IOWA INTERSTATE TO OPERATE STEAM FOR FLOOD RELIEF:

On October 18-19, 2008 the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) will operate Railroad Development Corporation’s (RDC’s) 2 QJ-type steam locomotives on 2 days of special events for the benefit of The Salvation Army’s efforts to assist communities through its territory impacted by June’s flooding. A variety of rail-oriented events will be held, with the City of Rock Island acting as host and coordinator of the event. On Saturday, October 18, a double-headed freight train will leave Iowa City for Rock Island, with the objective of setting “a new record for steam-hauled revenue tonnage in the 21st century.” Upon arrival at Rock Island, the locomotives will then be split to operate passenger excursion shuttles east to Silvis, Illinois, and west to Walcott, Iowa. The day’s events will culminate with a private evening dinner trip for special guests, with catering to be provided by RDC “celebrity chefs” from Pittsburgh, Cedar Rapids, Peru and Guatemala. Finally, on Sunday, October 19, a one-way limited excursion train will operate from Rock Island to Iowa City, accompanying the QJs back to their home in Newton, Iowa. RDC and IAIS Chairman Henry Posner III commented, “By October, the economic impact of the flooding experienced in June will have been long forgotten. Iowans don’t like to complain, and it is their nature to deal with problems in a spirit of self-reliance, but in this case we would like to remind the greater community that there have been thousands of lives disrupted, and that they should not be forgotten.” IAIS President & CEO Dennis Miller commented, “Although it has taken us some time to recover from our flood damage, we have not forgotten the many people who also suffered losses and were assisted by The Salvation Army. We hope these events will help to replenish their much needed funds in order to continue their valuable service to our communities. All proceeds from the events will be donated to The Salvation Army.” Additional details, as well as ticketing information, will be available at the end of August via the City of Rock Island’s website, www.rigov.org. At that time a joint press release will be issued by the City of Rock Island, IAIS and RDC. Founded in 1984, IAIS is a regional carrier operating over 550 miles between Omaha, Nebraska, and Chicago, Illinois, with connections to all Class 1 carriers. In May 2008, IAIS won the Gold Harriman award in recognition of its performance as the safest Class 2 (medium-size) railroad in the USA in 2007. IAIS is a subsidiary of RDC, a privately held Pittsburgh-based railway management and investment firm, focusing on “Emerging Corridors in Emerging Markets.” For more information on IAIS and RDC, please visit: www.IAISRR.com and www.RRDC.com. (Iowa Interstate - posted 9/05)