September 23, 1939 – The Iowa City Press-Citizen announces the CRANDIC Interurban To Change Times: New Streamlined Cars Go Into Service Tomorrow.
In 1939, the CRANDIC purchased six high-speed, light-weight interurban cars – #110, #111, #116, #117 (pictured above), #118, and #119 – from the recently-abandoned Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad. These modernized trolleys could cut the transit time between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City by one quarter – making the 27-mile route in only 45 minutes, earning them the name: Red Devils. These faster trolleys running on the CRANDIC’s slightly uneven tracks led to the popular saying – “Swing and Sway the CRANDIC Way”, and, yes, for some customers, these new Red Devils were also labeled as Vomit Comets!
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