Calling All Chicago And NorthWestern Fans!

[Anonymous]

Your link is not working. Please elaborate on the reasons.

I always thought it was due to double tracking occurring after the depots were already in place...

Thanks,

Paul August

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw8835

I'm going to stop this before it starts all over again. We had this discussion for 2 weeks over on trains magazine forum a couple of months ago. Left hand running does not come from European investors. Heres the link, look in the second paragraph.

http://www.cnwhs.org/ch_cnw.htm

Long live C&NW

[Anonymous]

Its working as far as I can see it. C&NWs predecesor layed a second track to the present City of Chicago limits in the 1850's. All of the stations had been built on the north side of the tracks to help keep the stations warmer in winter. The second track was built on the south side because of the station location. Inbound morning trains were then run on the north track so that passengers could remain inside the station in the winter until the train was almost right at the station.
European investors at the time would not risk their money in such an "uncivilized place"
Hope this helps

[Anonymous]

Yes, that is what I remember reading too. Thanks much for the information.

Paul August

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw8835

Its working as far as I can see it. C&NWs predecesor layed a second track to the present City of Chicago limits in the 1850's. All of the stations had been built on the north side of the tracks to help keep the stations warmer in winter. The second track was built on the south side because of the station location. Inbound morning trains were then run on the north track so that passengers could remain inside the station in the winter until the train was almost right at the station.
European investors at the time would not risk their money in such an "uncivilized place"
Hope this helps

[ac4400fan]

By The way ,Anyone see Katos line of C&NW Commuter Trains on the back cover of July's ussue Of MRR ?? thinking getting some of those

carl.

[raynbecky]

Another die-hard C&NW fan here! I'm a native New Yorker, but moved to Chicago when I was 10. The first time I saw the C&NW bi-levels and elegant E's and F's I was hooked! My model railroad still features heavy passenger operations. I model 1982 so the RTA is there too but C&NW paint still rules the day on this line. I lived in Palatine and rode the train at least once a week during the summer months for at least 6 years. I was also fortunate to work right across the street from the mainline. Back then I didn't have much money so pictures were not an option for me. I now wish I had rode the train less and taken more pic's.

[Anonymous]

The new Kato commuter cars a very nice. I have three of the Amtrak bilevels now. Easy to detail and the dry transfer car number are a great addition.
Now a new question. Does anyone know why C&NW had some auto parts box cars with full C&NW markings but had stenciling instructing the cars to be returned to an "agent". The agents I know of were the Milwaukee Road and the New York Central on 60' and 89' box cars. What was the purpose of this system?

[Anonymous]

Oh, man, I know what you mean. I wish I was carrying my camera around back in the 60's and 70's and shooting pics around Chicago...

Paul

QUOTE: Originally posted by raynbecky
I now wish I had rode the train less and taken more pic's.

[daschilling]

re: Does anyone know why C&NW had some auto parts box cars with full C&NW markings but had stenciling instructing the cars to be returned to an "agent".

CNW had serveral series of "Equipped" box cars assigned to automotive service. A number of these were assigned to the Chrysler plant at Belvidere Illinois, and the GM palnt at Janesville Wi. These would commonly interchange with the Milwaukee road, et. al. for shipments to other Chysler and GM plants. As these were specially equiped to handling particular auto components, CNW would especially want these cars returned promptly, and not held until a load to be delivered to CNW was contracted.

CNW obtained a fair number more of "equiped" cars from Rock Island when the Rock reached its end. See the Final Freight Car Roster book by Joe Pierson, published by CNWHS. Hope this helps... [:D]

[Anonymous]

Thats understandable daschilling, but why would the agent for the car be another railroad, especially a competitor like the Milwaukee?

[Anonymous]

Hey there CNW fans! I never cared much for CNW until I saw this baggage car the other day............



That beauty was on a TSBRY/Lake Central Railtours excursion train in Traverse City, MI. Whoever designed the CNW paint scheme had good taste![:p]

[daschilling]

The "agent" would be a CNW agent, either a freight agent at remote station or a specified agent for interchange between roads. The Milkaukee Road and CNW had a number of interchanges and regularly turned cars back to the cars' home roads. Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison WI, Janesville WI, La Crosse WI, St Paul MN among others.

Technically, any car from a foreign road that delivered a load on the local road, should have been returned directly to the foreign road. In the real world, the car would have a low priority in moving back toward it's home road. If the local road contracted a load to the foreign road, it would find itself being used for that load. And there even was the occasion when a load to be picked upand delivered on the local road, would be put in the car being returned to it's home road, if it was moving the right direction. (What? use the other guy's equipment to move your load, that only you are being paid for? Now who would do that type of thing?)

Most roads had agreements and/or contracts with other roads for the return of cars which delivered loads off their home tracks. Federal regulations covered the interchange of cars (and loads) where no oterh agreement existed. In any case, cars were supposed to be returned directly to their owners, either by the shortest route, or by "reverse route" if the car was special. Every railroad company had agents to make these arrangements, sending and receiving interchange cars.

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes local freight agents doubled as interchange agents, but many roads had specific agents for doing this job. At some large interchange yards, each of the rail companies had full time staffs for just that interchange. Each car had to accounted for, and was tracked until it returned home. Other wise, a railroad could hold onto every foreign car delivering a load, and not have to buy its own equipment, never returning cars to their actual owners.

Well I didn't mean to write a book, and even this is just a rough outline of interchange operations. [soapbox]

[ac4400fan]

What a Excelent picture BigBoy! I want to thank everyone for over a hundred posts to this thred ,i hope we will keep it Alive and kicking!

Carl...

[Anonymous]

100 posts and counting! 100 Smilies to Celebrate!

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Paul

[Anonymous]

Did CNW have any right hand running? it would be to much work for a model of my exerpeince to change the control stands in my models.

[ac4400fan]

True Jay, I understand that the union pacific didnt like this ,,hehe but it would cast to much $$$$$ to change everything ,as the same with a modelur,,so with mine i didnt think this way just happened as a mistake ...

Carl..

[daschilling]

Ref: CNW Right-hand;
The CNW never regularly ran right-hand, but at times ran all tracks the same direction. The Northwest line was three track from Clybourn to Barrinton, but during the peak commuter rush, all three tracks ran "in" in the morning, and "out" during the afternoon. Before and after these times, two tracks ran the predominate direction, and one in the opposite. The center track typically was the "express" track, but it remained left hand. Sorry...[:(]

[raynbecky]

I spent many a days watching the C&NW along that route and don't remember them running all three tracks one direction ever. Where did you get that information? (Not saying it couldn't or didn't happen, it just couldn't have been the norm.) If you look at their signals the inbound track, (on the left) only had signals on the west side of the signal bridges. The same was true of the outbound tracks. The only track that was bi-directional was the center track. Perhaps they did this in special circumstances but it would have to be an exception since anyone using the unsignaled track would be on some other kind of authority to make a movement. I know I never saw this and I worked right next to the line in Palatine. I worked outside and had an unobstructed view of the tracks for about 3-5 miles in each direction.

[ac4400fan]

And how long have you noticed this?? from wjhat i know its been since the erly 50's..they might have changed things ,,,
carl...

[raynbecky]

From 1970-1985 for me. Like I said each outside track is signaled in only one direction. So that means from 1970 on it's been like this, it's like this today. (I visit Chicago regularly.) I had a buddy that was an engineer on the C&NW and while you could see moves like this, it was pretty rare. You had to get special permission to make a westbound move on eastbound tracks and visa-versa. The local way freight did this every night but it was usually after the last east and west train ran the line. Even then they still had to have permission from the dispatcher to cross tracks.

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping to get Walthers to make athird and fourth run of the CNW RD4 hopper. Great looking car in the CNW scheme. By the way, CNW will be going strong on my layout, and the time period will be around 2003.

Vito Larucci

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping to get Walthers to make athird and fourth run of the CNW RD4 hopper. Great looking car in the CNW scheme. By the way, CNW will be going strong on my layout, and the time period will be around 2003.

Vito Larucci

[daschilling]

RE: All tracks one direction. This was in 1961-1964. It was rare, and only for a short period. The only time I actually saw it was in the morning, as I was a crossing guard (patrol boy) at the Gladstone Park Station while in grammer school.[2c]

(PS. in the afternoon, school was out and we were gone before the afternoon rush started. I very seldom saw any trains in the 3:00-3:30 time period.)

[raynbecky]

I would have LOVED to see that! Thanks for the information. Do you happen to know why they stopped doing it? (I know they had a procedure to do this and it was in their rule book. Perhaps because there was a lack of signals and after the 70's the agents were in the offices less and less. Perhaps that's the reason? I know they handed the engineers and conductors orders from time to time.)

[ac4400fan]

It Might have been cause of school let out times ,,not al the way sure of it all ,still a big mistory,,.
carl

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if that had actually happened. 10 years after the merger, we are down to what, 7 CNW Diesels on the lines?

Post pics when you can of your layout...

Paul

QUOTE: Originally posted by HOVEHICLE

I'm hoping to get Walthers to make athird and fourth run of the CNW RD4 hopper. Great looking car in the CNW scheme. By the way, CNW will be going strong on my layout, and the time period will be around 2003.

Vito Larucci

[ac4400fan]

Hey Guys Thought id check in ,,Heres one for you paugust Enjoy



Lets see more ,,,

Carl....

[cspmo]

[:D] Hey gang Kadee is comming out with M.St.L. PS 2 cover hoppers. In 2 numbers can't wait.

[Anonymous]

I saw those! They look nice. Also, go over to www.CNWHS.org and look at the three packs of Bowser Cement Hoppers they are selling, while they last.

Paul

QUOTE: Originally posted by cspmo

[:D] Hey gang Kadee is comming out with M.St.L. PS 2 cover hoppers. In 2 numbers can't wait.

[Anonymous]

And I did! Thanks!

Paul August

QUOTE: Originally posted by ac4400fan

Hey Guys Thought id check in ,,Heres one for you paugust Enjoy

[Anonymous]

Hey Jay,

Your scans are in the mail. Plus a bonus extra...

Paul August

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNW Jay
Thanks alot paul. i emailed you my address. those Pictures and drawings and stuff will really come in handy.