#c&nw

[railwayhistorical]

Rockford, Illinois (Part Two)

This is a northbound movement on the Milwaukee Road in Rockford, Illinois. We first see the train at Buckbee Street where it will soon cross the Illinois Central. That lead unit, 89C, was built for the Milwaukee in 1949.

The next two shots come from Cedar Street: the train has since crossed over the Rock River and is ducking under the Chicago & North Western, the bridge visible in the second shot. In the going away image, it is entering what was previously a small yard.

One might not think of northern Illinois as being part of the Rust Belt, but looking at a USGS map of this era, one sees just how busy this place must have been back in the day. In addition the roads mentioned above, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy seems to have had a branch line here.

Three photographs by Richard Koenig; taken November 27th 1976.

[railwayhistorical]

On the New Line

After poring over Google maps (for several days, no less) I’ve come to the conclusion that these images were made along Chicago & North Western’s so-called new line between Chicago and Milwaukee.

The train is northbound between West Buckley Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in North Chicago, just west of Great Lakes Naval Base.

I enjoy seeing an SD45 sans dynamic brakes (the CNW must be the only road boasting this idiosyncratic unit) along with the big Alco (which is of the former Norfolk & Western) behind.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken October 9th 1977.

[railwayhistorical]

Chicago and North Western Commuter “Scoots”

This photograph, from March of 1977, was taken at the north end of C&NW's line to Waukegan, Illinois.

Number 505 is a so-called Crandall Cab, which the railroad ingeniously fabricated from Union Pacific E8Bs and E9Bs.

Image taken by Richard Koenig, from the collection of John Rust.

[bryanthebobcat]

Farming supplies are in urgent need so the C&NW made an exclusive express service they call the Farmtown Flyer

Had this idea for a while since I have a good selection of freight cars that I feel like would fit in a more farmland aesthetic and I got an A/B set of Alco Ps for the Chicago and North Western Railroad so I figured why not? I also like the name, it kinda just rolls off the tongue nicely

[railwayhistorical]

We Can Handle It

To follow up on yesterday’s post with the Rock Island train, I have one today that was definitely taken on the Chicago & North Western main line in Iowa. These shots were taken between Woodbine and Dunlap in the western part of the state.

It’s interesting to note that the C&NW had pulled one of the two tracks in this section, between Denison and Missouri Valley, only to have it put back in later (by the Union Pacific, I believe, after they absorbed the line). Too bad it's not double track here so we can witness the distinctive "wrong-way" running this railroad was known for—but this helped pin down the locale.

These are some of my earliest rail images. We were visiting the grandparents in Storm Lake, Iowa, to the north. I would bug my brother to drive me around a bit (as I was only fifteen at the time) so I could shoot trains with an old camera of my dad's. I saw several trains like this: Union Pacific power with C&NW on the point (for cab signals, I reckon)..

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken December 22nd 1975.

[railwayhistorical]

On the New Line

After poring over Google maps (for several days, no less) I’ve come to the conclusion that these images were made along Chicago & North Western’s new line between Chicago and Milwaukee.

The train is northbound between West Buckley Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in North Chicago, just west of Great Lakes Naval Base. [Update: this location is confirmed by Frank J. Nobile who is looking at a track chart with signal numbers.]

I enjoy seeing an SD45 sans dynamic brakes (the CNW must be the only road boasting this idiosyncrasy) along with the big Alco (which is of the former Norfolk & Western) behind.

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken October 9th 1977.

[railwayhistorical]

Covered Wagons

A northbound Soo Line train, enjoying trackage rights on the Milwaukee Road, ducks under the CNW north of Milwaukee at Havenwoods State Forest (near Mill Road and N. 60th Street). The train will go through Granville and on up to Rugby Junction where it will regain the Soo Line main. I believe the lash up had three Fs and a geep. One image by Richard Koenig; taken 1978 or 1979.

[marmarinou]

C&NW - Chicago Passenger Terminal Powerhouse Cartouche

Photo by Plowhandle https://flic.kr/p/tE4fzK