Did the Chicago and Northwestern railroad ever run in the Denver area? I know UP aquired CNW around 1995, and UP is based in Denver. But I want some C&NW locomotives on my layout.
Would CNW locos ever have been seen in the Denver rail yards?
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
No the C&NW track never extended to Denver. However until October 30, 1955 the Union Pacific streamliners used C&NW track from Chicago west and there are many photos of the UP City of Denver train running with early diesels that had the heralds of both the UP and the C&NW on them. I suppose it is possible that from time to time a "pure" CNW diesel had to substitute for the dedicated power. Similarly the passenger cars on the City trains were painted in UP colors but some were owned by, and lettered, C&NW and I suppose it is possible that from time to time a "pure" CNW car had to substitute. When the UP ended its use of the CNW track and switched to Milwaukee Road, you would still see a North Western car painted in UP colors into the 1960s.
I can recall seeing UP diesels (and cabooses) on C&NW freight trains around Milwaukee in the 1980s well before the takeover; whether CNW units saw similar service on UP trains I do not know.
Dave Nelson
The furthest 'West' the C&NW ever got was Lander, WY. They did pool passenger cars with the UP until 1955, so C&NW diesels/passnger cars did arrive in Denver on the UP. C&NW freight diesels did pool with the UP right up to the merger.
BTW, the UP is headquartered in Omaha, NE......
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
jrbernierC&NW freight diesels did pool with the UP right up to the merger.
Yes, and after the merger, C&NW diesels roamed UP's system like those of other acquisitions, so post-merger would probably have produced greater chances of Can't & Never Will diesels showing up in Denver.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
OK great thanks for the info this. I will go ahead and get the C&NW SD70Ace Heritage unt I was looking to get.
The UP CN&W heritage unit has absolutely nothing to do with the CNW other than the paint. Its movements have nothing to do with the former CNW or how CNW units moved on the UP. The heritage units are UP units and their movements, for the most part, travel the UP just like any other UP SD70ACE.
In the 1980's and 1990's most CNW leaders came off at N Platte and were routed back to the CNW instead of going west. There were only a select few locomotives that were dual equipped with UP CCS and CNW ACS so they could lead a consist on both the UP and CNW, running through the interchange at Fremont, NE. Letting one of those engines get loose on a side trip to Denver was not looked upon favourably. A non-CCS equipped engine might run through N Platte as a trailing unit, but letting a dual leader stry off a path that connected with the CNW was frowned upon.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
In addition to the Heritage unit, I was also wanting to get some additional C&NW locos, like some SD45s.
The CNW SD45's were all retired by the UP after the merger. They were gone over a decade before the SD70ACE's showed up. One issue with CNW engines west of N Platte was many CNW engines lacked dynamic brakes and the UP generally prohibited engines without dynamic brakes from going past N Platte. Many CNW SD45's lacked dynamic brakes.
The lack of dynamic brakes could definitely be an issue. And the visits may have been infrequent, but it did happen.
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?82278-CNW-diesels-running-on-Colorado-lines
http://www.actionroad.net/UPRRintheRockies/UP_Roster_GE.htm
I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some run-through or time-sharing agreements. Seems to me I've seen pics of UP freight engines running on the CNW before the merger, so I'd think the opposite would have occured too.