***Go to C&NW's Mississippi River Bridge
Chicago & North
Western is one of my favorite railroads in America. C&NW was named
in 1859 and never changed it until merged into Union Pacific in 1995. The
most famous trains in C&NW family is "400" Passenger Trains. Those
trains were named "400", because in 1935, C&NW had an advertisement
said: "From Chicago to Twin Cities (Minneapolis, St. Paul), Not more than
400 miles, Not more than 400 Minutes!!!" Many people like it and then,
C&NW used 400 for many trains' names such as Kate Shelly 400, Dakota
400, Twin Cities 400 .......
Left Hand
Side Railroad
Most Railroads in
America run on right hand side. If a railfan goes out for train-watching,
it is easy to base on this rule to wait for trains( even in CTC route.
They are used to run on right hand side.) However, most railways in Taiwan
and Japan run on left hand side. For those railfans from Asia, it is difficult
to get used to these American railroad system.
However,
Do you know? I didn't feel any different when I go train-watching in Ames,
Iowa. It is like common sense for me to wait for trains on left hand side.
I didn't find something wrong until one day my friend Dan told me it is
different: The C&NW always runs on left hand side. The C&NW is
a "Left hand side railroad". For this reason, it is so familiar for me
to catch trains on C&NW lines. I can use my common sense here, although
there are full of right hand side railroad.
C44-9W
The first time I saw Chicago & North Western trains is in 1996/8. The
location is not in Iowa or any Midwest state. Sould I thank for Union Pacific
which took over C&NW? I have chance to see this C44-9W (Made by GE)
in UP Los Angeles Yard. CNW bought 130 C44-9Ws in 1993-1994. It is still
C&NW traditional yellow and green color, but it looks so nice, didn't
it?
My first C&NW model is not a very popular engine, but I love it's dog-head
very much. It is ALCO DL109. C&NW
just had one in its history. This N-scale model is made by CON-COR. I bought
it in a model store in Ames, IA. I always run it with my another engine
- C44-9W(made by KATO) and 400 streamliners. It seems the golden age of
C&NW come back in front of me.
- Jason
For over 125 years, the CNW Railroad played an important role in American
Railroads. The CNW played an important role in the construction of the
first transcontinental railroad by shipping supplies from Chicago to UP's
rail head in Omaha, NE. This was the begining af a wonderful friendship
between the two RR companies. From then on, the CNW was the UP's Chicago
connection. This friendship lasted until 1994, when the mighty Union Pacific
Railroad company purchaced the CNW. Since then, the UP has wiped out nearly
every trace on the once prosperous CNW; the famous "ball and bar" has fallen
to the UP's Shield, the yellow and green geeps are getting a coat of "Armour
Yellow".
On Oct 14th,1997, I went to West Ames Jct and I saw a UP "No Tresspassing"
sign near the road. It looked like any one of the million other No Tresspassing
sign that line our nation's railroads, so I thought nothing of it, until
something caught my eye. In the lower right hand corner of the sign, next
to the words "Union Pacific Railroad", I saw a small sticker. It was the
familiar CNW "ball and bar" logo. The UP may try to erase every trace of
the CNW, but it is still alive in our hearts!!
- Dan Kelly
C&NW
trains
EMD Locomotive
GP38-2L
#4604 in Ames,
Iowa
GP40
# 5529 in Ames, IA
SD40-2
# 6829 in Ames, IA
GE Locomotive
C44-9W
#
8682 in Ames, IA
PC &
FC
Minneapolis,
MN
C&NW Streamliner Dining Car #6950
(Model Made by CON COR)
C&NW Caboose #11136 in Boone, IA
CNW #471788 in Ames, IA
CNW #170254 in Ames, IA
Route of the 400
