Fun Fact: CNW had a 3 foot narrow gauge operation as well. This was due to their purchasing a small narrow gauge railroad that interchanged with their main line. The Galena and Southern Wisconsin Railroad Company (G&SWRR) existed as a functioning 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad from 1874 to 1880, when it was ultimately bought by the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) after a series of short ownership and name changes. The railroad continued to be a narrow gauge operation until sometime in the 1900's, when it was converted to standard gauge. It was abandoned in 1933.
Good 'ol Cheap and Nothing Wasted. We've got a lot of C&NW equipment at IRM and we're right alongside the original Chicago and Galena Union's original right of way. Great video.
I was an employee from 72-2012...and this video is rife with inaccuracies and the silly bit about "employee ownership" is simply not true. Larry Provo came up with the idea of selling the railroad to the employees.
were there any rumblings of classic excursion engines (midwestern examples include nkp 759 & 765, pere marquette 1225, milw 261, gtw 6325, cn 3254) running on your lines before the southern steam and the ns 21st century steam programs?
It surprises me is the names of these railroads. Most companies are named after their founders like Ford, Boeing, Warner Bros, DuPont, and Kellogg’s. But the railroads were named after states, cities, or regions. I’m surprised there wasn’t a Vanderbilt Railroad.
I believe it was seen as advertising. Most railroads, when they began, were relatively small and named after the region or cities where they ran. It helped people know from the get-go where the lines went without having to look at the map. It often made less sense as railways got larger, but the names stuck. In fact that's probably partly why CSX and BNSF go by their abbreviations instead of their full names now since they're so massive.
Ref;Vanderbilt- the nickname for the NYC,and connections was just that,but it was more on Wall Street,than on Main Street! Thank you 😇! Addendum- the,"Pioneer",the Baldwin 4-2-0,was an escapee from the NYC too! The last railroad it was on,prior to the C&GU,was the Michigan Central,and that engine also was on the progenitor of the fledgling CB&Q,so that little one got to be the father of 4 different railroads! Plus,one other note,the C&NW runs LEFT HANDED ON DOUBLE TRACK,a carry-over from the doubling of track in the 1860's,and forward! Thank you for an interesting video! Thank you 😇!
@@donnie2832 The Pere Marquette was named after a French priest,who explored what since is known as the State of Michigan! Later became part of the C&O,then Chessie System,now CSX! Condensed history! Thank you 😇!
@@SimonTekConley Sorry lol. I wasn't trying to gate keep information. When the CNW double tracked their mainline, all of their stations were on the left side of the track. Rather than knocking them down and rebuilding them on the right, it was cheaper to run their trains on opposite sides like they do in England and Japan. Their engineers and firemen/conductors even sat on opposite sides of the cab compared to other North American lines. This lasted until the UP takeover.
@@91_C4_FL I grew up within 2 blocks of the C&NW Northwest branch (Paralleled the NW/Kennedy Expwy for many miles). By “left hand running” are you considering the stations being on the left going outbound or inbound?
@@0fficialdregs I need to learn more about the IC. I'm very familiar with the Rock Island and Milwaukee Road, but I've always let that one linger in the background.
I remember CNW trains rolling though Iowa and Illinois all the time when I was a kid. Out of all the mergers that happened in the late 20th century with Class I railroads I wish CNW and Southern Pacific were still around today.
I thought wed come to it!Having it hard a bit after the 50s and 60s but turning it around and even building new lines for coal hauling and succesfully selling themselves out to UP(Sadly this led also to the end of ATSF,BN and SP.)
A villain railroad to a lot of people for acquiring beloved railroads like the Minneapolis & St. Louis and Chicago Great Western and then abandoning almost all of those lines. In addition, the C&NW was a big reason it took the ICC so long to rule on the proposed UP/Rock Island merger.
You need to put the class R-1 4-6-0 into to one of your videos. The R-1 was extremely successful. The GP-7 of it's day. Pulled passenger trains, freights, commuters and did yard switching. Three still exist today, one in a museum and two being restored.
This is perfect for background noise. Not only is it relaxing. But you also learn some cool stuff. Also i like the way you narrate as it is a nice mix of serius and goofing around.
I love these kinds of videos you have been doing. Any chance of videos on the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and their creative use of the CB&Q for increasing profits?
They have got lines to the Powder River Basin it was the Fremont to Chadron Line. However the Fremont to Norfolk Line is largely forgotten. 4:03 FE&MV (Fremont Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad) Fremont Nebraska was another point where CNW would interchange with UP. As a matter of fact Fremont Nebraska still has some Artifacts from CNW on their lines. 8:53 If you ever go to Fremont Nebraska Go along Clamar Avenue there is still strong evidence of where rails used to be 1982 Fremont to Norfolk Section was abandoned. And the Fremont to West Point was sold to a Tourist railroad called FEVR (Fremont Elkhorn Valley Railroad) The railroad went Bankrupt in 2012 due to worsening track conditions and the track was removed in 2013. The equipment was to be moved to Nebraska City but Nebraska City didn't allow it so most the equipment stayed in Fremont Nebraska till finally this year equipment started being purchased by people and The CNW SW1200 #1219 is being taken Apart.
You have such good solid mini docs. Really hope you cover the st.Louis Brownsville & Mexico (Gulf Coast Line) I’d sure love to share a ton of information to make that happen
CNW passenger service ceased in 1971 when Amtrak took over. It ran freight until it was bougt out by Union Pacific The Milwaukee Road is now Canadian Pacific Now we have the 8 hr trip on the Empire builder between Chicago and the Twin Cities Sad the 1960s and 1970s "modern planes" pretty much took over rail passenger travel . It takes roughly 1 hour to fly from Chicago to Minneapolis. 😢
My dad worked on TMR as a 17-19yo back in 1946. He noted the Hiawatha Line fr Chicago to Mpls had 100mph locos that made that trip in under 5hrs! Could you imagine sleeping on that line as your RR car flew down the tracks at 100mph? Heaven ❤😂🎉
@@sferg9582 Amtrak got most of the passenger service but C&NW still operated the local Chicago commuter service until the early 80's when the RTA (later Metra) took it over.
My friend worked 4 come 36 yrs...been in MSP since I was born in 1949 and a favorite of railfans...at end of his career,he said come meant" cheap ¬hing wasted" a perspective till Uncle Pete buyout 👋
Nice video! Since you already did the WP, how about doing this a series about the predecessor roads of the present UP, like the MKT, MoPac, D&RG, and SP?
ALCO DIESELS were concentrated in Green Bay, ( not just the GB&W ). With switchers like the RS27 working the paper mills and switchyards, and others: and Giant C628/c-c running North to Escanaba for the iron ore unit trains in winter, and Taconic pellets, and regular freight, plus ➕ also going South to Milwaukee on the old West Bend Sub., Because the track was rebuilt to carry these Heavy C628, and increased speeds. Also the Lake SHORE div., through Manitowoc and Sheboygan also carried Taconite unit trains when the new CNW bought new EMD SD60, and SD70, and with large coal hoppers with pellets loaded 1/2 over the wheels. And regular freight was carried on Train 180 East departing at 6:00 pmc, frequently with 5 diesel mixed with the SD60 and older GP7's now used as switchers. 180 East meets 181 West at Denmark with 180 speeding past the double semaphore by Main Street supermarket; and I have the Super 8mm Kodak home movies 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽. . Lakeshore was also used for steam with CNW 1385 4-6-0 ALCO 1907 from.MID CONTINENT RY. MUS., in North Freedom, which arrived in April 1982 for repairs in the Roundhouse in North Green Bay. But sadly CNW downgraded the Valley div., through Oshkosh, then embargoed the rest of the track to Fondulac. And abandoned miles of branches like from New London North to Shawano, and the Clintonville branch to Eland Jct. That went North to Rhinelander and the ski resorts in winter, and fishing lakes in summer. But...it changed completely in 1987 when the new F.R.V.R. was started by ITEL in San Francisco. Who reactivated the Fondulac route. But downgraded the Manitowoc line through Bellevue and Maribell to only 25, or 10 mph, still with long trains on Monday after sitting down for the weekend. But this changed yet again when WCL came in 1993, and abandoned and ripped off the central section from Denmark East to Maribel for nearly 14 miles but leaving 2 short stubs West to Green Bay: or East to Manitowoc. There was a plan to make a new shortline for steam excursions. But the WCL had the DNR build the trail; and the feed mill in Denmark was greatly Expanded with Giant grain bins over the site of the old tracks. Later in 2003 it was merged into C.N. BUT last year in 2022 it was unmerged into the HLCX shortline family. There also are many plans FOR AMTRAK to come back after the past 52vyears when the last 400 was stopped on Friday, April 30, 1971. Especially for Packer Football Excursions to Chicago Bears 🐻, due to the long rivalry since 1919; because the G.B. PACKERS are the Only team of the N.F.L that doesn't have access to Amtrak and other excursions. Happily in 2021 we made plans to run The N.E.W. GREEN BAY 400, using original 1956 bilevel coaches, and EMD Diesels like F7, and E8a. Very soon, "ALL ABOARD THE N.E.W. 400!!!!". HIGHBALL !!-! HI IN APRIL 2023A.D. HAPPY EASTER AND RESURRECTION SUNDAY OF JESUS CHRIST 🙌!!!!! GLORY ALLELUIA!!!!! AMEN ✝️ 🙏 ✝️ 🙏 ✝️ 🙏!!!
My first Lionel train set was a Chicago and North Western 4-4-2 Atlantic passenger train. And now they’re my third favorite railroad (sorry, DRGW and SP take one and two)
C&NW will always be my favorite. Born and raised in Chicago about 2 blocks from CNW NW line. However, I lived near Denver and DRGW is also one of my top three… followed by SP as I’ve lived in California prior to its being absorbed into UP. Favorite engines: The SP cab-forward steam engines, will always be right up there with the Big Boy and Challenger.
Yo you should make a history video about CNW 1385 just like how you did 5629. Idk if you knew this, but the Chicago and Northwestern actually had their own steam program during the 1980s’s, using 1385.
You should do a video about the last steam operated common carrier the Crab orchard & Egytian railroad in particular #17 that last ran frieght service in 1987.
I grew up in the 1960's in Milwaukee near a CNW trestle that had a Milwaukee Road line running underneath. The CNW line was upgraded to welded track in the 1970's, and us kids were pretty amazed by the process, and by how quiet trains became afterwards. I also saw my first EOT device on those same tracks - really hated seeing the cabooses go! The Milwaukee road track on the other hand was literally falling apart. Missing spikes and bolts here and there was common. They worked on it, but not much.
Actually, the most notable passenger service of CNW was with traditional Overland Route partner Union Pacific - an agreement that lasted 75 years before the "Big Switch" on October 30, 1955 when UP switched the "Cities" trains from CNW to MILW for the Chicago - Omaha segment.
Would you like to talk about the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads in the future? You don’t have to, but I’m just saying, if you talked about Penn Central and New Haven, I think it’d be only fair that you talk about PC’s big predecessors.
@@ohioandnortheastern I know he did Penn Central, but what of individual ones for NYC or PRR? He only mentioned both railroads were struggling in the 60’s, and it led to them merging. He never mentioned both of them in that much detail
The CNW made some weird choices in Wisconsin from the 70s onward trying to buy the GB&W with the MILW and SOO just to screw over the BN offer only to backfire when the MILW went bankrupt and when they sold some of there lines in eastern Wisconsin to the FRVR with that being a complete disaster for both railroads with that being a hole different rabbit hole to go though
You make no mention of Larry Provo, who became President of NorthWestern after NWI Industries divested the Railroad. He was the one who first applied to get C&NW into the Powder River basin. Then when the ICC told him he could go in for half of BN's line, told BN's Lou Menk that C&NW would pay cash for C&he's half. Menk having seen the buyout as having taken all of C&NW's money couldn't believe that they could pull it off. Menk cried foul when UP paid for C&NW to go to the Powder River.
Forgot they owned the superior coal company in illinois.suplied their coal.i also believe they owned part of the consolidated coal companies in illinois and iowa
I would like you to do a video featuring the following locomotives: the JNR Class D51, JNR Class C62, DRG Class 05, DRB class 52 (kriegslok) and NSB Class 49 (Dovre Giant).
The city trains didnt leave because of deferred maintainance , Heineman wanted more of a share of the profits because CNW did all the maintainance of the trains in Chicago and all the UP did was carry them from CNW to SP who did the work on the other end,so they moved to Milw who did it for the old agreement.
Hey Darkness, since you've covered quite a few American fallen railroads, why not cover some British ones sometime? I mean, you did talk about BR's ill-fated Modernization Plan. If you ever do cover a British fallen flag, I know a great one to start with, the Somerset & Dorset Railway.
@@agungheryadi4226 If you read my comment, you'll see that I mentioned. I was talking about other fallen British railways, like the aforementioned Somerset & Dorset.
Great video! You can still see the C&NW logo on some of the UP/Metra lines around Chicago! Just a couple pronunciation corrections: Elgin = "EL-JIN", schooner = "skoo-ner".
0:47 9:58 those are Chicago & Northwestern E class pacifics. they were actually seen pulling the CNW's green and yellow bi level cars on commuter trains in their later years as seen here 11:30 *another good obscure class of pacifics* 7:54 8:32 the H-1 Northerns😎 *these were among the biggest steam engines on the Chicago & Northwestern.* 12:29 E2a pacifics were the magnum opus of the CNW😌👌 they were really reliable, and one of those numbered 2908 had a unique marslight angled at the sky
So, what is next? The Reading? The Missouri-Kansas-Texas? The Denver & Rio Grande Western? The Southern? All are good ones.... (Do the Katy first, though!)
The Chicago/Northwestern Railroad passed through Shakopee MN throughout all the years I was growing up. The rail line ran lengthwise through town parallel to the Minnesota river, about 300 yards south of the river channel. The CNW had a right-of-way agreement that regulated the speed through town to be under 25 mph, the number of crossing streets, and the volume of the horns at nighttime. I will always remember how memorable the night time subdued horn reports were. During summer time it was most unique to hear the softened horn reports at each crossing street, as the freight consists of grain hoppers and tank cars rolled through. Too bad the Democrat unions killed the company.
Worked on the line when all the grade crossings were being renewed and we had a ten mph speed restriction through all the crossings took a long time to get a 140 car train through town and traffic was stacked up on hwy 13.
Right its the democraticunions fault . Management had nothing to do with it lol. There are republicans in unions too.try not to sou d so uninformed by blaming politics for everything wrong.
Many of those GP7's & such lasted till the UP merger. The MoPac mindset had taken over the UP by that point and if you put an ex-Mopac GP15 next to a CNW GP7 or GP9 the CNW Units looked and ran better mechanically. CNW actually maintained there's because they didn't want to waste money on new 4 axle power for branch service.
C&NW was approached by the DRGW + SP to run a flim flam on the UP. Turns out, UP didn't make it to Chicago, they relied on the C&NW friendly connection. The Rio Grande Industries company figured this out, and they approached C&NW, "You want to make a lot of money?". The two companies made it look like they were thinking of merging. Enraged, UP bough them both for way too much money, then proceeded to rip them apart. They even burned the D&RGW and SP company records in Denver.
I'm from Glenn Ellyn I'm 60 now and a very old old man and I remember . I'm kidding yes I remember the race track every 5 min the gates were going down CNW : green, medium yellow black red and white constantly
