Gilbertville Depot

This photo is an interior shot of the Brandon Depot with sections of the ticket office still in place. The depot was built about one year after the Gilbertville Depot and they are almost identical. The depot is currently privately owned.

Busy day at the Waterloo Cedar Falls &Northern Headquarters/station in downtown Waterloo across from Lincoln Park. In addition to the passenger and freight business, the WCF&N ran buses as well.

The Bridges Ride 2026 was a success. Thanks to our partners, sponsors & all the riders who made it happen.

Just a heads up - this Saturday, June 6th, The Bridges Ride is happening on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail starting Saturday morning in Cedar Falls Gateway Park and riding to McFarland Park. The party will be at the Gilbertville Depot, everyone is invited to register and be part of this great event.
There is expected to be 200 - 300 riders so be prepared for a lively day on the trail & at the depot.

This photo has been posted before but it's a great photo of a WCF & N Baseball Special in 1914. Waterloo & Cedar Rapids both had minor league baseball teams with the Central Association. The Waterloo Jays and the Cedar Rapids Bunnies quite possibly were playing a game in Cedar Rapids. Traveling by train in 1914 to see a baseball game in faraway Cedar Rapids would have been an exciting experience.

WCF&N's motorcar #141 on the Waverly line. 141 looks well used and probably carried mostly freight at this point, considering many of the windows have been covered.

When you told your folks you were just going fishing. This is probably the Evansdale bridge over the Cedar River - it was known as the Elk Run bridge. This area of Evansdale was known as Elk Run before Evansdale incorporated in the 1950s.

Bob & the Cobs and a couple of their friends played at the Depot on Saturday, it was a great mix of music well played. Perfect way to kick off the season. The next event is the Bridges Ride on June 6th, details to come.

The weather this coming Saturday sounds like a quintessential Spring day in Iowa. Come on out to the Depot for a couple of hours of great music!

This is the Illinois Central's Green Diamond train taken in 1936 in Chicago. It was one of the first diesel locomotives used in passenger service. Diesel locomotives brought in a new era of speed & reliability that reduced and/or eliminated electric & steam powered trains.