Iowa Falls, Iowa Railcam — Mills Tower Diamond

Where this camera films

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Camera position: 42.52278, -93.24861

Location

Iowa Falls, Iowa, United States

Railroad

Union Pacific, CN — Mason City Subdivision / Waterloo Subdivision

≈ MP 325.7 on the Waterloo Subdivision — derived from FRA grade crossing 307279M, 50 m away

Weather & light at the camera

Sun times calculated for this camera’s coordinates.

Trains on this camera

Through trains per day

9reported to the FRA — Mason City Subdivision only

More than one line meets here. This count covers the Mason City Subdivision alone — trains on the Waterloo Subdivision are not included.

Daytime

6 AM – 6 PM

≈ 1 every 2.5 h

Nighttime

6 PM – 6 AM

≈ 1 every 3 h

Reported by the railroad for FRA grade crossing 876136H, 110 m from this camera (FRA inventory, July 2026). An estimate, not a schedule — crossings on this line within 5 km report 8 to 9.

Track at the crossing

1 main track · 20 mph timetable speed

Train types

Freight

On the line here

Nearest grade crossingW 2nd StCC Waterloo, MP 325.71 · FRA ID 307279M · public crossing · 1 main track · timetable speed 25 mph · horns sounded here

50 m

Nearest named bridgeHollis AveUnion Pacific Mason City, MP 147 · one track

790 m

FRA / NTAD — crossing inventory Jul 21, 2026 · bridge inventory Oct 14, 2022

About this cam

This camera overlooks the Mills Tower diamond in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where Union Pacific's Mason City Subdivision crosses Canadian National's Waterloo Subdivision at grade. The interlocking tower dates to about 1909 and anchors the Mills Tower Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The camera is hosted by the Iowa Falls Historical Society.

Mills Tower, built around 1909, marks the diamond crossing in Iowa Falls, Iowa where Union Pacific's Mason City Subdivision (running roughly north-south) crosses Canadian National's Waterloo Subdivision (running roughly east-west) at grade. The tower and its associated buildings, tied historically to the Illinois Central Railroad, form the Mills Tower Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

This camera, hosted by the Iowa Falls Historical Society, looks across the diamond itself. Movements include Union Pacific trains on the Mason City Subdivision and Canadian National trains on the Waterloo Subdivision.

What to watch for

Union Pacific Mason City Subdivision and Canadian National Waterloo Subdivision freight trains crossing at the Mills Tower diamond — watch for meets at the crossing itself.

Iowa Falls, Iowa — Mills Tower Diamond