I know C&NW crews kept operating the trains after the RTA/METRA take over. I remember the RTA and METRA painted equipment being fazed in to use. Who owned the C&NW painted equipment in the late 1970's and in to the 1980's?
James
The ButlerI know C&NW crews kept operating the trains after the RTA/METRA take over. I remember the RTA and METRA painted equipment being fazed in to use. Who owned the C&NW painted equipment in the late 1970's and in to the 1980's?
I've got no hard information; but I recall the C&NW cars were owned in trust by Northern Trust Bank and had a plate to that effect on the car..
The original RTA colors used on the ex-C&NW bi-levels wasn't that bad: silver gray body, brown upper window belt, orange lower window belt and brown lettering and numbering.
Hi - After the RTA purchase, the ex-CNW cars and locomotives had a small sticker applied (dark brown background with orange lettering IIRC) that indicated they were owned by the RTA. The sticker certainly stood out on the yellow CNW paint! As newer cars were delivered, the ex-RI Pullman gallery cars were transferred to the former CNW lines. The RTA scheme on the ex-CNW and RI cars was a silver mist background at one time, with a light gray being used later on. Hope this helps! Art
The RTA color scheme was bland and awful. Especially since the C&NW green-and-yellow was fantastic and the Metra blue-and-silver is excellent.
Mike ORTA purchased C&NW commuter cars sometime in late 1970's/early 1980's, repainted them in a terrible color scheme which I cannot even discribe. Cars retained by Metra were then painted in the much better blue/silver Metra colors.
To amplify, RTA (this was before METRA was even a gleam in Phil Pagano's eye) consumated a purchase-of-service agreement with CNW in 1977. Under the agreement, RTA "bought" the Chicago and NorthWestern Transportation Company's commuter rail line of business. RTA assumed title to all assets "used and useful" in CNW commuter service, including rolling stock, locomotives (a bunch of aging F7s and E8s), and CNW's car shop and locomotive shop at M19A. As I understood it, CNW would continue to operate the service, collect --and pocket -- the fares. The operating deficit would be made up by RTA. New equipment (to replace obsolete equipment and provice for any service expansion) is strictly up to RTA and its successors (read METRA). This arrangement, to my admittedly limited knowledge, continues to this day, even though the equipment is now owned by METRA and CNW has been bought out by Union Pacific.
Being a self-admitted slob of questionable taste, I will refrain from commenting here on either the effectiveness or the asthetics of the color scheme. (Purists may note that I have attempted to mirror RTA's pumpkin orange).
Pretty ugly, all right!!
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1296065
The way it should be in green and yellow!
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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