In the early to mid 1900s, the Doodlebug arrived at this platform six days a week bringing passengers from Des Moines and points in between to board the great passenger trains of the day. The Doodlebug was a gasoline-powered electric train and the smallest full train on the Rock Island system. This one-car train ran daily, except Sunday, from Des Moines to Eldon and returned, a four-hour trip each way. It carried passengers, baggage, and mail, and was operated by a four-man crew consisting of an engineer, a conductor, a brakeman, and a mailman. On November 2, 1902, the first run of the luxurious Golden State Limited, carrying passengers from Chicago to Los Angeles, was made, and that route included a stop in Eldon. After nearly 100 years of service, the Eldon Depot saw its last passengers on February 20, 1968, when the Golden State Limited made its final run and stopped in Eldon for the last time. In later years, the Doodlebug ran a shortened route between Eldon and Ottumwa.