on the campgrounds of the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion sandwiched between Locust and S. Walnut Streets. The railroad crosses E. Thresher Road in two places. The main headquarters for MERA and trolley storage is in a
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Every year during the week leading up to Labor Day weekend, volunteer operators and conductors regularly operate the trolleys to ferry campground dwellers and rail enthusiasts around the 2.5 mile campground loop. The Log
Village at the south end of the loop provides the tourist a view of 19th
465:, was donated and moved to Old Thresher's fairgrounds; it was originally used as the trolley ticket office and gift shop. The building was used for storage and the aesthetic appearance of having an old building near a trolley stop, but again serves as a ticket office.
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The campground's trolley tracks were originally constructed by the
Midwest Electric Railway's volunteers and are still maintained today through volunteer efforts. Every year maintenance and reconstruction is organized and accomplished entirely through volunteer labor.
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Today, the purpose of the organization remains largely the same including the preservation of non-Iowa operated electric rolling stock. Trolley Stops currently include The
Trolley Depot, the Trolley Barn, the Log Village, Lakeview, South 40, and Campers' Gate.
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From: Azienda
Trasporti Municipale, Milan, Italy Builder: Carminati & Toselli, Milan, 1927; Running gear by Italian General Electric Notes: Lightweight for fast city service in narrow streets; Lightweight safety car: doors only open when stopped
393:; Running gear by Westinghouse Electric Co. Notes: Thousands of streetcars in America were of this patented “Naragansett” design, featuring a full-length upper side step for easy boarding; Favorites for summer travel
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Once a year at in June, Midwest
Electric Railway holds a Trolley School to teach anyone to operate a Trolley, then allowing them time to operate some of the fleet.
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Usage: City & Interurban, Open Cars/Open Bench Summer Cars Circa 1888-1940s
Operated: From: Rio de Janeiro Tramway Builder:
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Usage: High-speed Heavy Interurban Car/Intercity and commuter travel Circa 1910s – 1940s Operated: Southern Iowa Railway From:
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century life on the Iowa prairie. Camper's use the trolley's to commute to the main fairgrounds to visit daily attractions.
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silver-painted trolley barn which is located on S. Locust Road less than a half mile from south of Thresher Road.
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Every year near Halloween, the Midwest Electric Railway operates a haunted trolley ride.
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groups reserve time. Visit the Old Threshers Reunion website for the latest information.
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original trolley stops were the trolley depot, the trolley barn, and campers' gate.
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660:– Search for Midwest Electric Railway photographs at RRPictureArchives.net.
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647:– Search for Midwest Electric Railway photographs at RailPictures.Net.
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Usage: Suburban Passenger Service/Express Car Circa 1910s Operated: between
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Usage: City Streetcar/One-man Safety Car Circa 1930s – 1950s Operated:
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Usage: Lightweight City Car/One-man Safety Car Circa 1920s Operated:
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which operates electric trolleys around a 2.5 mile loop around the
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Car 1718 stopping at the Yarmouth depot and ticket office.
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Usage: Freight Car/Flat Car Circa 1917-2000s Operated:
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List of United States railroads by political division
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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521:List of heritage railroads in the United States
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616:Terry, Jeff. "The Midwest Electric Railway",
417:, Centerville, Iowa Builder: Barber Car Co.,
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1087:Greater Davenport Redevelopment Corporation
330:Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern Railroad
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1249:Map of Iowa highlighting Henry County
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995:Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad
385:, 1911 using the American design of
44:adding citations to reliable sources
965:Appanoose County Community Railroad
1147:Municipalities and communities of
985:Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
710:Streetcar museums in North America
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1082:East Camden and Highland Railroad
550:Association of American Railroads
431:Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
267:The volunteer association runs a
980:Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad
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509:List of United States railroads
31:needs additional citations for
478:Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion
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1402:Museums in Henry County, Iowa
552:Alpha Codes; pp. 158–159, C-2
459:Chicago Burlington and Quincy
273:Midwest Old Threshers Reunion
253:Midwest Old Threshers Reunion
970:Burlington Junction Railway
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1397:Heritage railroads in Iowa
1020:Iowa Northwestern Railroad
391:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
377:Streetcars #1718 and #1779
55:"Midwest Electric Railway"
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227:2.5 mi (4.0 km)
1392:Railroad museums in Iowa
1040:Norfolk Southern Railway
1010:Iowa Interstate Railroad
670:– Official Website
668:Midwest Electric Railway
592:Direct sources from the
235:Midwest Electric Railway
119:Midwest Electric Railway
1101:Former carriers in Iowa
1035:Keokuk Junction Railway
674:Jon Bell's MERA website
526:List of railway museums
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1045:Union Pacific Railroad
619:Railfan & Railroad
514:List of Iowa railroads
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383:Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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1030:Iowa Traction Railway
1015:Iowa Northern Railway
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415:Southern Iowa Railway
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1332:United States portal
990:Cedar River Railroad
487:Haunted Trolley Ride
322:Knoxville, Tennessee
40:improve this article
1363:40.9541°N 91.5472°W
1359: /
1025:Iowa River Railroad
877:Shelburne Falls, MA
850:San Francisco, CA (
622:magazine, June 2008
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1150:Henry County, Iowa
1054:Passenger carriers
841:Saint-Constant, QC
658:RR Picture Archive
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435:Jewett Car Company
419:York, Pennsylvania
387:J.G. Brill Company
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257:Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
167:Dates of operation
133:Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
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29:This article
27:
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1343:
1169:
1077:CBEC Railway
975:BNSF Railway
872:Scranton, PA
867:Savannah, GA
862:San Jose, CA
831:Rockwood, ON
826:Rockhill, PA
805:
791:Kingston, NY
781:Issaquah, WA
761:Edmonton, AB
617:
567:|title=
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439:Newark, Ohio
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411:Mystic, Iowa
400:
397:Streetcar #9
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370:Milan, Italy
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354:Keokuk, Iowa
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161:Eastern Iowa
157:Henry County
153:Mt. Pleasant
129:Headquarters
102:
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1366: /
1325:Iowa portal
1271:Mount Union
1165:County seat
821:Phoenix, AZ
776:Hesston, IN
461:depot from
403:Centerville
239:initialized
189:Track gauge
1381:Categories
1354:91°32′50″W
1351:40°57′15″N
1276:Swedesburg
1206:New London
1099:See also:
902:Yakima, WA
892:Tucson, AZ
887:Suisun, CA
852:cable cars
816:Perris, CA
796:Lowell, MA
726:Brooks, OR
532:References
445:Structures
358:Keokuk Dam
66:newspapers
1310:Footnotes
1293:community
1196:Hillsboro
897:Union, IL
433:Builder:
332:Builder:
306:Equipment
183:Technical
1236:Winfield
1231:Westwood
856:railways
836:Rush, NY
558:citation
503:See also
324:; later
311:Trolleys
284:Location
263:Overview
208: in
124:Overview
1281:Trenton
1226:Wayland
1190:Coppock
293:History
203:⁄
172: (
80:scholar
1266:Lowell
1182:Cities
1061:Amtrak
413:From:
409:, and
356:From:
328:From:
224:Length
149:Locale
82:
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68:
61:
53:
1221:Salem
606:ILDOT
598:NMFTA
407:Albia
87:JSTOR
73:books
1258:CDPs
1216:Rome
1211:Olds
854:and
571:help
457:The
249:MERA
242:MERA
233:The
174:19xx
170:19xx
144:MERA
59:news
602:FRA
594:AAR
255:in
42:by
1383::
1168::
1153:,
604:,
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596:/
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569:(
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205:2
201:1
198:+
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109:)
103:(
98:)
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84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
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