Im modeling C&NW in northeastern Il and southeastern Wi. Would it be common to see freight cars of far away origin on CNW trains. Obviously cars from near by railroads such as SOO or MILW but what about roads like Santa Fe or Southern
Ringo,
Since they would likely head to Chicago (a huge interchange for RRs) first before heading to northern IL/southern WI, I would speculate that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary at all to see distant western roads in that region. Some western road freight and product did continue on to places like the east coast and the New England areas.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Pretty much any railroad will have cars from other railroads across the country. Any car from any railroad could be on any railroad. However some cars or road names will be more likely than others.
The mix of cars depends somewhat on the era.
In the steam/transition era the typical mix is 50% home road, 25% direct connections and 25% all others. Another way to figure the mix is based on how many cars a railroad owns. You will be more likely to see a PRR, NYC or B&O car than a CNJ just because those roads owned 10's of thousands of cars and the CNJ only owned several thousand. Some people go 33% home, 33% direct connections, 33% others. Your choice. Generally hopper cars stay on home roads while boxcars, flats and gons tend to be interchanged more.
The newer the era you are modeling, the greater the mix of private cars (those whose initials end in "X", e.g. GATX, CCBX, RBOX, etc). If you are modeling the 1980's probably 25% home, 25% direct connections, 25% other roads and 25% private. If you are modeling the 2000's then 20% home, 15% direct connections, 15% other roads, 50% private.
The mix also depends on what indsutries you serve and where the trains go.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
As a major Chicago railroad, the C&NW had interchanges with most east and west railroads either directly or indirectly through the various belt lines in and around Chicago.
Before the merger with UP in 1995, UP and C&NW were each other's biggest interchange partners. As for the belt lines, the C&NW had access to EJ&E at West Chicago and to the IHB and BRC at Proviso.
So, yes, it would be common to see freight cars of far away origin on C&NW trains.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrainBefore the merger with UP in 1995, UP and C&NW were each other's biggest interchange partners.
But not on the CNW lines radiating NW out of Chicago, which went to Minneapolis- St Paul, Duluth or Milwaukee/Green Bay or the Upper Peninsula. I would think the bulk of the traffic on those lines were via BN/NP/MILW/SOO that came through Minneapolis. The UP traffic was heavy on the E-W main from Chicago to Fremont.
Many of you may recall I have a great love for boxcars this didn't happen by chance but, by seeing boxcars from every road on the PRR,NYC,N&W,B&O and C&O in Columbus,Ohio back in the 50/60s. I even seen some West India Fruit & Steamship boxcars with the car ferry logo in the 50s.
Freight cars travel far and wide. Even a C&O boxcar could be seen in St.Paul or a N&W gon in LA. Today a NS or a U.P boxcar can be seen anywhere including Canada.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I remember reading as a kid that due to common standards on North American railroads, a car could haul a load of cargo "from the Yukon to the Yucatan".....You might have a bit of a chore explaining that NdeM boxcar parked on the team track at your model of the Churchill, Manitoba station, but anything, ANYTHING is possible. (Maybe Eskimoes like tacos)
BRAKIE...Freight cars travel far and wide. Even a C&O boxcar could be seen in St.Paul or a N&W gon in LA. Today a NS or a U.P boxcar can be seen anywhere including Canada.
As a kid growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, it was not uncommon to see rolling stock from all over North America, including Mexico. At that time, Hamilton was probably the most industrialised city in Canada, with two major steel companies, and literally dozens of other industries serving them. There were several foundries, and Westinghouse Canada had at least three large plant locations in the city, There were dozens of scrap yards, paint manufacturers, lumber yards, furniture factories, glass makers, appliance manufacturers, canneries, cotton mills...you name a product, and there was likely a plant in Hamilton that made it.
Hamilton is also a port city, and with the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, sees ships from all over the world, and, as it has for decades, boats from the Great Lakes, especially coal and ore carriers.
The city was served by the CNR,TH&B, CPR, and the NYC, the latter two sharing control of the TH&B.
I always enjoyed getting stopped at railway crossings, as the freight cars were from locations far and wide....a veritable map of North America rolling by.
Wayne
Hello All,
If you look at a map of North American railroads you will notice that the track gage; with the exception of narrow-gage, is a "standard"- -4' 8-1/2" across the entire network.
BEAUSABRE...due to common standards on North American railroads, a car could haul a load of cargo "from the Yukon to the Yucatan".....
That standardization of track from Canada to Mexico means that any rolling stock can move over any rail.
That's an important concept.
Pre-World War II, European countries ran their own "national" gage.
Not a big problem for England, being an island country.
However, on the continent, Dutch trains could not run on French track due to the difference in gage.
You would never see a car or loco from one country on another country's.
I run a freelance HO coal mining operation in the 1970s to -80s. The name of the railroad is Buckskin & Platte Rail Road (BS&P.R.R.)
Despite the freelanced name, the era and location allows for Santa Fe, Denver & Rio Grande West, Southern Pacific and Western Pacific trains to run along the right of way.
The mine facility receives goods from all over: steel from Pittsburg, rock dust from Utah, machinery from the industrial mid-west. Some cargo from as far away as Europe or Asia.
All coming from differing road names.
Currently running on the BS&P pike is a GP40 4-unit, distributed power, coal drag.
The motive power is Santa Fe, puling two cuts of coal hoppers; one from Boston & Main, and the other from the Virginian line. There is a trailing section from Monon, Burlington, and repurposed two-bay sugar hoppers.
A 3-unit consist, leased from the D&RGW, sits on a siding waiting for their cut of empties to shuttle back up to the mine.
This is the advantage of Freelancing.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I remmber seeing freight cars from just about all over on the C&NW running through South Milwaukee WI during the 1960s. The largest local industry got a lot of its raw material (steel) in EJ&E gons or flats (and the interchange was just over the border in Waukegan IL) but there was also plenty of GN, PRR, GTW, IC and ICG.
Similarly the freight train photos I took along the C&NW and Milwaukee Road from the 1970s on showed a wide mix of foreign road freight cars. Including BAR "State of Maine Products", Wabash, GM&O, ATSF, N&W, Northern Pacific, Rock Island, MoPac, SP&S, B&M. Consider the large industries located on the CNW and all the varied sources of supply they had. And the loads they sent out went all over too.
I always thought it was a little odd to see Milwaukee Road or Soo Line cars on the North Western, but you saw them. Green Bay & Western too.
There are some very interesting, if grainy, videos out there showing freight trains on the CNW and it is always interesting to see the variety of freight cars and road names.
Dave Nelson
Back in the 50s, would boxcars from small regional east coast lines like BAR Maine Products have made their way to Southern California? If so, what might they have carried? Furniture...?
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....
CapnCrunch Back in the 50s, would boxcars from small regional east coast lines like BAR Maine Products have made their way to Southern California? If so, what might they have carried? Furniture...?
Most of those insulated cars were hauling potatoes to New York, or later paper products. Many were a "specially equipped" car, an insulated boxcar (originally with charcoal heaters) specifically for potato service so they would not be in general service, they would be pooled. If they were out of the northeast, they would probably be in paper service.
Short answer, it is possible that one made it to SoCal, but probably not at all common.
dehusmanMany were a "specially equipped" car, an insulated boxcar (originally with charcoal heaters) specifically for potato service so they would not be in general service, they would be pooled.
Back in the 50's there was a produce house that in Columbus,Oh recieved potatoes from Maine and Iowa. Fruits and vegetables from California in PFGX,FGEX and Santa Fe reefers. I recall seeing those BAR Red,White and Blue "State Of Maine" boxcars in among those orange reefers.
As a kid I would go and get empty wooden orange crates and use the thin side pieces as road bed.
Trackside along the Potomac in MAryland watching the B&O I would see strings of PAcific Fruit Express cars. They were orange/yellow, about the color of a pencil. That was 1950s-60s.
Both SP and Santa Fe leased BAR reefers during the produce rush, along with FGE, WFE, and MDT reefers