- Steam Charters
- Event Information
Midwest Electric Railway
An evening of photography featuring trolley and interurban equipment.
Join us for an afternoon and evening of historic streetcar and interurban photography with the Midwest Electric Railway on the grounds of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
The session will feature a variety of posed scenes, runbys and night photography utilizing the railway’s collection of historic electric railway equipment.
Period reenactors will help enhance scenes throughout the evening, adding additional atmosphere and human elements to operations across the grounds.
Photography will make use of late September evening light, twilight conditions and after-dark lighting setups, creating opportunities ranging from classic interurban scenes to dramatic nighttime portraits of the equipment and surrounding infrastructure.
Scenes during the session will utilize several of the Midwest Electric Railway’s historic structures and facilities.
The former Chicago Burlington and Quincy depot was relocated to the Old Threshers grounds from Yarmouth, Iowa, where it originally served the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Today, the depot once again serves as the trolley ticket office and provides a period backdrop alongside the electric railway operations.
Continue the weekend with two days of narrow gauge steam railroading at the Midwest Central Railroad, featuring freight and passenger operations with Baldwin No. 6 and West Side Lumber Shay No. 9.
The charter will include daytime and evening photography utilizing the railroad’s historic depot, semaphore signals, water tank and Rio Grande freight equipment. Learn More
- Featured Equipment
Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Interurban Car No. 320
Built in 1914 by the Jewett Car Company, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Car No. 320 is one of the last surviving wooden interurban cars from the famed Illinois electric railway. Designed for high-speed passenger service between Chicago, Aurora and Elgin, the car operated in regular service until 1961 before arriving in Mount Pleasant in 1968.
The car later underwent a complete restoration to its original appearance and remains one of the signature pieces of the Midwest Electric Railway collection.
Milan Cars No. 1945 & 1811
Built in 1927 by Carminati & Toselli, these lightweight streetcars once operated through the streets of Milan, Italy. Based on the classic Peter Witt design, the cars were built for efficient urban passenger service and remain representative of one of the most recognizable streetcar designs of the 20th century.
Milan Car No. 1945 arrived at the Midwest Electric Railway in 2002, while Car No. 1811 joined the collection in 2025. Both cars were refurbished prior to arrival in Mount Pleasant, and similar cars continue to operate in Milan today.
Below are images of the trolleys and interurbans courtesy of Midwest Electric Railway.
All details are subject to change due to operating conditions on the host railroad. We reserve the right to change the schedule, dates, and/or rolling stock if needed.
Event Details
- Mount Pleasant, Iowa
- September 25, 2026
- $100 / person
- Limited to 30 participants.
- Charter Status: Go/No Go Date of August 1, 2026
Further details will be provided after registration.
Questions in the meantime? Please email Dak at: dak@steamcharters.com
If you prefer to pay via check, please mail a check or money order made payable to Dakota Group LLC to:
Dakota Group LLC
PO Box 35
Wildwood, Missouri 63040
Checks are not subject to the credit card processing fee. Checks will be cashed upon receipt by Dakota Group LLC.
Please include your name, email and phone number with your check and we will email confirmation upon receipt.
Mount Pleasant has a number of hotels available, with additional hotels 20-30 minutes away.
- This charter has a go/no go date of August 1, 2026.
- In the event the charter is canceled, a full refund (minus any credit card processing fees) will be refunded within 30 days of cancelation.
- All reservations are non-refundable after the go/no go date for the charter.
- If an engine is not operational for the event date, the event may continue with different motive power at the discretion of Dakota Group and the host railroad.
- We reserve the right to modify the event schedule, event dates or event offering at any time.
- Riders may be required by the host railroad and/or Dakota Group LLC to sign a liability waiver to participate in the event.
- We are not responsible for bad weather, delays or cancelations. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items, injuries, sickness or damages to personal equipment and loss of personal travel expenses.
- Due to the duration of this event, we do not recommend this experience for young children.
- Participants must be prepared to disembark and reboard train multiple times throughout the day. Participants should be prepared for rough terrain or uneven footing. Please wear sturdy shoes; hiking boots are recommended.
Photos shown above represent the railroad and may not be the exact photography location or motive power included in the charter.