THE 199 5 OVERLAND LIMITE D

W. Gay Photo

RIDE THE MAGNIFICENT UNION PACIFIC STREAMLINER ON THE LEGENDARY OVERLAND ROUTE

AUGUST 11TH &AUGUST 12TH: CHICAGO - CLINTON - CHICAGO Two Round-Trip Excursions with Mississippi Riverboat Option

FOR INFORMATION, CALL OR WRITE: Chicago Chapter - National Railway Historical Society Post Office Box 53, Oak Park, Illinois 60303 - (708) 637-1914 • al

1995 No. 379 June FEATURES

18 C&NW Remembered A scrapbook of memories, paying homage to Chicago & North Western as it disappears into the Union Pacific after 136 years as an independent carrier.

A Boy on a Bike Mike Blaszak • Wisconsin Glory Days William D. Middleton

• Riding North Western Rails Jim Scribbins

• Commuters: The 1950s Turnaround William D. Middleton

• The Very Best Way to Go Mike Abalos

• Barnstorming Richard Gruber • The Baraboo Agent John Gruber Sean Graham-White • Powder River: The Final Frontier Mike Abalos

• Kate Shelley Memories Don Gulbrandsen • The Alco Line Steve Glischinski

• The Spine Line Steve Glischinski • English Stagecoach Yellow Ted Rose DEPARTMENTS

• A Wisconsin Jewel Jen Hampton • The Siren Song of the North Bob Baker

• Of Gold and Cowboys Rick W. Mills • The Oelwein Shops Paul Swanson 4 Editorial 5 PRN Letters o Expediter 40 10 Santa Fe C&NW Images 12 Transit A gallery of everything North We stem-the locomotives and landmarks that endeared 14 Union Pacific one of Ametica's most unique railroads to generations of photographers 10 Chicago 8&North western Contributing photographers 52 Kansas City Southern John Gruber 54 Short Lines 50 CP Rail System 58 Burlington Northern 00 Southern Pacific Lines 02 The Information Super Railroad 04 The Last Word 00 PRN Classifieds 00 PRN Advertising Index

ABOVE: Sign of the times on C&NW: GP38-2 No. 4809. Classic North western steamer 1385 crosses the LB1: Wisconsin River near Merrimac, Wis., Aug. 19, 1984.

COVER: a watercolor by noted artist Ted Gpangep, Rose, recalls the North Western as a railroad of Geeps and grain elevators and farm country branch lines.

PACIFIC R,\lLNEWS (lSSN 8750-8486) is published monlhly by Penlrex. Inc .. 2652 E. Walnut. Pasadena. CA 91107. Second-class postage paid at Pasadena. CA 91109 and additional mailing onices . POSTMASTER: Send address changes 10: PAcmc RAILNEWS, P.O. Box 94911. Pasadena. CA 91109. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $30 (U.S.) for 12 issues, $58 for 24 issues. Foreign add $6 for each 12 issues. Single copy $S postpaid from Pasadena orrice (subject to change without notice). CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Orrice docs not regularly forward 2nd Class Mail and PACIFIC RAILNEWS is not responsible for copics not fonvarded or destroyed by the Post Office. Replacement copies/P.O. notificalions will be billed. Please allow us at least four weeks for any address change. ADVERTISING RATES: Contact PACIFIC RAILNEWS, P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, WI 53187; (414) 542-4900. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscription problems and inquiries call: (800) 210-2211 or outside U.S. (818) 793-3400. EDITORIAL

PACIFIC RAILNEWS and PACIFIC NEWS The Ultimate Stealth Merger are registered trademarks of PentTex, Inc.

PUBLISHER: Michael W. Clayton

Takes Us By Surprise EDITOR: Don Gulbrandsen ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Brian Solomon ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Carl Swanson age in the rail press. Thus, EDITORIAL CONSULTA NT: Mac Sebree we were shocked at the CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mike Abalos, tremendous num bel' of Greg Brown, Elrond G. Lawrence. Wayne Monger, Dick Stephenson Chicago & North Western photos that poured into ART DIRECTOR: Tom Danneman

our office when word got ADVERTISING MANAGER: Richard Gruber out that we were putting together this issue. Clearly, this was a popular railroad. What you see on these pages is just a fraction of the great images sent to us; RAILROAD COLUMNISTS I'm sorry we didn't have AMTRAK/PASSENGER-Dick Stephenson room to run more photos. 444 Piedmont Ave. #128, Glendale. CA 91206 We also wanted to pre­ AT&SF-Elson Rush P.O. Box 379, Waukesha. WI 53187 sent a sort of C&NW mem­ BURLINGTON NORTHERN-Karl Rasmussen ory album; we asked sever­ The classic North Western: Eastbound train ITPRAin Wisconsin 11449 Goldenrod St. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55448 al people who hold the rail­ CN NORTH AMERICA-Mike Cleary farm country near Friesland in July 1994. Jeff Hampton photo road near and dear to their 1395 W. lessamine #206, St. Paul, MN 55108 hearts to write short vi­ C&NW-Michael W. Blaszak 211 South Leitch Ave. . Grange, 60 t's official: Union Pacific has acquired gnettes about C&NW subjects. I was over­ Lit IL 525 CP RAIL SYSTEM-Karl Rasmussen the Chicago & Nort h Western. How whelmed at the high quality of writing on 11449 Goldenrod St. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55448 could a development of this magnitude such short notice-and of the heartFelt re­ ILLINOIS CENTRAL-Greg Sieren Icatch us by surprise? But that is exactly sponse that the writers displayed. I want to 6117 S. 31St. Apt. 12, Milwaukee, WI 53221 what happened. Everyone seems stunned thank the writers for each sharing their lit­ KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN-Michael Hasbargen 1718 King Eider Drive, West Lafayette,lN 47906 that there was no big build-up, no tle piece of the North Westernwith us. MEXICO-Clifford R. Prather farewell tours, nothing but a quiet trans­ P.O. Box 925, Santa Ana, CA 92702 action to mark the end of a railroad that WITH TI·IIS ON-LINE COORDINATOR-David C. Wamer SPECIAL ISSUE, T was pleased to first appeared in 1859. get Ted Rose involved with PACIFIC RAIL­ 70672.3 I [email protected] Let's be honest-this merger has been NEWS for the first time. Ted is a highly [email protected] on the horizon for years, but we lost inter­ skilled artist; his watercolors have appeared REGIONALS-Dave Kroeger 5720 lohnson Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids,IA 52404 est because it took so long to get here. Dis­ in several rail magazines, including our sis­ SHORT LINES WEST-Wayne Monger tracted by the loud and unruly BN/AT& SF/ ter publications LOCOMOTIVE & RAILWAY 14091illman St., Suisun City, CA 94585 UP merger battle, by the legions of new lo­ PRESERVATION and PASSENGER TRAIN JOUR­ SHORT LINES MIDWEST-Bob Thompson comotives roaming the rails, by floods and NAL. Te d, though he now lives in New Mex­ Route 6, Box 207, Paris, TX 75462 storms and rumors of even bigger mergers ico, is a Midwestern boy, having grown up SP/SSW-)oseph A. Strapac P.O. Box 1539, Bellflower. CA 90707 and widespread change in in Milwaukee; I thought SP (D&RGW}-Richard C. Farewell railroading, people hardly that he'd enjoy getting in­ 9729 W. 76th Ave.,An'ada, CO 80005 raised an eyebrow to UP's volved in this C&NW trib­ TRANSIT-Mac Sebree application to the ICC to No big build-up, ute. I was right, and I'm 11111 NW 191h Ave., Vancouver, WA 98685 "control" C&NW. But sud­ glad I asked him. UNION PACIFIC-Wayne Monger 14091illman St., Suisun City, CA 94585 denly, the ultimate stealth The cover painting, no tarewell CompuServe 73563,2652 merger was complete; we Granger, emerged from SUBMISSIONS: Articles, news i1ems and photographs are blinked and it was done. our phone conversations, welcome and should be sent to OUf \Visconsin editorial of· At PACIFIC RAILNEWS, tours, nothing and represents nowhere in fice. \Vhen submitting material for consideration, include re­ it's not our style to get particular, but everywhere turn envelope and postage if you wish it returned. PACIFIC RAILNEWS does not assume responsibility for the safe return weepy, or stuck in the past; but a quiet on the North Western-a of material. Payment is made upon publication.

rather we try to provide in­ landscape of Geeps and EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Submit all photos, article submis­ depth coverage of what is transaction grain elevators. The center­ sions and editorial correspondence to: spread Ode to Hostler is PACtFtC ILmNElVs, P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, WI 53187 important today-and the a (414) 542·4900, FAX: (414) 542·7595 end of the C&NW is big marked the end pulled from Ted's memo­ CompuServc: 76307,1175 news. With this issue, we ries hanging around Chase America Online: Pentrex want to explore the things A venue roundhouse in Mil­ Submissions sent via UPS, FedEx or similar courier: 223 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha, WI 53 t 86 that made C&NW unique. waukee. The accompany­ PACIFIC RAILNEWS, In part, we want to capture the outpouring ing essay proves that Ted is as talented a Magazine Subscription Service: Address all conespondence re­ garding subscriptions (i ncluding new orders and renewals) to: of emotions as people say good-bye to one writer as he is a painter. of the country's longest-lasting indepen­ Ted does not offer prints of his works, Pacific RailNews dent railroads, but we also want our read­ but his originals are available for sale. For P,O, Box North Hollywood, CA17108 ers who are less-familiar with the C&NW more information, write to Ted Rose at 91615-7108 to gain some perspective on the railroad­ P. O. Box 266, Santa Fe, NM 87504 or call For all subscription problems and inquiries call: where it ran, what it did. (505) 983-948 1. outside(800) the U.S. 210-2211 (818) 793-3400 Compared to other Class is , North Western has received relatively little cover- Don Gulbrandsen © 1995 Pentrex, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

4-June 1995 READERS RESPOND Letters

Railfanning the Net: Pro and Con World Wide Web. The Internet is moving Am I barking up the wrong tree? [ would quickly toward multi-media environments, so I like to learn more about railroading-is PRN I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I would encourage you to move the series of ar­ intended for people who already know all obtained direct access to the Internet, but it ticles on specific services like CompuServe about it? If so, perhaps you could suggest an­ has aided my railfanning immensely. along quickly, and treat contemporary topics other periodical or some books designed for There are two methods to my madness: 1. I like the World Wide Web as soon as possible. the neophyte train-geek like myself. use the newsgJ'oup rec.railroad as a link to cur­ rent events. This is where I also post questions Dick Tinder Matthew Muldoon that my regular sources are unable to answer. [email protected] Petaluma, Calif. Rec.railroad has some excellent attendees, many of whom are not afraid to share their technical Your editorial in the April 1995 issue made Admittedly, we gear our writing to a fa irly expertise. 2. Using email with a select group of me want to gag ("Railfanning in the Informa­ knowledgeable audience, but I agree that we contacts I can obtain more specific inf0l11lation tion Age ...") . So now, in addition to camera should we do a better job of explaining techni­ for more specific questions-these usually have equipment, scanners and cell phones, railfans cal terms. Other magazines have steered away to do with motive power developments. will be carrying laptops with wireless mo­ from technical subject matter as they try to ap­ Use of the Internet has expanded my abili­ dem/faxes and portable printers. When there peal to a more general audience, but we refuse ty to keep track of developments as they oc­ are no trains to photogJ'aph, they'll be harass­ to compromise in our quest to provide our cur. Derailments and accidents are reported ing some dispatcher, trying to get a line-up readers with the best information available in within 12 hours or so by someone nearby. Lo­ faxed to them, surfing the Net for rail data, or any rail publication. We don't want to exclude comotive orders are announced within a day when things get really slow, playing with trains newcomers, but railfanning, like every hobby, or so of their placement. There is a lot of in­ in cyberspace on some dispatcher simulating has a learning curve to master before you fe el formation I never look at, but the information software. Guys, chill! Whatever happened to proficient. Mastering new skills-like learning that I do download helps satisfy my appetite. standing trackside, smelling the flowers, a�d the vernacular-isjust part of the fun. -D. C. Everyone on the Net is friendly and often re­ enjoying the sunshine and scenery. To me, raIl­ sourceful. Information received supplements fanning is about getting away from it all, not Our English Teachers Would Be Proud that obtained by subscriptions to various rail bringing all the crap from your daily work life magazines. I realize that your magazine could Just a note congJ'atulating you for the correct with you on your brief vacation. never be as timely as instant postings of news use of the word "gantlet" in the Marias Pass on the Net, but the net isn't good at great arti­ article on page 50 of the March issue. With re­ Stephen Cole cles and images. Thanks for a great magazine, definition of the language commonplace these Brookline, Mass. and for leading the way in truly covering the days, it is nice to find a publication with tight next step in railfanning. proofreading and an attempt at correct usage; Who is PRN's Audience? it is amazing in a hobby publication. Sean Graham-White I've been a PRN subscriber for about 18 I would also commend your well-done [email protected] months now, and I enjoy the magazine very maps, which are always included with appro­ much. I do have one problem with PRN, priate articles. One of your competing publica­ I've only recently started reading PACIFIC RAIL­ though. Your writers assume that your read­ tions (which I also enjoy) is not nearly as NEWS, and congratulate you folks on a fine ers possess a high level of fluency in the tech­ thoughtful of the reader. piece of work. The "fit and finish" of the mag­ nical aspects of railroading. The meaning of Lest you think I am another ivory-tower azine are terrific, and its concentration on terms such as CTC, DTC, quality, forwarder, English major bent on correcting the world's news makes it perfect reading for fans of con­ interlocking, dying on the law, and so forth gramm81� I am not. In fact, I am a member of temporary railroading. must be gleaned from the context, which the Engineering faculty here at Texas A&M, I also support strongly your stated inten­ rarely provides a satisfying explanation. I got and everyone knows that engineers are the tions to exploit the possibilities of the Internet more out of reading POPULAR MECHANICS ' ar­ world's worst spellers and grammarians. for railfans. As you're aware, a number of us ticle on the new MK "King Kong" than I did are already in communication with one anoth­ from reading your article on the DASH 9, al­ Dr. John L. Fike, P.E. er via email, listservers, newsgroups and the though I found both articles wanting. Texas A&M University

The story of the lU)pIP11A� Fennimore - Woodman narrow gauge. This 80-page HOBBIEs 81/2 x II soft-cover book "Still, p'lo6a.6l1fthe 6est {Lttle contains history and ho661f shop i11 Chica.'jola.11d" anecdotes, 4 maps, 24 scale drawings, 86 photos. BOOKS· VIDEOS Historical Society Magazines $18.00 plus $2.00 shipping IGI Wisconsin residents add 90¢ sales tax � == New and Used 1m Lee Des Plaines, IL St .. 708/297-21181468 · Fax 708/298-497660018 MARSH LAKE PRODUCTIONS P.O. BOX 85 • ALTOONA, WI 54720

Pacific RAILNEWS-5 BREAKING NEWS l{peditep

was "clearly overreaching," but said they remained open to "many potential solutions." Once again, pragmatism won out over principle. On April 14, the merger partners announced a settlement with SP. The Friendly obtained trackage rights between Pueblo and Stratford, Texas, via AT&SF and between Dalhart, Texas, and Fort Worth via BN, plus haulage access to Plainview and Lubbock. SP also will close its Kansas City-Texas gap with rights between Kansas City and Hutchin­ son, Kan., and Fort Worth, includ­ ing access to Wichita industries and connections with Central Kansas and South Kansas & Okla­ homa. SP will operate intermodal and automotive trains over AT& SF between Hutchinson and Chicago, and between To peka and Kansas City. This will include connections with Toledo, Peoria & We stern at Lomax, Conrail at Streator, and Illinois Central at joliet, and access to industries at Fort Madison and Galesburg. SP will maintain its trackage rights over BN between Chip Sherman Chicago and K.c. for other h'affic, On March 21, 1995, Union Pacific 2450 was the unit on a Burlington Northern SDEX coal load When it caught and will gain the right to inter­ fifth change with TP&W at Bushnell, Ill. lire in the Denver area because a luel leak. The lire was extinguished by the Englewood, Colo., lire departmimt. 01 In exchange, the BNSF partners received overhead trackage rights on SPs line between Topeka and El away from its corresponding ments interchanged with CSX ATISF-BN Merger: Paso, including access to industries haulage rights over UP, which it and Norfolk Southern. Let's Make a Deal on that line; haulage rights be­ has criticized as unfavorable. Also, The most obdurate of merger tween Caldwell and the FNM con­ KCS will have haulage rights over opponents was Southern Pacific. Ta king no chances on ICC ap­ nection at Eagle Pass, Texas; and a good chunk of the old Frisco, Stating that a Western rail sys­ proval of the BNSF merger, the access to San Antonio City Public extending from Neosho, Mo., to tem dominated by BNSF and UP managements of Santa Fe and Services generating station at El­ East St. Louis; from Springfield, would be "completely unaccept­ Burlington Northern have been mendorf, Texas. SP will not op­ Mo. to Memphis and Tupelo, able," SP asked the ICC to give it granting concessions to their com­ pose the BNSF merger, but is fTee Miss.; and from Memphis to East access to the following BNSF petitors. Union Pacific announced to fight "unwarranted conditions" on March 29 that it would not sought by other parties. fight the merger before the ICC. On March 7 the ICC agreed to UP extracted one small conces­ handle the BNSF proceeding on a sion: overhead trackage rights "Seanle-Tacoma has been, and will new fast-track schedule. Applica­ from Abilene, Kan., to Superior, tions for trackage rights and other Neb., over 95.7 miles of Santa continue to be, a critical linchpin in conditions, along with comments Fe's Strong City Subdivision. UP from the departments of Justice presumably will use Kyle Railroad BN's franchise." and Transportation, were due as its operating agent (Kyle al­ Burlington Northern Chairman Gerald Grinstein May 10, BNSF's response is due ready operates the ex-MP lines in june 9, and the opponents' rebut­ northern Kansas for UP). tals must be filed by june 19. Le­ On Apri l 7, Kansas City gal briefs are due june 29. If the Southern announced a deal with St. Louis. KCS will serve BNSF routes: Chicago-Seattle, Chicago­ commission decides to hear oral the merger mates. In return for industries in the Fort Worth area, Kansas City (over Santa Fe), arguments, they will be scheduled sitting out the ICC proceedings, and quote single-line rates on Kansas City-Fort Worth, Fort for july 14. The commission will KCS received a bucketful of Powder River coal for export Worth-Pueblo, Portland-Vancou­ vote on the merger application haulage and local service rights. through Port Arthur, Texas. As ver, B.C., and Colton, Cal.­ and conditions on July 24, and the BNSF will haul KCS traffic be­ part of the deal, BNSF received Vaughn, N.M. The BNSF part­ written decision will be served on tween Kansas City and Omaha/ haulage rights between Fort ners responded that this wish Aug. 23. A favorable decision will Council Bluffs, Lincoln and St. Worth and New Orleans for inter­ list, reportedly drawn up by SP allow the BNSF merger to take joseph, allowing KCS to walk modal traffic and carload move- Chairman Phil Anschutz himself, place shortly after that date. a-June 1995 • • FACT FOLDER • • • Special C&NW Edition

400 Facts The famous passenger trains were thus named because the original 400 traveled the 400 miles between Chicago and Minneapolis in 400 minutes. • The 400 was inaugurated on Jan. 2, 1935, and trains oper­ ated using the 400 name un­ til Amtrak started in 1971.

The C&NW Name In 1859 the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Rail Road was reorganized as the Chicago & North Western Railway. In 1972 the assets of the Chicago & North Western Railway were pur­ chased by the Chicago & Vic Neves North Western Transporta­

A Union PacifiC stack train retraces the lormer Southern Pacilic as it negotiates a shoo-Ily at Altamont Pass, • tion Company, a company Calil., on March 1995. A mudslide lorced UP to rebuild this short section track on the SP right-ol-way. owned by approximately 3D, 01 1,000 C&NWemployees.

BN Makes a Commitment How this increased capacity proached Washington Central Preserved C&NW Steam to the Pacific Northwest would be achieved was not spec­ (operator of the ex-NP east of ified. Reopening Stampede Pass Stampede) about handling BN The following C&NW steam is still an option, but reconstruc­ overhead traffic. BN is also ex­ locomotives are preserved: On May 1, Burlington Northern tion would be expensive and ploring ways to improve capacity The Pioneer, a 4-2-0 dis­ signed an agreement with the take at least two years; regard­ on Stevens Pass, by increasing ports of Seattle and Tacoma that played at the Chicago His­ less, Burlington Northern is still speeds, improving sidings and promised an expansion of the rail­ torical Society; No. 1 00, a exploring this option and has ap- providing better train control. road's freight capacity in the Pa­ 24.5-inch gauge 0-4-0 dis­ cific Northwest. In return, the played at Black Hills Cen­ ports agreed to support BN's UP has been lorced to use unlikely locomotives in freight service, including tral, in Hill City, S.D.; No. pending merger with Santa Fe. the E-units working the at Corlett Junction, Wyo., on March 8, 1995. 175, a 4-6-0 owned by Clint Port commissioners in Seattle OECYl and Tacoma-combined, the sec­ J.L. Hickey Jones, stored in Houghton, ond largest container gateway in Mich.; No. 274, a 4-4-0 dis­ North America-pushed for the played at the Museum of agreement because they feared that Transportation in St. Louis, the merged BNSF might favor Los Mo.; No. 279, a 36-inch Angeles-Long Beach, the conti­ gauge 2-6-0 displayed in Pi­ nent's leading container port. The agreement, signed by BN oche, Nev.; No. 444, a 4-6-0 chailTI1an Gerald Grinstein, wasn't displayed at the Forney His­ very specific, but it did commit BN toric Transportation Muse­ to "respond to market demands" um in Denver; No. 1015, a and increase freight capacity be­ 4-4-2 displayed at the Muse­ t\'ieen. Seattle/Tacoma and Chica­ um of Transportation'in St. go, and along the north-south 1-5 con'idor on the West Coast. "Seat­ Louis, Mo.; No. 1385, a 4-6-0 tle-Tacoma has been, and will con­ operating at the Mid-Conti­ tinue to be, a critical linchpin in nent Railway Museum in BN's franchise," Gtinstein asserted. North Freedom, Wis.

Pacific RAILNEWS. 7 �pedite,.

Sean Graham-White

ABOVE: New Santa Fe SD75M No. 209 leads the westbound 1-1 89-02 at Allentown, Ariz., on April 3, 1 995. RIGHT: TTX's far-ranging passenger special descends the Tehachapi Mountains at Tunnell, on April 3, 1995.

Whatever the solution, BN will motives wearing four-digit num­ be forced to do something-and bers. While the first units delivered soon. A recent study predicted that were in the 100 series, the order over the next two decades, contain­ will not be delivered sequentially, er traffic moving through Seattle/ and the number series will be an Tacoma will double and grain ton­ indication of differences in avail­ nage will increase by 66 percent. able options. For example 100 units will be equipped with the Southern Pacific GE ACs Harris Locotrol III technology. These specially equipped units may Arrive; Order Increased be placed into mid-train helper ser­ vice on former D&RGW lines. Southern Pacific has started to The ACs made their first run Mark A. Oenis take delivery of its first GE on the SP, departing Chicago for AC4400CW locomotives. The points west on the 2CHLBT2-24, delivered in September and Octo­ AC4400CWs are being produced AC4400CWs feature new a.c. (Tac­ in the early morning hours of ber. SP had originally announced in a single, continuous run-one tion motor technology, Integrated April 25, 1995. SP 9747 and in July 1994 that it would be tak­ of the longest in recent GE history. Function Controls and are rated at 8018 led 102, 103, 104 and 106. ing delivery of 203 AC4400CWs, The three 6,000 h.p. units have an 4,400 h.p. The AC4400CWs Twenty units were delivered in followed by three 6,000 h.p. a.c. anticipated delivery date of De­ (classed as CW44AC by the rail­ April; the production schedule an­ units, but recently increased its cembel' 1995 and will tentatively roa-1) will occupy the 100-378 ticipated 68 units for May, 72 order to 279 AC4400CWs. be classified as CW60ACs by the number blocks, thus breaking a units for June, 56 for July, 21 for Rather than being built as a se­ railroad. These high-horsepower long-standing SP tradition of loco- August with the remainder to be quence of smaller orders, SP's units may numbered 600-602. a-June 1995 The SP AC4400CWs have sev­ The train, to be called the eral minor modifications that dis­ Mount Baker International, will tinguish them from similar models depart Seattle at 7: 15 a.m. and ar­ already being operated by Chicago rive in Vancouver at 11:50 a.m., & North Western, CSX and Union making stops at Edmonds, Ev­ Pacific. The dampers on the trucks erett, Mount Vernon, Burlington of the SP units have been reposi­ and Bellingham, Wash. The tioned to improve the ride; also southbound train will depart Van­ the SP units feature only two couver at 6 p.m. with a scheduled stacks for dynamic breaking ver­ arrival in Seattle at 10:35 p.m. sus three on earlier units. This service will likely employ a Initial reports indicate that SP is Spanish-built Talgo 200 trainset. very happy with the performance Amtrak anticipates that more of the a.c. locomotives and has al­ than 100,000 passengers will be ready realized an operating savings carried on this route during the in their implementation as a result first 12 months of service. of improved fuel consumption. The new train will be a rare bright spot in what has other­ WC Registers Record wise been a rough year for the Chip Sherman First Quarter Results nation's passenger carrier. Ac­ cordingly, Gil Mallery, Amtrak's Brand-new Southern PacifiC AC4400CW No. 107 leads two DASH 9s on a Wisconsin Central Transporta­ new CEO of its West Coast Busi­ EYMSC loaded unit coal train at Pecos Street in Denver on May 4, 1995. tion Corporation reported record ness Unit, was bullish on the first quarter net income, operat­ new service. "For the first time ing revenues and operating in­ in 14 years , the Pacific North­ come on May 1, 1995. First west will have train service into quarter net income experienced a Canada and we believe the ser­ 35.3 percent increase over last vice will attract travelers from For the first time in 14 years, the year, growing by $2.6 million to cities throughout the We st, not a total of $9.9 million. Earnings just from Seattle and Vancou­ Pacific Northwest will have train per common share were 59 ver," Mallery stated. cents, 34. 1 percent larger than Th anks to Elson Rush, Mike service into Canada." the same period last year, reflect­ Abalos, Sean Graham- Wh ite, ing a two-for-one stock split that Southern Pacifi c, Amtrak and Amtrak's Gil Mallery on Seattle-Vancouver service occurred on July 5, 1994. WCTC NEWS. PRN WCTC's first quarter 1995 oper­ ating revenue increased by $14. 1 million over first quarter 1994, to $62.9 million. WCTC's record profits are at­ tributable to several factors in­ cluding large increases in the Stock Index shipments of metallic ore, sand, Stock Prices April stone, minerals, chemicals, • 1 , 1995 petroleum products, steel and in­ • Stock Prices May 1, 1995 termodal traffic. Despite the record income, WCTC's presi­ dent, Edward A. Burkhardt stat­ ed that WCTC had "experienced some softness in volume com­ pared with expectations." The railroad is approaching the bal­ ance of 1995 with caution. New Amtrak Service from SeaUle to Vancouver, B.C.

Amtrak announced on May 4, 1995, that it would begin oper­ ating new daily intercity service between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. The international service, which will begin on May 26, 1995, is the first regu lar Amtrak operation between these cities since October 1981.

Pacific RAILNEWS-9 RAIL NEWS Santa Fe

WARBONNET SD75M OPERATIONS BN and Santa Fe are still squabbling over Latest, Greatest, Last? the haulage route to Tu lsa, Memphis and Tr ains Rerouted Off Raton Birmingham. BN refused to accept two lengthy M-AMAV manifests at Avard, Okla., Santa Fe's newest, and likely its last, class of Santa Fe rerouted Barstow-Denver trains because they were underpowered, with only new locomotives finally reached the property H-BADV and H-DVBA off Raton Pass and two units. On March 12, train 1-896-10 ran early on the morning of March 29, when Indi­ onto the Boise City Sub via Amarillo on out of fuel while passing through Richie, Mo., ana Harbor Belt delivered SD7SMs 205 and March 13. This move solved two problems. on the BN. The railroad was tied up as the 206 to Corwith Yard. Delivery of the units Timely operation via Raton had been diffi­ crew awaited a fuel truck, and then one of the had been delayed over a week by the Canadi­ cult due to heavy traffic, complicated block­ Santa Fe units failed to start after fueling. This an railroad strike, which prevented CP Rail ing at Albuquerque and La Junta and the forced the other unit to struggle slowly into from moving them from EMD's London, tough operating conditions on the line. BN's Springfield yard wi th the 3,760-t on Ont., assembly plant to Chicago. After the Meanwhile, the M-AMLJ and M-LJAM trains shooter. BN has also delivered trains to Santa units were placed in service by the EMD shop assigned to cover the Boise City Sub suffered Fe at Avard with low fuel, requiring Santa Fe at Corwith, they departed for Los Angeles on from lack of traffic and were often annulled, to call out a fuel truck at Canadian, Texas. the 9- 1 98-30 train March 30. stranding crews away from home for up to Santa Fe continues to have trouble deliver­ Delivery of the rest of the order com­ 48 hours. These trains, along with Belen­ ing the 199 train to Northern California on menced quickly. The 207 arrived at Corwith Avard M-BEAV, were discontinued, with the time. The SOC issued orders on March 6 to on March 30, while 204 and 209 followed Denver trains picking up their through cars. assign five locomotives to each consist, "no ex­ on March 31. That same day, EMD released Santa Fe's initial plan was to provide mani­ ceptions." Nonetheless, the 1-199-09 was 202 at its La Grange plant; IHB moved it a fest service on the Raton Pass line only between three hours, 41 minutes late by Corcoran, few blocks to the McCook interchange for Albuquerque and Las Vegas via trains M-AQLV Calif., on March 11. delivery to Corwith on April 1. The 208 was and M-LVA Q. However, on March 26 these lined up to arrive at McCook on April 6. were extended to La Junta as the M-AQLJ and YORK CANYON While these units were designed to pull unit M-LJAQ. Locals L-PH1 11 and L-PH 121 oper­ coal trains, their first service was often on ate between Amarillo and Boise City, including Fewer Coal Tr ains Expected intermodal consists, such as the 209 leading the Machovec SPUt; three days a week in each the 189 train into Richmond April 4. Deliv­ direction. Road switcher R-NM091 distributes Pittsburg & Midway Coal announced in mid­ ery of the remaining units was expected by cars to customers around Las Vegas. March that it was unable to fu lfill its contrac­ the end of April, except for test units 200 More daylight running on the To ledo, Peo­ tual commitment to supply two million tons and 20 1, scheduled to arrive by mid-May, ria & Western resulted from adjustments in of New Mexico coal per year to Wisconsin and 203, which will begin revenue service the schedules of trains T-FMHS and T- HSFM Electric's Oak Creek, Wis., plant because its after it is released from testing at Pueblo. To on April 3. Eastbound T- FMHS now leaves underground mines were reaching the end of speed delivery, a number of units were sent Fort Madison, Iowa, at 11 a.m. Tuesdays the coal seam. Reportedly Wisconsin Electric to VMV Enterprises in Paducah, Ky. , for through Fridays, while westbound T- HSFM was ready to terminate the contract, which painting; 210-215 were en route there via leaves TP&W's Hoosier Lift terminal near would have eliminated the York Canyon-Oak Norfolk Southern on April 5 . Remington, Ind., at 3 p.m. on weekends. Creek coal trains the SD7SMs were designed

� SteaHt '8�! Our Mikado is back! 2-8-2 And our first official run will be held July 4th, 1�94

at our Sumpter Valley site. * Call For Reservations! (503) 894-2268 We operate on 5 miles of narrow-gauge track through the middle of the scenic Sumpter Val­ ley, serving the new Sumpter Valley Dredge State Park, and the City of Sumpter. Weekends and holidays, May to September.

* Call to Confirm 19'5 Arrival

Sumpter Valley Railway Co. P.O. Box 389-Baker City,OR97814 (503) 894-2268

10-June 1995 to haul. However, P&M made a last-minute deal to cut its supply obligation to 800,000 tons per year, which it will extract from its surface mines near York Canyon. The upshot of all this from Santa Fe's perspective is that the number of C-YCCH/ C-CHYC coal trains operating between York Canyon and the UP (C&NW) interchange at McCook, III., will drop 60 percent as the re­ vised contract becomes effective. ENGINEERING Maintenance Windows Established

The steel gang began replacing rail on 44.7 miles of main line between Hereford and Tex­ ico, Texas, on the Hereford Sub April 10. A maintenance-of-way window between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. was established Monday-Friday behind the 89 1 and 79 1 trains eastbound and the 199 train westbound for the duration of the project, scheduled to end on May 19. During this time, the 198 train (Sunday through Thursday originations), the Q-LAWS 1 and the Q-DTEP trains will oper­ ate via La Junta. The 198 and Q-DTEP will Mark R. Ly nn move back to the Southern Route after May 19. Other trains may detour via Lubbock dur­ A newly delivered Santa Fe SD75M is seen at Alliance Yard, Texas, on April 5, 1995. Santa Fe ing this period. has 51 SD75Ms on order,numbered 200-250. These powerful six-axle units are rated at 4,300 h.p. The Hereford Sub proj ect will be the biggest rail relay of the year for Santa Fe. The company has budgeted replacement of just 82 rail to permit electrification, if tightening air between Pueblo and Amarillo, while others miles of rail in 1995, down from 335 in 1994. pollution requirements make that necessary. ran only between Trinidad and Pueblo. The debt burden resulting from the BNSF par­ Demolition of the San Bernardino Shops build­ Santa Fe System Employee Timetable No. tial buyout is responsible for this decrease. ings was scheduled to commence in May. 5 went into effect on April 16. The format of Construction activity along the San the new timetable is unchanged. Bernardino Sub continues, as Santa Fe enlarges CHI CO CHATTER Demolition of Santa Fe's giant concrete the cuts through Santa Ana Canyon to accom­ grain elevator at Argentine Yard began at modate a new third track. A new double-track Derailments, Detours, Delays noon on March 16. Removal of the vacant bridge over the Santa Ana River is under con­ one-million-bushel structure is the first step in struction just south of the existing single-track Derailment of Southern Pacific train 1 YC­ the modernization of Argentine Yard. bridge. Other new structures between Esperan­ CHC 18 at Boone, Colo., on March 19 Th anks to L.5. Walters, Rich Wallace, Doug za and Prado Dam are designed to clear the blocked the joint Santa Fe/UP main line east Ebert, Starpacer, /ayhawk and O.R. Bixler. new third main. The new three-track signal of Pueblo and forced Santa Fe to detour its bridges provide 26 feet clearance over top of trains. Some used the Burlington Northern Elson Rush

'llle Alaska series, was created by a REAL TV Producer, Pat Hunstiger. Steady camera work, thoughtful narration, informative graphics, and creative editingset these rail videos apart from all others! 111e real life drama of the Alaska Hailroad comes alive Super Chief 1936-1971 from original by Rod Aszman. amidst the awesome Alaska 750 signed & numbered. Wilderness! Full 24" x 34" $75 plus $4 shipping. color, ALASKAI 60 mill. Super Chief on Raton $3,f -1951 by Gil Bennett. Steel Rail" Midnight Sun ':t 750 signed & numbered. Full color, 18" x 24" $20 plus $4 shipping. $ ,f BOTH PRINTS $90 Wiuter on the ARR 3 plus 54 SHIPPING. SpeClacu/arNighl Faolage ':t Price Includ Shipping& Bonus}Iopl Mind's.. I Productions 2900 Boniface #559 .:.:;.:.==:.::::II... PRINTS AND HOBBIES 99504 ...... Anchorage, Alaska L (Texans: Please add 8% sales tax.) See our full fine of prinls in Allonlo NMRA Show, July 1995.

Pacific RAILNEWS-ll RAIL NEWS Tr ansit

LOS ANGE LES OMAHA Curttright says the Omaha line would probably be modeled on the Memphis Main Green Line Still Not Open? Streetcar Rebirth a Definite Maybe Street trolley, which on a good day carries up to 3,000 people. He said the Omaha trolley L.A.'s $7 17.8 million Green Line light rail, set Onetime meatpacker to the world and Nebras­ might attract 1,000 daily riders. to open this summel; will have a Oeet of 15 new ka's largest city, Omaha had streetcars until cars and about 10 older cars borrowed from the 1955 and still has a busy bus system, but SAN DIEGO Blue Line. For the first time, MTA officials re­ hasn't shown much interest in light rail. That leased some target ridership figures: they think indifference doesn't extend to a downtown Cash Rescue for Tr olley ExtenSion first-year weekday ridership will average heritage streetcar project, which has suddenly 10,000. The Long Beach-L.A. Blue Line calTies Oared up as a real possibility. Rushing to beat a 1998 deadline for comple­ between 34,000 and 40,000 daily riders. Metro Area Transit Executive Director tion because of the Super Bowl to be played By 20 15, the Green Line should be can'ying Robert Curttright Jr. says the MAT board of in Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego politi­ 30,000 people per day, the MTA believes. Some directors is conducting a feasibility study on a cians have patched together a cash infusion parallel bus lines carry heavy crowds. The Green proposed streetcar route connecting down­ that should ensure that construction gets un­ Line is part of a multimodal project along the I- town with Henry Doorly Zoo and Rosenblatt der way in time to have trolleys ready to carry 105 freeway, including 17.5 miles of carpool Stadium, home of a minor league baseball the football crowds. lanes, 20 miles of LRT, park-and-ride facilities at team half-owned by the Union Pacific Rail­ Because of escalating construction costs, 12 stations and buslrail intetface at 14 stations. road. Omaha is UP's headquarters. environmental challenges and political infight­ The zoo is located in Riverview Park, and at ing, the Transit Development Board came up one time streetcars to 13 th & Deer Park $50 million short of meeting the costs of the (Riverview Park) ran from downtown along extension, which will take off from the Old RAILROAD GIFTS both 10th and 13th sh·eets. The new line would Town station and head east through Mission probably utilize 10th Street since it IUns close to Valley toward the stadium. Commemorative Railroading Medals, the Old Market area of restored 19th century The project's cost has risen nearly $ I 00 Books & Videos. Finest Quality. buildings, the restaurant district, and past the million in eight years. Because the line will run Western Heritage Museum, housed in the 1930 near hotels, shopping centers and business ilS!&lmli'[I@@I);1J �� ;I���V���CL, VT 05001 Union Station, which is an art deco masterpiece. parks and must bob-and-weave up and over Call toll free (800) 375-3943

THE MAGAZINE FOR DIESEL FA NS NORFOLK SOUTHERN

1982 - 1994

From today's SD70MACs to yesteryear's E and F units, DIESEL ERA covers the locomotive scene with photos and detailed research. MOTIVE POWER REVIEW DIESEL ERA is a high-quality magazine devoted to bringing you a Norfolk Southern 1982-1994 Motive Power Review, by Withers & Bowers, In new source for photographs, history, details, and interviews about a blend of roster and action views, this new book covers all the variety NS your favorite locomotives and freight and passenger cars."from has to offer today's railfan and modeler. 184 pages, 350+ color and black­ the 1930s to the present day. and-white photos, 8.5" x 11"vertical format on 80# heavy weight stock, four­ color cover/dust jacket.

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12.June 1995 wetlands and a major stream, the LRT will be much more costly to build than previous lines. It was the San Diego Association of Gov­ ernments, serving as the San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission, that cobbled together the financing plan. Unfortu­ nately it borrows much from funds set aside for a later extension from the stadium to San Diego State University and puts that project in real doubt. This six-mile extension was bud­ geted at $332 million. The San Diego Trolley no longer has the clear political sailing it once had, partly due to the much higher cost of recent extensions, and the fact that new and younger faces are ap­ pearing on the political landscape. Not having lived through the reform environment that produced a consensus for public transit, they are more receptive to turning the clock back to an automobile-oriented transportation policy. So far, though, LRT has squeaked past its challenges. SAN FRAN CISCO Vic Neves MK Loses Out in BART Car Contract Caltrans F59PHI No. 2002 leads Amtrak No. 724-a Sacramento-bound Capitol Corridor train­ Morrison Knudsen lost a crucial contract to at Berkeley, Calif., on March 1995, with several of the new MK-built California cars in tow. rehabilitate 439 aging BART cars to AEG 31, Transportation Systems, part of the German AEG-Daimler-Benz group and formerly a Marin County, north of San Francisco. The Westinghouse company. BART's original cars Golden Gate Bridge District joined Marin are nearly a quarter-century old and the agen­ County and the North Coast Rail Authority is new sleeper "Glacier Park" 10 rooms, beds, cy is paying $330 million to rebuild them. in creating an agency to buy 140 miles of full dining. lowest private rail costs16 AEG hopes to do the work in the Bay Area. right-of-way for $27 million ... Kansas City For details and availability send 51 to: Beleaguered MK lost out a second time when has completed a two-year cost-benefit analy­ BART said it won't exercise options for 120 ad­ sis that says light rail would be cost-effec­ TRANS-ALPINE & SIERRA P. o. Box 5027, Helena, MT 59604 ditional new cars for $230 million. MK was tive-if funding can be found. Three routes I I counting on building at least 20 of the optioned were singled out as being viable, one of them cars to make up for having underbid the $141 running along the old Country Club streetcar million original contract for consnuction of 80 right-of-way ...Seattle officials are mulling Overland Chapter cars, a few of which have now been delivered. what to do in the wake of the disappointing San Francisco Muni has taken delivery of voter rejection of the multi-billion-dollar re­ National Railway Historical Society the first of its new Breda LRVs, and held an gional rail/bus transit plan in March. Be­ Autumn Steam unveiling ceremony at the Muni Metro shops cause King County (Seattle) voters support­ in March. Mayor Frank Jordan announced that ed the plan (suburban opposition led to the In The Rockies

final assembly of the 48 new vehicles will take defeat), there is a move afoot to refashion a I - 28 September 3 place in San Francisco, creating 30 local jobs. rail plan for Seattle only. Each car costs $2.2 million. Th anks to Julian Wo linsky, SAN FI?A Nc/SCO UNION PAC IFIC RAILROAD Starting at UP Museum in Omaha. contempo­ C/·/IWNICLE, WA LL STI?EET JOUIINAL, POIITLAND rary main line operations. Grand Island, North OI?EGONIAN, OMAHA WOIILD-I'iEI?A LD, IN TRANSIT Dick Platte. Cheyenne. Laramie. Three days aboard Orr, WHEEL CLICKS, Ben Kerr, Jim Wa lker, the steam special powered by 4-6-6-4 No. Western Rail Updates in Briel Fred Matthews, SAN DIEGO UNION- TI?lBUNE 3985 in deluxe lounge. diner, dome Streamliner and Chuck Vercelli. equipment, Rock Springs. Pocatello. Boise. Commuter rail may one day operate on the Enjoy comfortable accommodations and the great Wyoming - Idaho scenery behind a UP former Northwestern Pacific right-of-way in Mac Sebree Challenger class where they spent their work­ ing days. Continue to Salt Lake City via Promontory Historic Site.

THE DRESSEL COLORADO NARROW GAUGE Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge annual fall RAILWAY LAMP & SIGNAL photographer's special with photo stops and meets with r'egular trains. Chartered special COMPANY train with all San Juan Express cars, bag­ gage, coach and parlor. Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Chama to Antonito ride plus 1926 CATALOG OF photo excur'sion. Georgetown Loop Railroad. RAILWAY LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Colorado Railroad Museum.

Available as entire program or ANNOTATED REPRINT BY DAVID DREIMILLER Omaha - Salt Lake City, September 13-21 or A high-quality, unabridged reprint of theoriginal Dressel sales Denver - Denver, September 21 -28. catalog. Features over 200 information-packed pages covering an array of railroad lighting equipment from the height of the steam Hiram For complete details, contact: era. Hundreds of vintage illustrations including oil-burning and Press electric signal lamps and interior car and station lighting. Overland Chapter - N.R.H.S. P.O. Box 1926 1412 Twelfth Street, Moline, Illinois 61265 ISBN 0-9625579-1-9 Soft cover. 5-1/2" X 8-1/2", 216 pg. Ohio 44234-1 926 Only $21.95 plus $3.25 shipping; Ohio residents include $1.37 tax Hiram, (216) 569-7251 (309) 764- 1834

Pacific RAILNEWS -13 RA IL NEWS Union Pacific

Rai1wa�s of t�e NOlt� West elitEte Bu rlington Korthern Jim Ri[[ & h� fmpire

Mark Leppert

Union Pacific DDA40X 8938 leads an eastbound stack train in Cajon Pass on March 19, 1995. UP's largest locomotive has been hauling tonnage around the system to ease a shortage of motive power.

MOTIVE POWER Union Pacific began weeks before the April 25 takeover. Many of the expedited intermodal (Z North Western Units Assimilated trains) running between Chicago and the West Coast underwent symbol changes in March and The rapid assimilation of Chicago & North April, such as the PROAZ (Proviso Yard to Western operations and motive power into the Oakland expediter) and the PRPDZ (Proviso

Pacific Limited, Union Pacific Steam & Diesel Excursions the Sep. 2, 3, '95 ''P0I«f &�" Omaha-Kansas City-Salina

the Sep. 15 to Oct. 8 "� 01- 'P�" Denver to Portland Overnight and boarding stops at; Laramie-Rawlins-Rock Springs-Pocatello-Boise-Baker City­ FL & PA residents Wallula-Spokane-Portland-Bend-Butte with one day round-trip Spokane to Bonners Ferry add 6.5% sales tax All segments powered by; UP Challenger steam locomotive #3985 and/or E9 diesels Phone orders call shortsegments available Eastbound and Westbound, Denver-Portland & Portland-Pocatello 1 (800) 783·3886 Pacific Limited Ticket Reservations Visa/MC P. O. Box 27081 Mail orders send check or money order to Salt Lake City, 841 27-0081 (801)-355-5871 UT 2016 Village Ave., Ta mpa, 33612 N. FL

14-June 1995 Yard to Portland expedited) replacing the UP's testing of General Electric AC4400CWs has taken an unusual turn. In early February, the RAIL INVESTMENT SERVICE North Platte to West Coast NPOAZ and For free research reports on investment opportunities NPPDZ respectively. There has also been such 9997 worked as the sole power on the humps at in the Rail Sector, please call K. Eric Crook toll free: a noticeable increase in the number of C&NW Bailey Yard in North Platte ...UP is preparing === units on trains to the West Coast that at times to turn over all dispatching functions of the 446 or write to K. Eric1- 800-827-6766Crook, Corporate Services== Specialist some western terminals on the UP appear to miles of the Hoisington Subdivision between "' DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC. have been taken over by the C&NW. Herington, Kansas and Pueblo, Colo., to the Harrison Ave., 2nd Floor 889Riverhead, NY In late April, to cope with its ongoing mo­ Southern Pacific. This line is now semi-isolated 11901 tive power shortage, UP made moves designed from the rest of the UP system and serves only to free up C&NW motive power for mainline two UP local trains, but is the main line for all service. Four UP GP38-2s were sent to the SP trains running on the Central Corridor be­ Own a Piece of History Green Bay area to replace a similar number of tween Denver/Pueblo and Kansas City. UP has from the CCS-equipped (cab signals) C&NW SD40-2s also listed this line for possible sale to the SP ... in service there, allowing the six-axle units to One of the more unusual named special passen­ Great Name Trains be moved into Chi cago-West Coast service. ger trains on the UP in 1995 is the planned Watch for many of the C&NW GP50s to be "Cattle Baron's Ball Special" to operate on May reassigned from local/secondary service on the 26 and 28. The 14-car train to be powered on C&NW to intermodal service-with UP's small May 26 by the set of E9s will run from Council fleet of GP50s in the Chicago-Texas corridor. Bluffs/Omaha to Columbus, Neb., and onto The first of these moves was replacing the two North Platte. The return trip on May 28 will C&NW GP50s at Fremont, Neb., used on the have both the 3985 and the set of E9s for power Cowboy local with two UP GP38-2s. Another back to Omaha ...GP40s 859 to 887, which shift to watch for is the movement of all UP are on long-term lease to the UP from Helm and some C&NW C44-9Ws from Powder Riv­ Leasing and are thus painted UP yellow, are be­ er Basin coal train service into transcontinen­ ing sent to CSX for a short 90-day lease starting tal intermodal train service to take advantage May 1 ... UP has granted Conrail 33 miles of of increased compensated horsepower. trackage rights on the Chicago Sub from St. El­ The Real Thing Union Pacific acted swiftly to secure the mo, Ill., to Salem, Ill., This allows Conrail crews From original artwork. By original mfg. seven C&NW Executive Fs. On April 20, six to run to Salem, also a UP crew change point. By original all-hand process of the seven Fs had arrived at Cheyenne from Th anks to Steve Kalthoff, Al Ti ssimo, PI All glass with can and lighting storage at Oelwein, Iowa. Within two days, Gratz, Michael Pohlner, Don Strack, Rich Send SSAE for price list the seventh unit, F7B 315, had joined F7As Wa llace, Bill Meekel; Pat Th unherst, Whitney 400-403 and F7Bs 410-411 in storage at Pratt, George Cockle, fohn Bromley, Brian Cheyenne; it had inadvertently made its way Kreimendahl, Steven Boese, THE MIXED Western Sandblasting west to Hinkle, Ore., while in transit. UP has TRAIN, NOWf!-IWEST RAILFAN and Union Pacifi c. Production Offices: Chicago, III. moved the F-units for safe keeping and has no Sales Office: 2490 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 specific plans for them at this time. Wayne Monger '----- (818) 796-7791 -----....J DERAILMENT Burning Bridge Ta kes Out Coal Tr ain

Union Pacific suffered a major coal train de­ railment on March 20, closing the heavily used ex-MKT Cherokee Subdivision south of Kansas City. Sixty-three miles out of Kansas City at Parker, Kan., a southbound loaded CJRWB (Jacobs Ranch Mine to White Bluff, Ark.) coal train running at track speed of 50 mph approached a blazing 11O-foot-long tres­ tle. Unable to stop short of the burning bridge, the crew remained on board as the train crossed the flaming structure causing a 52-car derailment. The motive power consist of 91211NS 2530/9285 made it across the bridge before the derailment and the crew avoided serious injuries. The cost of the derailment was estimated at $1.5 million. The line was closed for two days; it was reopened after a shoo-fly was constructed around the wreck. Union Pacific planned to have a replacement TRAIN CHECK You asked for MORE STEAM ••.and bridge in place by the end of April. While the STARTING NO.� more Power ... so we fired up the I ___ � Cherokee Subdivision was closed, most trains boiler and added a 4-6-2 Montreal SINGLE CHECKS detoured around the derailment on the parallel and 4-6-0 Baldwin to the diesels of: OR ' 0200- S9.95 DUPLICATES ex-Missouri Pacific Coffeyville Subdivision be­ Amtrak, Santa Fe, New York Central, Union Pacific, Conrail and Illinois 015O-S12.95 0300 -$22.50 SHIPPING & HANDLING tween Paola, Kan., and Wagonel� Okla., a line Central. Still thundering out of the =-'-"-'-'FOR PRIORI0.:..::... TY DELIVERY, ADD $3.50 that normally only handles northbound trains. past, are the Georgetown Loop's 3- D =-:..::==="------+-""-'= Some empty northbound coal unit trains were truck Shay, and Grand Canyon's CHECKBOOK COVER, ADD $1.00 1906 2-8-0. D detoured by way of Little Rock and St. Louis. D2"" S�� Add $2. 00 TO OROER CHECKS NOW - PLEASE ENCLOSE: TOTALI NEWS SHORTS 1. A check payable 10 Idenlity Check Printers. (U.S. Funds) A voided sample check with changes clearly marked. NAME 2. A deposit slip ------Three-track Main in Service 3. This order form completely filled out 4. Daytime phone number: ( Checks are personal size and are top bound. One part deposit For your protection checks WiIl-;::be:-:-Sh:::iP pe::;-d ::::to:::-the:-:p::::ri::::nte7d :::'dd::::re::::ss:-:un::::le-:-:-ss Fifteen miles of the new third mainline track slips and check register are FREE with each order. we are ':;;instructed� other-vise. east of North Platte on the Council Bluffs Subdi­ vision was placed into service on April 25 ...

Pacific RAILNEWS-15 RAIL NEWS Chicago I North Western

The only staffers expected to stay in Chicago are commuter service management, a small contingent of lawyers and a government/public relations office. All other functions will be relo­ cated to Omaha, St. Louis or elsewhere. UP plans to vacate C&NW's current headquarters and probably will terminate the pending lease of office space at the AT&T Corporate Center. C&NW's maintenance shops expect a similar fate. All shops, except possibly the Proviso diesel fa cility, will be shut down. Skilled employ­ ees will be (Tansferred to UP locations or laid off. Duting March, C&NW began the process of closing down the Marshalltown diesel shop. Different groups of employees reacted to the impending end of the North Western in different ways. Train and engine crews, along with track maintenance workers, generally will not be affected, and they were concerned the least. "I don't care who signs my paycheck," joked one, "as long as the bank will cash it." The acquisition garnered UP a bitter re­ ward of a different kind. Standard & Poor's announced April 5 that it would lower invest­ Mike Abalos ment ratings on $4 billion of outstanding UP debt when the merger takes place, because at On April 5, 1995, a lone Chicago & North Western DASH 9 provides adequate power to haul a that point UP will assume about $5 billion in string of NORX coal hoppers westward past Sinnissippi Lake, on the Geneva Sub at Sterling, outstanding C&NW debt, raising its debt-to­ III. capital ratio well over 50 percent.

END OF AN ERA fect them. There were many questions, and UP MERGER MECHANICS officials could provide few specific answers. SP, CC&P Pleas Rejected Shutting Down a Company [n a March 21 letter to employees, UP Chairman Dick Davidson said management The ICC's March 7, written decision authoriz­ As the reality of UP's swift takeover sank in was "busy on several fronts to consolidate the ing UP control of the North Western provided during March, North Western employees fo­ two railroads quickly and professionally, hope­ few surprises in its 106 pages. The commission cused on how the upcoming merger would af- fu lly by year·end." Among UP's top priorities found that UP control of C&NW "will stimulate was to develop an updated operating plan for price and service competition in the affected the combined railroads. UP planned to open markets, and shippers will experience lower negotiations with union representatives to­ rates and improved service over many routes." C&NW Limited Edition ward implementing agreements needed to put It concluded that control "will not cause any the plan into effect. About the same time, UP anticompetitive harms" because "UP and Collectors T- Shirt will post 90-day notices, as required by law, C&NW simply do not compete with each other detailing the jobs it intends to terminate. to any material degree." Arguments by South­ Nonunion employees at both C&NW and UP ern Pacific and Chicago Central & Pacific to the face a different procedure. Employees holding contrary were rejected. Only Soo's request for the rank of vice president or above had until removal of the restriction giving C&NW the April 24 to accept a buyout or a new position right to veto sale of' its interest in the Polo, Mo.­ with UP, if offered. By early April, UP had an­ Kansas City joint trackage was granted, because nounced the reassignment of fo ur C&NW offi­ the commission fe lt "common control will cers. C&NW Senior Vice President-Marketing broaden the circumstances in which C& W Art Peters moved to Omaha to oversee UP's will have reason to exercise its veto power." marketing of chemicals, metals, forest products, UP's March 23, offer ' to purchase all out­ coal and grain. C&NW vice president Joe Lep­ standing C&NW shares provided an account pert took over marketing of UP's automotive of the negotiations between UP and C&NW business, while vice presidents Joan Harvieux that led to the offer. UP obviously was poised T-SHIRTS $1 1 .95 . SWEATS $1 8 .95 and Rich Bassy accepted other UP posts. to strike as soon as the ICC decision appeared. Child's 1's $9.95 Add $1 .00 for XXL sizes Davidson said UP would offer nonunion em­ Hours after UP had disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission its intention to CHILD'S SWEATS! ployees in lower ranks a voluntary buyout pack­ .., $15.95 age starting May I. After departing employees "explore" acquisition of part or all of C&NW, J�BAR RAIL BOUTIQUE are deleted, UP will draw up an organization Union Pacific Corp. Chairman Drew Lewis 910 N. Salem St. · Rockton, IL 61072 chart and notify survivors of their new assign­ and Dick Davidson met C&NW Chairman ments. Excess employees would be severed in­ Robert Schmiege to open merger discussions. 815-824-4015 FAX 815-824-2852 • voluntarily, receiving benefits worth about half Lewis said UP would consider bidding "in the Add $5.00 S&H • Allow weeks delivery. 2·4 the value of the voluntary package. lower $30 per share range" for C& W stock I VISA I ��:�;�;;��t;�: [,.,] For most nonunion employees who stick it it didn't own-far more than recent market I other designs out, the job reshuffling will necessitate a move. prices. During a March 9 C&NW board meet-

1 S.June 1995 ing, Lewis phoned Schmiege to raise his bid to that the company expected to add 52 new lo­ $34 per share; eventually Schmiege and Lewis comotives to its fleet in 1995. The UP merger, BOOKS ON EASTERN agreed to a price of $35 per share. On March however, ended the talks; any future locomo­ RAILROADING 16, UP and C&NW executed a merger agree­ tive acquisitions will be made by Omaha. As a The Route Of Phoebe Snow...... $24.95 ment. UP began its tender offer for North result, we'll never see a set of "Big MACs" by Shelden S. King wearing North Western colors attack the We stern shares on March 23. The tender offer Pennsy K-4's Remembered ...... $ 6.95 was scheduled to expire on April 19. There­ Wyoming hills with a loaded coal train. by Frederick Kramer after, UP held a shareholders' meeting and vot­ Electric Trains To Reading Terminal...... $17.95 ed the C&NW shares in favor of the merger. MOTIVE POWER by Wes Coates Interestingly, Chicago & North Western Trans­ The Handsomest Trains In The World...... $15.95 portation Company will continue to exist fol­ UP to Get More Junk by Greenberg & Kramer The Morristown & Erie Railway...... $ 8.95 lowing the merger, but as a wholly owned sub­ by Bob Pennisi sidiary of Union Pacific Corp. Whether UP likes it or not, it will receive a 26 Miles To Jersey City...... $ 8.95 Unhappy C&NW shareholders fi led five few operating SD45s with the North Western. by Pete Komelski class action suits in Delaware challenging the The 6503 was still active at Proviso into early Lehigh Valley Railroad Passenger Cars...... $13.95 UP buyout. They complained the deck was April. Sisters 903 and 6584 were intact on the by Mickey & Warfel stacked against a higher bid for the company storage track east of the engine facility. Railroad Stations Of New England Today due to C&NW's use of Blackstone Group, its Indications are UP's fi rst motive power Vol. 1 The Boston & Maine...... $ 7.95 former majority owner, to advise the board move on C&NW will be to dispatch low-horse­ by Mark Beauregard. The Northeast Railroad Scene series on proper valuation of the company, because power units to outlying locations where C&NW (a brief look before Conrail) Blackstone later accepted a $6 million fee for is using SD40-2s to return those larger locomo­ by Bob Pennisi its services from UP. On April 14, though, tives to the main line. An example is Green Bay, Vol. 2 The Lehigh & Hudson River...... $ 4.00 UP announced it had settled these suits, where the small contingent of SD40-2s as­ Vol. 4 The Erie Lackawanna ...... $ 6.50 agreeing to pay the challengers' legal fees. signed to haul the PRANAIAN PRA trains to Vol. 5 The Jersey Central...... $ 6.00 Following this settlement and the expected and from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Vol. 6 The Penn Central ...... $10.00 successful conclusion of the tender offer, UP will be replaced with UP GP38-2s. Observers Change At Ozone Park...... $18.95 anticipated assuming control of the North expect UP to replace the remaining C&NW by Herbert George We stern on April 25. GP7s and GP9s with more modern power as soon as it can. NEW LOCOMOTIVES SHORTS No MACS for C&NW Last Annual Report Now that the C&NW is about to fade into his­ tory, we can reveal what we have been told North We stern's last annual report appeared about the company's negotiations with GM in late March. Chairman Schmiege closed his toward an order for a.c.-powered locomo­ letter to the stockholders, dated March 6-or tives. Since at least mid-1994, North We stern one day before UP made its merger had been talking to EMD about buying move-with the statement that "we are very "MAC" units and having the builder maintain optimistic about the future of the C&NW and NEW BOOK !!! them, along with all other big North We stern the prospects for increasing earnings." He EMD power, at the Proviso diesel shop under didn't mention Union Pacific once. The Hard Coal Carriers - Vol. 1 "First Generation Geeps" by Gerard Bernet...... $19.95 a power-by-the-hour arrangement. EMD had As the end grew near, C&NW planned to An 80 page book with 11 color plus 119 B&W photos of bid on C&NW's first a.c. order last summer, operate a few fare well business car trips around GP-7, GP-9 &. GP-18 locos of the CNJ, DL&W, Erie, but of course GE prevailed, and the 8800-se­ the system for its officials. One such trip, host­ RDG, LV and EL. The book contains complete roster ries AC4400CWs were the result. Unfortu­ ed by Senior Vice President-Transportation Ser­ info and detail data on each road's units. This is the nately, these units proved trouble-prone and vices Paul Lund berg, operated from Chicago to first in our series of books on the "Anthracite" carriers. unable to lead trains on the east-west main Madison, III., on April 3 and return on April 4. Others will be coming soon. line because electrical fields generated by the UP, incidentally, expects to add some, if not all, a.c. motors interfered with the Automatic of the C&NW business cars to its fleet. Hard Cover Books: Train Control system. Th anks to Bob Vicker, Kent Desormey. According to EMD sources, by February Mike Dingboom, Dana Grefe, Donald E. We are now handling total distribution of Tri-State C&NW had come close to agreeing to acquire Vaughn, l�ick Mills, Steve Smedley, Ray lor­ Railway Historical Society books: 35 SD80MACs in 1995 on a power-by-the­ gensen, Ed Peterson and Mark Bess. The Lackawanua Railroad in Northwest New Jersey hour basis. This order might have been in­ by Loweuthal & Greenberg...... $39.95 Dowu Along The Old Bel-Del...... $35.00 creased, as C&NW's 1994 annual report noted Michael W. Blaszak by Warren Lee

Photographs ...... $2.50 each Our catalog lists over 5500 different steam, diesel, electric & trolley photos printed on 8x10 paper. The catalog also lists books of other publishers, CO LORADO's ONLY FULL SERVICE DISCOUNT TRAIN STORE videos and misc. railroadi3n3. Catalog ....$1.00 (free with order) HO, N Z: DISCOUNT MA RKLIN Z, HO DISCOUNT & 20% & 1: 20% (new catalog each March) BOOKS VIDEOS: DISCOUNT LIONEL TINPLATE NE W USED ORDERING INFORMATION: & 20% & Orders under $25.00add $2.00postage & handling G SCALE: LGB, A RISTO, BACHMA N, to DISCO UNT New Jersey residents add 6% sales tax 15 20% Foriegn orders add 10% for shipping (minimlUn $4.00) (allow up to 4 weeks for delivery) Write fo r latest FREE mail order ca talog or phone 800-274-6179 Dealer inquiries invited.

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Pacilic RAILNEWS-17 C&NW etnetnbere d

It all started in 1859 . and it all ended in 1995. During the 136 years between those starting and ending points, Chicago & North We st­ ern Railway left an indelible mark on Midwestern trans­ portation. At the end, the railroad was hardly distin­ guishable from Union Pacific, the company that ended up swallowing C&NW this past March, but that fact was a result of economic reality not of attitude. Rather, North Western was always an independent-minded carrier, set­ ting its own course, and in the process endearing itself to rail enthusiasts everywhere. With the end at hand, it is now appropriate to examine what made the North Western the North We stern. If you enjoy motive power-especially diesels-there may not have been a better company to follow. With a diverse mix­ ture of models from several builders, with units lasting on Lance Wales the roster far longer than the time tolerated by most rail­ roads, and-at the end at least-with a propensity to jump in and test the latest and greatest, C&NW attracted fans ABOVE: A C&NW from around the world to sample its locomotive wares. eastbound Operations and equipment? Always pragmatic and races through thrifty, C&NW ignored the conventional wisdom, Rochelle, on squeezed every ounce of usefulness out of everything it III., May -18, 1989. owned, and ended up with an interesting mix of the new and old technologies and operating styles. Consider: Left­ RIGHT:One of 10 hand running (an artifact of Chicago-area passenger plat­ rostered, C&NW form placement, not some British management style); Au­ tomatic Train Control cab signaling; mainline coaling tow­ 8038-2 No. GG5G ers; wig-wags and semaphores that long outlasted their rests at Proviso standard service lives; and many more quirks and peculiar­ Yard on March ities that fans recognize as distinctly North Western. 31,1994. There was something deeper than equipment that made the North Western so attractive. Probably the most com­ BB.OW: The sun pelling aspect of C&NW was the fact that it reflected the sets as a local nature of the region it served. North Western was hard­ works west of working and resourceful, unpretentious and fri endly-it Delhi, Minn., on was truly a Midwestern railroad, and because of that it was Feb. 4, 1982. always a pleasant companion for a day spent trackside. Sean Graham-White While it would be impossible to tell the complete Chica­ go & North Western story in a single issue of this magazine, it is possible to paint you a picture of the company's last few decades. The following stories offer some insight into the people, places, trains and locomotives that made Chicago & North Western such a special railroad. These are just a small sampling of the C&NW stories that could be written; with more than a century of service and a network that spread across 11 states, the railroad's history is very diverse. As we watch the North Western fade into the Union Pacific we can take solace that much of the railroad will remain in operation, and that bright days are surely ahead for employ­ ees, shippers and other people whose livelihoods depend on keeping the C&NW trackage in operation. But, from strictly an emotional standpoint, we know things aren't going to be the same. The Chicago & North Westem Railway was one­ of-a-kind; we'll never see the likes of it again. Steve Glischinski Don Gulbrandsen A Boy on a Bike

Te xt and Photography by Mike Blaszak

orwood Park, a neighborhood on Chicago's north­ roads about the economic hopelessness of commuter oper- !" ------west fringe, is a long-established region of stately ations, the North Western's positive attitude about its C&NWE8 Victorian homes clustered around a red-brick busi­ trains- my trains-was encouraging. 5025b leads a Nness district on Northwest Highway. Its curving, tree-lined I got to know the North Western better as my explo- North Une streets provided welcome shade for a boy on a bike, pedal­ rations widened. Our family's 1964 move to Park Ridge train at ing northward on a summer day, for his first railfan en­ gave the boy on a bike new locations to experience. Af- Clybourn sta- counter with the Chicago & North Western Railway. ternoons spent perched on the Tri-State Tollway fill tion on Aug., The North Western already had become an institution watching the rush hour fleet slam past in a cresce�do of 20, 1973. in my life by this day in 1963. As a native North Sider, I E-unit exh aust were punctuated b y an occasiona I ned on could hardly avoid it. A century ago and more, the North the lordly bilevels to downtown Chicago. Variety came in We stern had been a primary force in building the North the form of the daily freight from the General Motors as- Side, serving the industrial districts that developed along sembly plant in Janesville, Wis., to 40th Street Yard in the Chicago River and establishing the suburban commu­ the city, and the wayfreight that showed up about midday

nities like Norwood Park that housed the managerial elite. to switch those fading institutions of our long-estab- I Then, as now, you could hardly go anywhere north of lished suburb, the lumber yard and the coal and ice sup- Madison Avenue without crossing North Westerntracks. plier. Late at night the North Western's mysterious mail My earliest memories include traveling with my grand­ train, the only passenger run on the Northwest Line that parents on C&NW's rattling old commuter coaches to my continued into Wisconsin, rumbled through, the air great-grandmother's farm near Arlington Heights. It's easy horns of the E-unit drowning out the crickets on quiet to play tricks on a three-year-old, but I'm convinced steam summer evenings. power chuffed up to the Jefferson Park platfonTI on several In time the boy on a bike became a college student with of my trips before the railroad dropped the fires in 1956. a 1967 Oldsmobile, a camera and bills to pay. Naturally, I By 1963, North Western's suburban service had be­ rode the North Western to my summer job in the city, come modern and efficient. The trains calling at Norwood moving metal and making parts in the bowels of a huge Park's station that summer day consisted of gleaming new factory that exists no more. The area around the Clybourn green-and-yellow bilevel coaches pulled, or pushed, by F7 station displayed another side of the North Western, a net­ and E8 locomotives fresh from rebuilding with head-end work of unremarked trackage that linked the North Side's power. In contrast to the continual carping by other rail- plants with the main line. I would take my brown bag out-

Pacific RAILNEWS -19 side at lunch and wait for the Deering switcher to ramble across state Commerce Commission to approve its application in nearly Clybourn Avenue. Would it be an EMD today? An Alco? Maybe every case. C&NW headed off UP's effort to outflank it by acquir­ one of C&NW's repowered Baldwins? Watching trains, even hum­ ing the Rock Island, and then persuaded Omaha that its destiny ble wayfreights, on the North Western was never dull. lay in the original Overland Route after all. Later my family moved again, to a house in Glenview that Lack of money didn't keep North Western from trying to break backed up to the New Line freight bypass around the city. I now Burlington Northern's hold on Wyoming's Powder River Basin had the North Western, and tenant Milwaukee Road, literally in and share in the greatest bulk movement the West's railroads have my back yard. For this now fully committed railfan, it couldn't ever known. In the most significant offensive of its last two get any better-that is, until I got married and moved to an decades, C&NW thwarted BN's repeated efforts to lock it out of apartment overlooking the Indiana Harbor Belt in La Grange the Basin and ultimately, with UP's help, it financed construction Park, where I could enjoy the trains of C&NW, Milwaukee and of its own line into the area. many other railroads as well. North Western wasn't shy about fighting union efforts to pre­ Access to a car opened more possibilities. Instead of staring at serve the status quo when management was convinced there was a the old system map hanging in Evanston's Davis Street Station, I could actually see all those North Western lines fanning out from Chicago. During the 1970s I did just that. From the former narrow­ gauge trackage in southwestern Wisconsin to wind-blown branches in South Dakota, I got to know the poignant and, in most cases, un­ profitable rural side of the North Western, often just one step ahead of the abandonment team from headquarters. Up in the North Woods and out on the plains, rusty semaphores and creaky 40-foot C&NW boxcars mimicked the conventions of the heavy-duty city lines I knew, evidencing a shadow counterpart of the core railroad that quite obviously was headed for oblivion. Along the way I became a charter member of the Chicago & North Western Historical Society, a pioneer one-railroad history SYSTEM group now in its 23rd year. Joe Follmar, editor of the society's publi­ 19B5-PRESENT cation NORTH WESTERN LINES, asked me to assume responsibility for news reporting in 1976, and I've been producing quarterly N.D. columns ever since. Karl Koenig, former editor of PACIFIC RAIL­ NEWS, invited me to write a similar column in 1982, which led to my association with this magazine. The occasion for these reflections, of course, is the demise of the MONT. S.D. North Western as an independent company. That North Western is disappearing into Union Pacific is not a surprise. C&NW hitched its Colony fortunes to UP's in the 1970s and drew the reins ever closer in suc­ ceeding years until, by 1994, fully two-thirds of its traffic was inter­ changed with the Great Big Rolling Railroad. Nor is the demise of one of railroading's most venerable trade names unprecedented. Af­ WYO. ter Santa Fe disappears into Burlington Northern, just five of the 60 or so large U.S. railroads of the 1950s will still be operating under the same name: UP, Southern Pacific, Illinois Central, Kansas City

Southern and Florida East Coast, and each one of those has ...... •...• changed drastically over the past 40 years. • . 0•· ...... What I will miss about the North Western, more than its dis­ Riverton tinctive herald, its green-and-yellow paint and its left-handed casp;;- running on multiple track, is its in-your-face, don't-mess-with-us attitude. C&NW's decision to spend millions on new commuter trains, when the rest of the industry couldn't wait to get out of the business, was an early example of this characteristic streak of Joyce independent thinking. Attitude, and ambition, were all the company had on the asset WRPI South Morrill side of the ledger when it bought the overextended and undermain­ tained railroad from Northwest Industries in 1972 and buried itself under a mountain of debt. Skeptics were already writing North Western's obituary, predicting the company would soon fail and ri­ vals Milwaukee Road and Rock Island would pick up the pieces. C&NW TRACKAGE But neither Milwaukee nor the Rock possessed management as ca­ pable and determined as North Western's. ABANDONED C&NW TRACKAGE The company pursued its goals of independence and profitabil­ C&NW TRACKAGE RIGHTS ity with single-minded determination. To raise capital for main line improvements, North Western unabashedly tapped federal FORMER C&NW TRACKAGE discount loan programs and sold rail from unprofitable branches EX-CRI&P TRACKAGE to scrap dealers. C&NW didn't care what more conservative rail­ EX-CGW TRACKAGE roads thoucrht"' about groveling in Washington for money; anyone who didn't take advantage of the government's cheap funds, said EX-M&StL TRACKAGE Chairman Jim Wolfe, had "rocks in their head as big as boulders." EX-CMStP&P TRACKAGE North Western forthrightly told its rural customers and the state governments protecting them that economics mandated MAP BY BOB BANKE, BRIAN SOLOMON, DON GULBRANDSEN AND TOM DANNEMAN WITH SPECiAl ASSISTANCE FROM JIM SCRIBBINS AND MIKE BLASZAK widespread branchline abandonments, and persuaded the Inter-

20-June 1995 better and cheaper way to do the work. The railroad absorbed and dispatching trains in 1995, ten years after Milwaukee vanished strikes over elimination of station operators in 1962 and brakemen and 15 years after Rock Island last turned a wheel, demonstrates in 1988. Employment dropped steadily over the years. But survival that attitude does count for something in the railroad business. was the issue, and in North Western's view survival could not be at­ This summer, I can still go to Norwood Park, stand in the tained by compromises with the unions. shade of the old oak trees and watch the evening commuter If North Western leaves a legacy for its faithful observers, it is trains rush by in a blur of blue-and-silver Metra paint and red­ that the combination of audacity, forethought and careful prepara­ and-white reflective stripes. Though many changes have taken tion which the company focused on most of its endeavors is a place since 1963, the personality of the Chicago & North We st­ workable formula for business success against difficult odds. To be ern continues to pervade this place, and hundreds more like it sure, C&NW didn't succeed in everything it tried; in particular, it from Chicago to Bill, Wyo. Despite the earnest and well-meaning never realized its goal of acquiring the Milwaukee and creating a efforts of Union Pacific to put its own stamp on the property, the strong stand-alone railroad rooted in the Midwest. However, the North Western memories of this one-time boy on a bike will stay fact that North Western was still buying locomotives, laying rail fresh for a lifetime.

MICH.

MINNESOTA Aberdeen

Merriam

Onida Mankato Manitowoc \ Cleveland MICH. \ Sheboygan MILWAUKEE

I •• •• •- - . . . . . · • . .. . •• . . • . • COw ne • b�Y i.i • • --­ . ... .-" NEB �� • .� §; -C�-c1" Council Bluffs ILLINOIS IND.

Peoria BN-BURLINGTON NORTHERN IOWA CC-CHICAGo CENTRAL & PACIFIC CGW-CHICAGo GREAT WESTERN CMStP&P-CHICAGo, MILWAUKEE ST. PAUL & PACIFIC CP-CP RAIL CRI&P-CHICAGo, ROCK ISLANO & PACIFIC oME-oAKoTA, MINNESOTA & EASTERN ----i EE-ELLIS & EASTERN ELS-ESCANABA & LAKE SUPERIOR IANR-loWA NORTHERN M&StL-MINNEAPoLlS & ST. LOUIS NEB-NEBKoTA NR-NoBLES & ROCK KANSAS CITY RRVW-REo RIVER VALLEY & WESTERN We-WISCONSIN CENTRAL WRPI-WESTERN RAILROAD PROPERTIES, INC. MISSOURI

Pacific RAILNEWS-21 Wisconsin Glory Days

Te xt and Photography by William D. Middleton

------� n 1948 my family moved to Madison, Wis., and what a Among all this diversity, North Western's line north A Class E-2 wonderful choice that was for a young railroad enthusi­ from Madison was always a special favorite. Until the Pacific leads ast! Madison was served by two principal railroads, the Adams Cutoff was completed across Wisconsin in 1911, No. 508, the IMilwaukee Road and the Chicago & North Western, and establishing a Chicago-St. Paul route via Milwaukee, this Minneapolis- between them the two companies operated no less than had been a part of North Western's main line between the Chicago eight lines entering the city from just about every point of two cities. North of Madison you could follow the North just the compass. A third railroad, the Illinois Central, reached Western on State Highway 113 as it ran through bucolic Viking Madison via a branch from Freeport, III. southern Wisconsin farm land before dropping downgrade north of Lodi, The variety served up by the Madison railroads in into the Wisconsin River Valley south of Lodi. At Merri­ Wis., on March those days was truly remarkable. The Milwaukee and mac, the line crossed over the broad waters of the Wiscon­ 28, 1955. the North Western had a total of three Madison passen­ sin on a long deck-truss bridge, and if your timing was ger stations, and we had everything from locals to name good, or you were lucky, the passage of a train over the trains with parlor, sleeping and dining cars. We even great bridge could be observed from the vantage point of had our own 400 streamliner, and the trains that called the little Highway 113 ferry just down river from the rail­ at Madison served such major destinations as Chicago, road. North of Merrimac the line slid by rocky cliffs as it Milwaukee, the Tw in Cities, Superior, and Duluth, not passed through the spectacular glacial cleft at Devils Lake, to mention such lesser metropoli as Sioux Falls, Huron and then continued north through the circus town of Bara­ and Rapid City, S.D. Motive power ranged from vintage boo, and Rock Springs, site of the Pink Lady quarry that steam power on all three roads to the Milwaukee's still produces C&NW's distinctive pink quartzite ballast. stepped-down Class A Hiawatha Atlantics, and the two Elroy, a few miles to the north where C&NW joined sub­ big roads operated fi rst generation diesels from EMD, sidiary Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, still had Aleo, Baldwin, and Fairbanks-Morse. And the trains a big roundhouse, and engine changes were the rule for as they pulled were no less varied. long as steam power lasted on the line.

22-June 1995 Passenger trains on the line north of Madison varied all ,------the way from a few steam-powered locals to (after 1950) ABOVE: C&NW the Dakota 400 streamlinel� and it had, so to speak, half of in the Wiscon­ an overnight sleeping car limited. Northbound No. 511, the sin River valley Duluth-Superior Limited, operated via Madison, but for near Lodi, Wis., reasons still not clear to me, its southbound opposite, on Sept., 17, Chicago Limited No. 510, was merged with the North 1955. We stern Limited at Altoona, Wis., and reached Chicago via Milwaukee. But perhaps my favorite train on the line was Elroy, the Vi king, which offered a leisurely daytime Chicago-Twin LEFT: Cities alternative to the Tw in Cities 400. The Vi king was Wis., on Sept., mostly head-end cars and coaches only, and it took in excess 17, 1955-the of 12 hours to do what the 400 did in only six hours, 45 Alco switcher minutes. Until diesels finally took over late in 1955, the will cut a 0" Viking usually drew one of North Western's handsome E-2 mail car from Class Pacifics. A near-classic 4-6-2 design, the E-2s were the the Chicago­ locomotives that had helped C&NW beat Burlington's bound Zephyr and the Milwaukee's Hiawatha to the punch with its Viking. pre-streamliner Chicago-Twin Cities 400 of January 1935. By early 1956 a new C&NW management had figured out that they already had enough diesels to end steam opera­ tion just by better utilization of the diesel fleet, and after that things were never quite as interesting on the North We stern.

Pacific RAILNEWS-23 Riding North Western Rails

Te xt by Jim Scribbins Photography by Barb Scribbins

------, REA Days press of its era), and about half of his work experience was C&NW 519, the shepherding express cars on various North Western trains. can remember the Chicago & North Western as far Oakota 400 This presented an opportunity for my first train ride. runs, along the back as I can remember anything: A motor car-red One summer 1936 day, I was taken along in the REA shore Devils and white front end striping-on a central Wisconsin section of the RPO-express car on train 60 1 and 620, the 01 Lake, Wis., in Ibranch line, and the 400-a big engine rapidly hurtling morning train from Milwaukee to Madison, and the after­ August 1958. across the landscape with an equally big, black train, ex­ noon tlip returning. C&NW made two round trips between citing a six-year-old in the process. Details: the shaded or the cities with the same set of equipment, which overnight­ hooded headlights on all C&NW power, and huge num­ ed in the Capitol city. I was standing in the middle of the bers on the rear of their tenders, steam whistles which had express section, which was the forward portion of the car. a distinctive tone unlike any other railway's. As a kid, and The end door was open and I was studying the ever-larger even as an adult, I described them as having a frog in their numbers as the tank of the class Es Pacific neared its train. throat. The exceptions were the deep-toned whistles on "Skrunch!" Seven-year-old Jimmy, who didn't do a suffi­ the class H 4-8-4s and the E4 streamlined Hudsons. cient job of bracing himself (though he had been warned), Two of my uncles had worked on the North We stern, went down to the floor. Only my dignity was hurt. and my Dad had been on the Omaha Railway. (About the Off we went, on a hoarse whistling, sometimes smoky, greatest difference between Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis occasionally bouncy ride, punctuated by stops all along the & Omaha and its senior partner was that the former ran 82-mile subdivision. right-handed on double track. The Omaha also had the During the four and one-half hour layover at the im­ three class E3 4-6-2s which in some respects resembled posing Madison depot, my attention was directed to the New York Central Hudsons, and I've searched in vain for Canadian Pacific sleeping car on the Viking, train 501: a an explanation of why they were built as Pacifics instead of through Chicago-Vancouver car, handled by Soo Line be­ 4-6-4s.) My uncle Art was a Railway Express Agency mes­ tween St. Paul and Portal. I was also taken into the parlor­ senger (REA was the United Parcel Service or Federal Ex- cafe car used on 601 1620. Art said it was a parlor car be-

24-June 1995 cause "its furnishings are like those in your living room at home," and I remember the very small kitchen: just enough room for the chef to stand between his stove, ice box and various shelving. Two things stand out about the return trip: We loaded al­ most the entire express section with freshly baked, wrapped bread (smelled great!) destined to a food store chain in Mil­ waukee; and nearing the lake­ front depot, Art told me: "Watch for the 400 engine." Sure enough, simmering gently in evening sunset was the E2a Pacific with its large blue name sign beneath the headlight and its cylinder heads sparkling. It would have been the 2908, though I didn't know that at the time. Trains 400 and 401 changed engines at Milwau­ kee, and the 2908 was the usual steed for the Chicago­ Milwaukee round trip. During the war years, there r------were trips in express cars between Milwaukee and Chica­ the Capitol 400 to Madison, Wis., and also to provide addi­ The go on trains 154 and 125. The 154 was a local from the tional 400 trips between Chicago and Milwaukee. At the flambeau north, arriving Milwaukee minutes ahead of Va lley 400 same time, the existing Minnesota 400 became a streamlin­ 400, C&NW No. No. 216. Its passengers transferred to the streamliner, er linking trains 400-401 (which became the Tw in Cities 153, crosses a and the conventional train, now with only one "rider" 400) with the southem portion of the Gopher state. trestle at Man­ coach in addition to its head-end cars, followed five min­ In spring 1950, 400 service was extended into South itowoc, Wis., utes later. This was an important train since it handled Dakota and to Ashland, Wis., when the Minnesota 400 in November cash deposits from banks in eastern Wisconsin moving to was transformed into the Dakota 400 and the Flambeau 1987. the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago. 400 became an accomplished fact. In addition to helping load express parcels at interme­ The anticipated Corn King 400 between Chicago and diate stops, I was always assigned to ignite the gas lamps Omaha/Sioux City never materialized, but in fall 1955, that lit the express car interiors. Art would set fire to a when the City streamliners' Council Bluffs-Chicago route rolled up newspaper, which I held, and then open the was changed from North Western to Milwaukee Road, the valve admitting bottled gas to the lamps. I would run Kate Shelley 400 began a short life between Boone, Iowa, down the aisle pushing the flaming paper into the over­ and the Windy City. head fixtures which would "pop" as they came to life. My favorite 400 route was the portion of Dakota 400 C&NW had gas-illuminated coaches as recently as (trains 518/5 19) between Madison, Wis., and Winona, 1950-non-air-conditioned, plush walk-over seat cars Minn. Arriving Madison from Chicago, Lake Monona­ used on secondary and branchline trains. Quite a differ­ noted for its view of the state Capitol and for the intersec­ ence from the sleek, by-then-streamlined, 400 trains. tion with Milwaukee Road out in the lake-was crossed. North of Madison, Lake Wisconsin (a widening of the The 400s Wisconsin River) was crossed at Merrimac, and, shortly, the bluffs and lake of Devil's Lake State Park offered a The Pullman-Standard-built streamlined 400 equipment scenic delight. Beyond Baraboo, Ableman Narrows, rode well. The cars had an ever-so-gentle rocking mo­ source of C&NW's Pink Lady ballast, was negotiated. tion that reminded me of a rowboat floating on a quiet Through Wisconsin's rugged "driftless area" (so named inland lake. because it was not covered by the final glacial advance of The original 400 began life as a conventional, but fast, the Ice Age), train 519 ran via the Tunnel District train between Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities in through three short bores with doors to Sparta. (This seg­ January 1935. To hold its own against the always-stream­ ment became the Badger State's first and most-famous lined Tw in Zephyrs of the Burlington, and Milwaukee biking-hiking trail.) Train 518 ran via C&NW's own tun­ Road's Hiawathas, trains 400 and 40 1 received top-quality nel parallel to CMStP&P's at Tunnel City and through the equipment in September 1939. One P-S official remarked Omaha tunnel between Hustler and Elroy. Finally, both that the streamlined 400 was, at that time, the finest train trains ran parallel to the Mississippi's east bank until his company had ever built. Early in 1942, virtually identi­ crossing into Winona. A few miles beyond Winona, cal equipment was used to bring the Peninsula 400 to up­ Stockton Hill provided exit from the Mississippi valley. per Michigan, the ShorelandlVa lley 400 to Green Bay, Wis., Dome cars would have been welcome on this 400.

Pacific RAILNEWS-25 Commuters: The 1950s Turnaround

Text and Photography by William D. Middleton

------, he Ch icago & North Western of the 1950s was 1950s. Elderly Pacifics, Ten-Wheelers and a few Atlantics Commuters de­ among the big-time of Chicago passenger railroading. provided the motive power, while the commuters rode in train a bilevel It was a proud partner with UP and SP in the West stepped-down mainline coaches or austere commuter cars gallery car at TCoast streamliner fleet, and its handsome 400 streamliners that dated to 1930 or earlier. The customers weren't happy Chicago's in Apple Green and English Stagecoach Ye llow reached with the service and neither was the railroad; in 1956 annu­ North Western every place of importance served by C&NW in the upper al commuter losses were estimated at more than $2 million. Te rminal on Midwest. On the North Western's popular "400 Hour" on In the mid-1950s the C&NW set out to change all that Nov., 8, 1957. Chicago morning radio, Norman Ross played classical mu­ with a rebuilt commuter service that had the potential to sic and extolled the virtues of streamliners and 400s. turn a profit. The bilevel gallery Cat; introduced to Chicago North Western was also No. 1 in Chicago commuter by CB&Q in 1950 was taken up by the North Western. In railroading. The railroad had more commuter lines than 1955 and 1956 the railroad took delivery of 48 air-condi­ anyone else in Chicago. Its Milwaukee Division served tioned gallery cars, and by the early 1960s the fleet had points as far north as Kenosha, Wis., along the Lake grown to almost 200, most of which soldier on today in Me­ Michigan shore; the Wisconsin Division operated com­ h·a colors. The commuter operation was also dieselized by muter services northwest to Harvard, III., and Lake Gene­ 1956. Close-in stations, where C&NW couldn't compete va, Wis.; while the Galena Division reached west to with the Chicago Transit Authority's low fa res, were closed, • Wheaton and Geneva, III. With more than 80,000 daily an efficient zone fare system was put in place, and the rail­ I suburban passengers riding nearly 200 daily trains (in road successfully appealed for an increase in fares. By the 1957), C&NW's three lines hauled more commuters than end of the decade C&NW led U.S. railroads into the now­ anyone except Illinois Central, and its commuter passen­ universal concept of push-pull commuter operation to im­ ger-miles and revenues were second to none. prove equipment utilization, and the railroad actuaLly report­ While it was big, North Western's Chicago commuter ed a modest 1959 profit on its suburban services. C&NW service was otherwise nothing to brag about in the early had set the standard for modern commuter railroading.

2S-June 1995 The Very Best Way to Go

"Go North Western ...It' s the very best tions in Chicago and elsewhere, they were able to operate the service at a profit well into the 1970s. way to go, it's the very best way to go." Today, the proud legacy continues. True, the classic Es and Fs have been replaced with Metra F40s and the classic or those of us lifelong Chicago residents past thirtysome­ C&NW colors on the bilevels have given way to light gray thing, this popular radio jingle reminds us of the pride with orange and brown window bands, but North Western that the North Western had in its Suburban Division. crews still handle the trains under a purchase of service FWith routes fanning out from its downtown Chicago Passen­ agreement. And Metra has revived the North Western's tra­ ger Terminal to the north, northwest and west, the North dition of suggestive billboards encouraging drivers to ride Westem had the northern half of the metropolitan area cov­ the rails into the heart of the Windy City. For many subur­ ered. With the exception of the Kenosha (North) Line, banites, the North Westernis still "the very best way to go." where parallel Milwaukee Road and North Shore Line ser­ vices competed for suburban business, the North Western r------was the way for residents along the Harvard (Northwest) Negotiat­ and Geneva (West) Lines to commute to and from Chicago. LEFT: And even though North Shore residents had choices, most ing the snow­ preferred the North We stem to take them into the city. covered throat Even as expressways were built through the suburbs, the to North West­ North We stem aggressively marketed its suburban services ern Terminal in with radio ads and large signs posted at several Northwest Chicago on line stations visible along the parallel Kennedy Expressway, Feb., 16, 1979. where drivers stuck in h'affic jams watched the parade of yellow-and-green bilevel streamliners whiz by while ponder­ BB.OW: A ing the thought "Why Dlive? Go North Westem !" Northwest line North Western's commitment to excellence in its subur­ ban operation earned high marks with its riders, and train passes gained it an enviable reputation nationwide as the premier Bridge K on commuter operation. And unlike other suburban opera- Oct. 17, 1982.

Te xt and Photography by Mike Abalos

Pacific RAILNEWS-27 Barnstorming

Te xt and Photography by Richard Gruber

------, e're told that Chicago & North Western acquired struggled. The society put the 1385 back in service, Steam returns 325 R- 1 class 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers. The railroad rolling up and down the branch line, day after day, week to the North must have liked something about the R- I class; after week, summer after summer. Western. Extra Wthey were assigned to run fast passenger trains, power Fast forward to 1982. Steam had been absent on the 1385 is west­ freights or switch in the yards. While the less-versatile C&NW for a generation, but that was going to change. bound at Rock Northerns and Pacifics disappeared, the R-1s labored on. C&NW had turned things around and wanted to tell others Springs, Wis., And then steam ended on the North We stern. that message. To celebrate National Transportation Week, Colorful Geeps stepped in and picked up those duties. C&NW arranged to have Mid-Continent and the 1385 on April 9, Three R-1s and a few other steam locomotives survived. power a "Prosperity Special." Before its assignment, the en­ 1982. One particular R-1, the 1385, remained in service, finding gine would need to visit Green Bay for running gear work. an assignment hauling steaming iron ore in Escanaba, Mich. The railroad allowed the locomotive to steam to Green Bay. Could the 1385 be bought and saved? The Mid-Continent On a cold Good Friday morning, the 1385 was back Railway Historical Society gathered enough money and home on the C&NW flying two white flags and operating soon had its own R- I. After sitting cold in 1962 at Hills­ as an extra. The locomotive seemed to remember what it boro, Wis., Mid-Continent moved the locomotive to a new was like to run. With its exhaust trailing, the 1385 acceler­ home at North Freedom, Wis., in 1963; the society had ated out of Rock Springs. It would continue west past El­ • bought a C&NW branch line just west of Baraboo, Wis. roy and Camp Douglas and swing east at Wyeville towards I Time marched on. The R- 1, a veteran of both world Adams and Butler Yard in Milwaukee. The next day called wars, was laid up for repairs. Nixon was elected presi­ for the locomotive to run north to Green Bay. We didn't dent. C&NW ended intercity passenger service. The na­ know what might be around the next curve, but the fi rst tion celebrated its 200th birthday. C&NW as a company 3.5 miles were behind us.

2S.June 1995 The Barab oo Agent

r------As the Baraboo Agent, Doug Hanson handled two phones.

Te xt and Photography by John Gruber

hen Doug Hanson went to work for Chicago & consolidated its customer services in Chicago in late 1992, Hanson worked North We stern in 1949, stations-cornerstones of when the railroad's employment had dropped to 6,269. for North large and small communities-dotted the land­ Hanson, who sold commuter tickets at Woodstock and Western from Wscape. Hanson moved from station to station in southern Cary in Illinois until retiring in 1989, spoke about the ca­ 1949 until his Wisconsin as a relief agent and operator, handling passen­ maraderie among railroad employees. "I worked with a retirement in gers, carload and less-than-carload freight, express and great bunch of fellows. You really got to know them 1989. mail. C&NW (not counting its long-time subsidiary, the well-it was a good brotherhood." Omaha) employed an average of 26,5 12 people. Almost 10 years later, C&NW set the pace in the Bad­ ger State for the decline and closing of stations with its central agency plan, approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission in 1959. As is typical of relief agents, Hanson served at almost all stations, sometimes several times, in a 12-county area. But it was not always smooth sailing. When bumped (displaced) from his position at Dodgeville in 1979, Hanson dreamed up an inspired prank to show his displeasure. He retrieved an old toilet from an abandoned warehouse across the tracks, spiked it to an empty flat car, placed a mannequin on the toilet and billed the car to the agent at Madison, Wis. Someone must have had a sense of humor, as he survived this incident to work other C&NW agencies in Wisconsin. Hanson handled two phone lines when photographed in 1983 at Baraboo, Wis., billing out company material from the large ballast quarry at Rock Springs, nine miles to the west. He continued at Baraboo another year until C&NW closed the agency, then one of the last open small city stations in the state. Today, computers perform the agent's tasks, if done at all, in a central location. C&NW

Pacific RAILNEWS-29 Powder River: The Final Frontier

railroad's fortunes would vary from year to year, depending on how well the harvest went. As its neighboring grangers vanished from the Midwestel11 rail scene, the North We st­ ern evolved by diversifying its traffic base to become a more comprehensive component of the Midwest trans­ portation network. After a rash of downsizing and line sales, the North Western became a leaner, more efficient carrier. C&NW's survival can be largely attributed to fun­ neling increasing amounts of Union Pacific run-through traffic via Fremont, Neb., but its fortunes skyrocketed with the arrival of the Clean Air Act, which required utilities to cut emissions from power plants bUl11ing high-sulfur coal mined in the East. The alternative for these utilities lay buried in large seams throughout Wyoming's Powder River Basin. North Western recognized a great opportunity, and quickly entered into an agreement with the Burlington Northel11 in 1976 to access the region. BN would build the line, while the North Western would own a half interest in the 103.5 southerly route-miles from Coal Creek Junction to Shawnee Junction, where a connection with its own Fre­ mont, Neb.-Lander, Wyo., Cowboy Line would be made. Yet, the lightly traveled and neglected Cowboy Line route across northel11 Nebraska was in need of complete rebuilding to support the average 100-car, 1O,000-ton unit coal train. The North Westel11 had already committed cap­ ital to the rehabilitation of its east-west main line. With its first payment to BN on the line coming due, C&NW sought financial assistance from the FRA, but was reject­ ed. Then, a more cost-effective plan was formulated: up­ grade 45 miles of the Cowboy Line east from a BN con­ nection near Shawnee to a point near the Nebraska­ Wyoming border, then build a 56-mile connector line south, roughly paralleling the border, to a Union Pacific branch near South Morrill, Neb., over which trains would be forwarded to C&NW rails at Fremont. Despite BN objections to the new C&NW-UP partner­ ship formed to help finance construction of the connector line, the Interstate Commerce Commission upheld North Westel1l's right to buy into the original Powder River Basin line. The newly f011l1ed joint subsidiary, Westel1l Railroad Properties Inc. would close the deal in October 1983, but construction of the nation's newest rail line was already well under way. From June 1983 to August 1984, the Powder River Subdivision took shape, and shortly after completion, countless C&NW unit coal trains were rolling over the new route, providing competition in the basin. By 1986, the ------., Te xt by Mike Abalos North We stel11 gained access to all miles on BN's Orin line, C&NW serves Photography by Chuck Conway guaranteeing its prosperity on the "final frontier." the Black Thun­ It seems fitting that the North Western's final frontier der coal mine, will likely be the last great adventure in the railroad's rich as shown in or most of its existence, Chicago & North We stern was history-an adventure that propelled the railroad beyond February 1991. classified by many as a Midwestel11 granger road, with its Granger roots and ensured that C&NW lines will sur­ F a traffic base heavily dependent on agribusiness. The vive as key components of the Union Pacific system. Kate Shelley Memories

Te xt and Photography by Don Gulbrandsen

ertain landmarks weave their way into our lives, Des Moines River just west of Boone, Iowa. The bridge, reappe81ing from time to time to reestablish their im­ built in 1901, has been blessed with a generous dose of his­ portance. North Westel1l's Kate Shelley Bridge is one tory, having been named after a 12-year-old heroine who Cof those landmarks for me. This massive span crosses the risked her life to cross a flooded bridge and stop an ap-

3U-June 1995 r------proaching train. (Many outsiders wrongly assume that this had discovered the bridge as a place to test their rap­ melodrama was played out on the bridge that carries Kate pelling skills. One night, two idiots thought that they'd be An eastbound Shelley'S name. Locals will remind you that the ill-fated more skilled if they tried it drunk. They tied their ropes C&NW grain bridge was the original low-level crossing of the Des around one of the rails; a train came by while they were train crosses Moines a few miles south at Moingona.) suspended in mid-air. You can guess how the story ended. the Des Moines 1 went to high school in Gilbert, Iowa, and to college at After graduation, and grad school Out West, I didn't get River on the Iowa State University in Ames, both about 15 miles east back to Kate Shelley Bridge until 1988, after getting into Kate Shelley of the bridge. After I had I my driver's license, I frequently the magazine business. Mark Danneman and I decided to Bridge in Au­ visited Kate Shelley, in part because it was a great place to take a long-weekend, across-Iowa trip to cover the North gust 1988. combine two of my favorite hobbies-fishing and train We stern and lay the foundation for a PACIFIC RAILNEWS arti­ watching. I'd set up a rod or two on the riverbank, within cle (obviously one of those projects that never got off the clear sight of the bridge, and spend a couple of hours just ground). On Saturday night we roared into Boone well after relaxing. I don't remember catching any fish to brag dark. "Let's camp by the bridge," I suggested, remembeling about, but there were always lots of trains. the public quasi-park just north of Kate Shelley. We set up During my senior year in high school, I fell in love with a the tent in the headlights, and crashed soundly to sleep. girl from a railroad family, Tali Tedesco, who 1 later married. The next morning, I was awakened by an approaching Tari's grandfathel; Peck Hutchinson, had been a C&NW fire­ train at first light. I grabbed my camera and raced out to man and engineer working out of Boone. He died shortly af­ get a shot. Not until I was airborne did I realize that we'd ter Tari and I started dating; 1 never met him. Tari loved her set the tent up on the edge of the riverbank. It dropped off grandpa, but she remembers him always telling the same old about five feet to a sandbar below. I hit the sandbar face stories about his two favorite things-fishing and railroad­ first; I managed to hold the camera out of the way. (First ing. Peck and I would have gotten along well. rule of railfanning: Sacrifice the body to protect the cam­ Boone is a railroad-crazy town, and it has the annual fes­ era.) Stunned, r stood up and had the wherewithal to focus tival to prove it-Pufferbilly Days. In 1982, C&NW hauled and set the exposure. (Why do those skills so often fail me steamer No. 1385 out to Boone for the celebration. I when I have an hour to set up the shot and my nostrils dragged Tari over to Boone for the event; she had never rid­ aren't stuffed with sand?) The shot didn't turn out too bad. den a train before and needed a proper indoctrination. I About an hour later r snapped this photo of an east­ don't remember much about the 1385, and the Metra bilevel bound grain train crawling across the bridge into the rising h'ain wasn't much to brag about, but the route-west out of sun. It's probably my favorite Kate Shelley picture, with the Boone over Kate Shelley Bridge-was incredible. The view hopper train so typical of Iowa, and the Des Moines dried from up there was as good as I'd always imagined. to a trickle, exposing the logs that each hold a catfish or While at college, there were occasional trips over to two beneath them. This is the Kate Shelley Bridge-and Kate Shelley, often with a friend or two looking for a good the Chicago & North Western-that I best remember. excuse to blow off studying. Also during this era, the J think it's time to grab my camera, and my rod and bridge made big news on campus. Adventurous students reel, and head for Iowa.

Pacific RAILNEWS.31 The Alco Line

Te xt and Photography by Steve Glischinski

------., he Chicago & North We stem of the 1970s was a fasci­ about any type of elderly Ako the C&NW could muster A collection of nating railroad for train watchers. A multitude of up (save for the C-628s, assigned to Michigan ore service). Schenectady branch lines, weed-grown main lines and exotic mo­ C&NW kept the sure-footed RSDs on the roster mainly products work tiveT power spelled red ink in C&NW'sledgers, but provided to cover decrepit branch lines, though they occasionally C&NW'sAlco a treasure trove of photographic opportunities for rail en­ ventured out onto the main line. But the days of the RSDs Line west of thusiasts. The apex of fascinating C&NW operations of the were numbered as the branch lines they worked were aban­ Burchard, period could be found along the 474 miles of railroad be­ doned, one by one. However, in 1979, C&NW surprised tween Winona, Minn., and Pierre, S.D., known to fans sim­ and delighted fans when it expanded the Ako fleet, picking Minn., on Oct., ply as the "Alco Line." As the name suggests, Schenectady­ up 10 former New York Central/Conrail RS-32s. Repainted 24, 1978. built products provided the motive power for trains on this in North Western green-and-yellow, the "new" Alcos provid­ route, ranging from RS-2s inherited from Chicago Great ed just another excuse to head for terminals like Winona, Western to C-42Ss built new for C&NW in 1966. Throw in Waseca, or the Alco's home shop, Huron. RS-3s, RSD-4s and RSD-Ss, plus a single RS- 11 and an The end for the Alco Line came in 1981, much later RS-36, and you achieved Mecca for Alco fans. Even bettel� than most expected. The newer Alcos were reassigned to at Wa seca and Dodge Center, Minn., C&NW's fo rmer upper Michigan in May to join their larger Alco cousins, M&StL and CGW lines crossed the Alco Line at grade, and and the remaining RSDs went to scrap, save one, which many trains on those lines were powered by F-units! was sold. Geeps, and later, SD4Ss took over the Alco On the Alco Line the workhorse trains were Nos. 482 Line. But the story of the Alco Line, unlike many other and 49S, which worked the "main line" (if you wanted to C&NW lines, has a happy ending. The entire Winona­ call it that-the track was rather uncertain) between Pierre-Rapid City route, plus surviving branches, was sold Winona, Huron and Pierre, S.D. (The trains ran as extras to regional Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern in 1986, and to­ west of Huron.) Often taking several days to make the day the right-of-way the Alcos once trod is being rebuilt trips between their terminals, there could be several 482s and carries more tonnage than ever-albeit behind blue­ or 49Ss on the line at once. Power for these trains was just and-yellow EMDs.

32-June 1995 The Spine Line

Te xt by Steve Glischinski Photography by Richard Kundert

,.------efore 1968, Chicago & North We stern didn't serve But North We stern wasn't the only carrier to covet the I Kansas City. That changed when the road acquired line. The Rock entertained several offers, among them : C&NW'slCOMA I train works the Chicago Great Western in July of that year. Most from BN, KCS, and Grand Trunk, but the real competition I I Bof the CGW routes were deleted from C&NW's system came from Soo Line. The two companies see-sawed back I the lormer I shortly thereafter, but the line from Minneapolis/St. Paul and forth with offers until June 1983, when CRI&P I Rock Island to K.C. remained intact as it was the carrier's only route bankruptcy Judge Frank J. McGarr awarded 720 miles of Spine Line at to a growing rail center that offered excellent connections track-the Spine Line and connecting branches-to Manly, Iowa, on to We stern railroads. C&NW for $93 million. Oct. 22, 1988. However, C&NW wasn't the only road in the Twin Thereafter, C&NW poured $57.4 million into the Cities-K.C. corridor. Milwaukee Road had a presence, Spine, upgrading the track with heavy ballast and welded but its trackage wandered east along the Mississippi rail, constructing a new connection to the east-west main River before making a beeline across Iowa and Missouri. line near Nevada, Iowa, and eventually abandoning the The most direct route belonged to Chicago, Rock Island parallel ex-CGW route. When C&NW tapped into the & Pacific; its line headed directly south out of the Twin Powder River Basin in 1984, the Spine became a conduit Cities 478 miles to Mason City, Des Moines and Kansas for coal trains into the Twin Cities. City, and once hosted the Tw in Star and Te xas Rocket The Spine Line, at least on its north end, has never real­ passenger trains. When the Rock went broke and was ized its full potential. Consider that prior to the purchase of liquidated in 1980, the North Western jumped at the the Spine, North We stern had two routes south out of the chance to acquire the route (and eliminate another com­ Twin Cities into Iowa and each hosted one through freight petitor along the way). After the Rock shut down, the in each direction daily, but the Spine has been served for Spine Line (if you looked at a map of the Rock Island, years by but one freight each way between the Twin Cities the Tw in Cities-Kansas City route resembled the spine of and Des Moines. Chances are that Union Pacific will make its system sprouting many branches as it passed through better use of this route; there are already reports that UP is Iowa) was leased to C&NW, along with associated grain developing dedicated stack service to the Twin Cities. It branch lines. would appear that the Spine Line's best days are ahead of it.

Pacific RAILNEWS-33 English Stagecoach Yellow

Painting and Te xt by Ted Rose

34.June 1995 r------he Chicago & North Westem of memory was always I cold, almost always winter, in Milwaukee or else­ Ode to a where. In reality this wasn't true: there were swelter­ Hostlel'. Ting summers of heat shimmer and dust, creosote and com Ted Rose pollen. But the sense of cold persists as memory of wind­ recreates, in blown snow in stubbled fields, the frigid damp of Milwau­ watercolor, kee's lakefront yard, and my brother's tongue frozen to the the North pipe railing above the depot tracks at the head of Wiscon­ Western of his sin Avenue. His plight was remedied with warm water car­ youth: Chase ried in a Thermos cup from a Pacific that simmered below. Avenue round­ As a kid I was often out and about during winter. But wool and cotton never could do what down and Thinsulate house in Mil­ do. After long Saturdays I was always cold. Frostbite cold. waukee. "What's the matter with the damn kid?" I'd overhear my fa­ ther say. I did blacken my skin, but I never lost a toe or an ear. I'd walk down below Pierce Street into tile Menomonee Valley to watch the junkers use big cranes to load scrap into gons; or ride the streetcar to Kinnickinnic A venue, then me­ ander east of the Milwaukee Road main, watch the Solvay Coke operation, look over the ore ships wintering at Jones Is­ land; or, even better, hike south of Kosciusko Park and Lin­ coln A venue to Chase Avenue engine temlinal. There never seemed to be much activity but, adjacent to a freight yard, the house and service facilities accommodated Mikes and Z­ class Consols, a switcher or two, then latet; Geeps and F7s. Today, the site is occupied by a K-Mart. But on those winter Saturdays the owner was Chicago & North Westem Railway. Chase A venue roundhouse was typical C&NW. Wood and brick were the materials of choice and Chase, like most of the C&NW, had survived, if not thrived, with little physical change for nearly 50 years. How I found myself at Chase this early in the morning I don't remembet; but would a kid ever be in bed later than 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday? When I wasn't concerned about frozen feet, Chase was comfortable. It was of understand­ able scale, the roundhouse almost warm. The railroaders, who could have easily told me to leave, never did.

SO, I'VE DONE TI-IIS PA INTING, a reconstruction of a place and time that depicts what was, to me, the C&NW. To the west, to the right in the painting, is the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee embankment; the right-of-way hosted heavy interurban cars and the Electroliners. Was early morning light in the winter Midwest ever other than yellow? Maybe, but the color of memory (l haven't lived in the Midwest for more than 30 years) gives it a primary yellow cast. When C&NW devised a color scheme for the streamlined 400s and diesels, was their choice influenced by the yellow winter light of granger country? North Western called it "English Stagecoach Yel­ low." That name fit their projected passenger image, but I suggest that the choice had as much to do with the inti­ mate and familiar color of the winter Midwest. Yellow. For me at this remove it's a combination of Cadmium Yellow Light, Hansa Yellow and Naples Yellow Reddish. Armour Ye llow, the color of Union Pacific, just isn't the same. Not better, not worse, just different. It's Chrome Yellow or Cadmium Ye llow Deep, with a bit of Indian Red and something else. It's not a Midwestern color. So here's an ode to a C&NW hostler at Chase A venue. It's just above zero as he coals No. 2320. He's cold, but moving. He'll be off the top and in the cab in a moment. I was cold, and stomping my feet. My toes hurt like crazy.

Pacific RAILNEWS· 35 A Wisconsin Jewel

Te xt and Photography by Jeff Hampton

------, I ithout a doubt, some of the most enjoyable and line has always had a compelling appeal all its own: Gently An extra west­ I I rewarding photographic outings I have ever ex­ rolling farmland, small-town Wisconsin charm, the aban­ bound freight I perienced have been spent along Chicago & doned mainline coaling tower at Clyman Junction, the negotiates the WNorth Western's Adams Subdivision in Wisconsin, com­ horse-drawn plows and buggies of Amish farms near Dal­ scenic Adams monly referred to as the Adams Line. My favorite area is ton, and the brilliant-red October oaks near Oxford. The Line west of the newer segment of this line built just after the turn of Adams Line was once a haven for disappearing railroad Lebanon, Wis., the century; it consists of seven blocks extending west hardware, but the semaphores are extinct, and the number from Milwaukee's Butler Ya rd to the central Wisconsin in June 1988 of aging wig-wag crossing signals is dwindling. Even so, town of Adams. Beyond Adams, the line continues west this unique piece of railroad still has a lot to offer. to Altoona and St. Paul. I have always felt that this gem of a rail line has been Once the route of the famous Tw in Cities 400 passen­ mistakenly overlooked by photographers and with the im­ ger trains, today's Adams Line is limited to just a pair of pending takeover of Chicago & North Western operations daily freights in each direction, although you never know by Union Pacific, there is uncertainty about what the fate when an extra or a unit train of grain, potash, or sulfur of this route across the heart of Wisconsin will be. But no may appear, along with an occasional coal train (bound for matter what the future may hold, the Adams Line will al­ Wisconsin Rapids), fighting the many grades with its ways come to my mind as a beautiful example of rural Up­ heavy tonnage. Despite its low-volume traffic, the Adams per Midwest Class I railroading.

3S-June 1995 The Siren Song of the North

Te xt and Photography by Bob Baker

r------he burble of the Alco 251 engines reverberates ping time and expense. C&NW made Escanaba the I against the hills of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A headquarters of the Peninsula Division, with extensive : The Upper trio of Chicago & North Western C-628s struggle ore dock and locomotive facilities. Lines also extended Peninsula: Ore Twith 110 loaded ore jennies as they climb the grade westward to serve the Menominee Iron Range and con­ and Alcos. through Empire Junction and Partridge. Ever so slowly, nect with the rest of the C&NW system. Three diUerent they make their way around the curve at the M35 over­ In the 1980s former Norfolk & Western Alcos re­ brands of pass, the traditional railfan photo location. The train placed Fairbanks-Morse H-1 6-66 Baby Trainmasters, fa­ American Loco­ picks up speed, onto Goose Lake causeway, past K. I. mous in their own right, in Upper Peninsula service. motive product Sawyer Air Force Base (have you ever seen B-52s doing Both were ideally suited for the demands of hauling iron repose at the touch-and-gos?), then stops for beans at Little Lake. Af­ ore. It is easy to see why railfans began making pilgrim­ Escanba, Mich., ter that, it's a straight shot to Escanaba's Ore Dock Yard, ages to North We stern's ore lines. Lake Superior & Ish­ but not before a hair-raising descent to the Bay de Noc peming's Alcos were right next door, too. It was some­ roundhouse on and a picturesque crossing of the Escanaba River. thing special in a time and place that seemed forgotten May 18, 1984. The iron ore deposits of the Marquette Range were by the rest of country. the principal reason the Peninsula Railroad Company The siren song of the Alcos keeps calling even as the built these 62 miles of track in 1864. Escanaba's strate­ Chicago & North Western disappears into history. The ex­ gic location on Lake Michigan saved considerable ship- tra smoke is no charge.

Pacific RAILNEWS· 37 Of Gold and Cowboys

Te xt by Rick W. Mills Photography by R.J . Williams

------, he 100th Meridian runs north to south on a course The western lines never received the status afforded On Sept., 17, that divides the continent; Nebraska and South Dako­ C&NW's main line across Iowa, but millions of head of live­ 1985, a PRBFA ta straddle this line. Nineteenth century Easterners stock rode Cowboy rails to Midwestern slaughterhouses, {Proviso to saidT the 100th was where "The West" began. Things along with an untold amount of other commodities. But it Belle Fourche, seemed different there, as the fertile Midwest gave way to was not until the late 1970s-and the Powder River Basin S.D.> rolls west the wild, open spaces of the High Plains. It was a land of coal boom-that C&NW's Westem Division found itself in on the Cowboy opportunity, but not a land for the faint of heart. Once the spotlight. In 1984 coal trains began rolling over a newly Chicago & North Western crossed the 100th, it became a line near consh'ucted route from the Wyoming mines to South Mor­ decidedly different railroad. It would be to the west of this rill, Neb. But yet another alliance had been forged with Chadron, Neb. line that C&NW would reach some of its final sunsets. Union Pacific-thanks to "Uncle Pete" financing the cost of North Western rails first reached out of Nebraska into construction-and the coal traveled onto UP rails. Dakota Territory in 1885, where the lure of gold had When C&NW sold its "Alco Line" to Dakota, Minneso­ whipped opportunistic men into a frenzy. The lines to the ta & Eastern, and later rerouted the Cowboy's bentonite Black Hills and Wyoming, and especially the Nebraska track­ traffic to the DM&E, the Nebraska trackage became su­ age, were nicknamed the "Cowboy Lines." In the 1890s, perfluous. C&NW got permission to shut down the line North Western subsidiary Fremont, Elkhom & Missouri Va l­ from Norfolk to Chadron in 1992. Nebkota Railway start­ ley laid out a network of narrow-gauged rails to the highest ed operations between Chadron and Merriman, Neb., in points of the Black Hills above Deadwood, S.D., to tap the 1994, but C&NW donated the remainder of the right-of­ area's rich mines. Speculation soon tumed toward other ven­ way to the state for conversion to a recreational trail. tures. Entrepreneurs saw the open plains and beautiful hills The abandonment left the Black Hills line, the Casper as an opportunity to make their fortunes-as did the North terminal, and the coal route as orphans in a sea of prairie Western. The railroad promoted the new states of South grass. A century ago, North Westem came out West to mine Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska as wonderful for home­ for gold, and to gamble. But in the end, in a game initiated steading, raising livestock, business, and vacationing. by Marvin Hughitt and E.H. Harriman, C&NW would fold.

38-June 1995 The Oelwei n Shops

Te xt and Photography by Paul Swanson

elwein, Iowa, population 7,564. Known as the "Hub wein shops came to enjoy a rebirth. Oelwein's large yard, ..------City" because of the four Chicago Great Western rail no longer used by trains as a result of the abandonment A view inside lines radiating out in all directions, it was also the CGW as through-routes, became a graveyard for numer- Oelwein Shops Olocation of CGW's main shop facility. Built at the turn of ous GPs and SDs waiting for their day in the shops. Most on Oct., 14, the century, the great shops were hailed as the first to be never saw that day. The Oelwein deadline was legendary 1993. C&NW's fu lly electrified. The main hall was reportedly the longest to fans; you never knew what might turn up amidst the former Chicago contiguous railroad shop building in the U.S. at more than cornfields of northeastern Iowa. Great Western 1,000 feet. The interior was brightly lit by electric lighting, Oelwein was responsible for the longevity of C&NW's shops re- machinery was powered by electric motors, and the cav­ GP7/GP9 fleet-undoubtedly the largest of any Class mained active ernous hall was heated with forced hot air. I-thanks to a mid- 1970s rebuilding program. Locomo- until 1994. The shops' steam-era claim to fame was the rebuilding tives received plow pilots, new control stands and wiring, of three 2-6-2 steam locomotives into 2-6-6-2 mallets. An and the now-common chopped nose. The unique "Cran- addition to the main hall to accommodate the longer en­ dall Cab" Es (B-units converted to an A-unit for commuter gines was dubbed the "mallet house," a name it retained service) also originated here. into the 1990s. Walter P. Chrysler, the founder of the Oelwein's demise preceded the North Western's by only

Chrysler automobile empire, became the superintendent of one year-the shops closed in May 1994. Only one rail I motive power at Oelwein in 1907. Chrysler began his au­ line remained intact into town; Oelwein was in the out­ tomobile fascination when he purchased a 1908 Locomo­ back, miles from C&NW's mainline action. Less than 100 bile for $5,000 while working at Oelwein. employees remained, performing component rebuilds and The shops boomed in its early years, with all CGW lo­ truck changeouts. Today they have relocated to other comotive and passenger car work performed there, then North Western environs such as Clinton and Proviso, and suffered a decline in the diesel age. However thanks to the the Oelwein buildings stand vacant. Two eras have drawn 1968 CGW/Chicago & North Western merger-the Oel- to a close as we enter the summer of 1995. PRN

Pacific RAILNEWS-39 ...... Ima ges ....� 'i'�'t';�';" ; �.�.�

William D. Middleton

some fleet of steam locomotives, with a diesel roster dominated by Geeps and Alcos, and with its fortunes closely tied to the passenger train. This was the C&NW from a time when just about everyone had a railroader in the family, and when every voyage of consequence took place on a train. Railroading was a family experience; day-to-day contact with the iron horse almost a necessity. Such was the case in Madison, Wis., in August 1956. This mother and her tots wait at Blair Street Station while nearby, Class ES 4-6-2 No. 647 readies for departure (above).The Pacific is Homer R. Hill about to take its charges-train No. 504, a Madison-Chicago passenger run-on a any readers will remember a speedy trip to the Windy City. Your best North We stern that was much bet for traveling this same route today is different than the railroad ab­ via congested Interstate 90. sorbedM by Union Pacific: a railroad with Photographer Homer Hill has been a vast branchline network, with a hand- recording rail images for six decades; this

40-June 1995 William D. Middleton photo of Atlantic No. 1086, taken with a $1.50 box camera, was one of his first (left). The photographer and his family were on a side hip to Wisconsin after vis­ iting the 1933 Chkago Wo rld's Fair when he recorded this classic pose in Milwaukee at North Western's magnifi­ cent, but long-departed, lakefront depot. C&NW is synonymous with branch­ line railroading, but in later years the railroad abandoned much of its sec­ ondary trackage. C&NWonce had mod­ est branch network in southwestern Wis­ consin. In January 1949, 4-6-0 No. 456 crosses Lake Monona in Madison as it makes a run to the Monfort Branch Don Christensen, collection 01 A.J. Wolff (top). To day, much of this train's route -including the famed "Ridgerunner" road. S- l No. 1203 was one of C&NW's line-is a hiking and biking·trail. earliest diesel switchers (above). It is At the end, C&NW was Alco-free, shown working Cedar Rapids' Quaker but for a generation, Schenectady prod­ Yard in November 1949; the massive ucts perfOlmed many jobs for the rail- Quaker Oats plant dwarfs the switcher.

Pacific RAILNEWS-41 .... . �.� · ·;;········.. ··· .. · .. Images � � ��.. �' ; b" i

Mike Abalos

orth We stern cab units survived quite late in regular freight service (into the 1980s), and the "Presi­ Ndential" F-units were typical power for company-sponsored business trains into the 1990s. At this writing, the seven sur­ viving C&NW F-units have been trans­ ferred from Oelwein, Iowa-where they'd been in storage-to Cheyenne, Wyo. Union Pacific's Steve Lee (the man in charge of the historic diesel and steam locomotives) has commented that there are no specific plans for the Fs, but the move was made to make sure the units didn't accidentally get scrapped. North Western cab units earned their honored status thanks in part to G. A. Hook their role in hauling C&NW passenger trains, particularly the venerated 400s. days. On June 20, 1978, an attractive Train 502 wasn't a 400, simply a Madi­ A-B-B-A lash-up of Fs powers the daily son-Chicago run, but it rated an E8 and Minneapolis-Kansas City freight, train a Fairbanks Morse Erie-built to haul its 701, near Kensett, Iowa (main photo) . head-end heavy consist across Lake This trackage is now part of the Spine Monona in May 1955 (bottom right). Line; at this date it was part of a joint C&NW's quartet of Erie-builts were as­ Rock Island/C&NW operation between signed to the subsidiary Omaha Road Albert Lea, Minn., and Manly, Iowa. and were all pulled from service and On Feb. 2, 1980, another quartet of scrapped by the end of the 1950s. Fs lead North Western train 598 near North Western's 43 F-units, though Clinton, Wis. (above left) The locomo­ occasionally used on passenger trains, tives aren't the only thing that date this were built for freight service, and that's scene: note the open auto racks in the where many of them spent their final train consist.

42-June 1995 William D. Middleton

Pacific RAILNEWS-43 Steve Glischinski

art of North We stern's popularity front. The first, No. 856, is a "Chadron with rail enthusiasts can be traced GP35," named for the Nebraska loco­ to its rather eclectic diesel roster. In motive shops and identified by their Paddition to its long-lived cab units, distinctive roof-mounted air tanks. C&NW also maintained a much larger Trailing are an SD45 (C&NW held on­ and longer-lived fleet of GP7s and to these 20-cylinder diesels long after GP9s. C&NW also had a sizable roster many Class Is dumped them, citing of Akos, picked up a variety of inter­ their poor fuel efficiency) and a Geep esting units second hand from other that-as the orange-and-white paint re­ railroads, and even produced some vealed-North We stern had recently ac­ unique home-built locomotives. quired from Frisco. This train crossing Cherry Creek Ako products held out in remote near Ottawa, Minn., in March 1981 outposts on the North We stern until gives you an idea of why Chicago & the mid- 1980s. One notable Schenec­ North We stern was so popular with lo­ tady-built enclave could be found in comotive fans in the 1970s and 1980s Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Ako fans (above). Number 17, running south­ from across the country flocked to the west out of the Tw in Cities on the Om­ North Woods during the first half of aha line, has three distinctive units up the 1980s to see their favorite locomo-

44·June 1995 Steve Glischinski tives in daily Class I service hauling iron ore. In October 1980, three C-628s have an Antoine Turn in tow (above) at Powers, Mich., junction with the line to Green Bay, Wis. North Western's home-built "Cran­ dall Cabs" were among the most dis­ tinctive-and often maligned-locomo­ tives to grace the iron of any railroad. Built at Oelwein in 1973 for commuter service, the 11 units were ex-Union Pa­ cific E9Bs and featured a home-made cab and added head-end power. The units were named for their designer, C&NW Assistant Superintendent of Charles Streetman Motive Power M.H. Crandall. Number 504 is shown leading a string of gallery cars at We stern A venue in Chicago in July 1982 (right).

Pacific RAILNEWS·45 ···· · ··;;·�b·�· ·; ····· ..··· ..······ .. Images ��� � l

Andrew S. Nelson Lance wales

very railroad has certain endearing tection equipment, but just about ev­ peculiarities; Chicago & North ery rail enthusiast is fascinated with We stern seemed to have more pe­ wig-wag signals. During an era when Eculiarities than your average large rail­ crossbucks and flashers have become road. Maybe it was the railroad's fa­ the standard for road crossings, the mous independent streak, or maybe it North Western remained a bastion for was simply a lack of money that kept the engaging pendulum-style warning old buildings and equipment around lights. On Oct. 28, 1992, the Wauke­ long past their normal lifespan, but sha Job wanders into its namesake whatever the reasons, C&NW was a town, in the process passing one of unique property. From left-hand main­ several wags it encountered on its trip line running to the distinctive pink bal­ from Butler Ya rd in Milwaukee (left). last to nose-mounted locomotive bells, This wig wag was located a few blocks from production there were lot of novel things to like PACIFIC RAILNEWS' about the North We stern. office; this past winter, it and all the Not too many people consider other wig wags in town were replaced themselves fans of grade crossing pro- with unlighted cross bucks.

4S-June 1995 Lance Wales

across northern Illinois boasts two of the abandoned concrete structures straddling its double-track main line. A PPROX coal empty rolls out of the morning sun and under the coaling tower at De Kalb on March 2, 1995 (above). The Geneva Sub's other tower is found at Nelson. A third main�ine coaling tower is located on the Adams The graceful stone arch span over Sub at Clyman, Wis. (C&NW coaling Tu rtle Creek, near Tiffany, Wi s., is an towers can also be found in Wi sconsin unmistakable North Western land­ at Adams and Monfort. The latter mark, and is one of the most beautiful stands in a farm fi eld; the rail line un­ railroad bridges in the Midwest. The der it has been abandoned.) bridge is the scenic highlight of North This line-up of Fairbanks Morse We stern's line serving the General "Baby Train Masters" in Escanaba, Motors' assembly plant in Janesville, Mich., in July 1974 is an extinct Wi s. On Oct. 22, 1989, the late after­ C&NW symbol (right). The storied noon shadows are encroaching as two Alcos of the Upper Peninsula were ac­ ubiquitous SD40-2s lead a 137-car tually late arrivals to ore country. The PRJAB (Proviso-Janesville) across Tur­ Centuries replaced a fleet of Wiscon­ tle Creek (above). sin-built H-16-66s that were identified Steve Glischinski Coaling towers-anachronisms in an with North We stern more than any era of high-tech computerized diesels­ other railroad-understandable be­ play prominently in the North We stern cause C&NW owned 50 of the 58 units mystique. The Geneva Subdivision of this model built by FM.

Pacific RAILNEWS-47 Images····� ';�'�" ; '; �.;� ......

Steve Smedley

orth Western, more than any other Such was the sight on Feb. 26, 1994 major railroad, is associated with (left). GP7 4165-boasting an un­ first generation Geeps. Though chopped short hood-took the lead on NC&NW had been retiring and selling ag­ this eastbound stack train, emerging ing four-axles, the railroad still owned from the exhaust fog from nearby in­ more than 200 GP7s and GP9s in the dustries in Camanche, Iowa. 1990s. Most ended up in yard and local So strong was C&NW's passion for service in later years, but it wasn't unusu­ first generation Geeps, the railroad ac­ al to see a Geep in mainline service­ quired some of them used, late in their even working the point of hot freights. careers. C&NW's 4100-series GP7s

48-June 1995 Richard Kundert were part of this group, having started it crawls along C&NW's Lancaster out on the Rock Island. C&NW 4118 Subdivision at Blue Mounds, Wis. leads a second ex-CRI&P Geep on a (above). Needless to say, this line, bet­ transfer run in Chicago on the St. ter known as the "Ridgerunner" was Charles Air Line (opposite page, right). abandoned in the early 1980s. This vision of forlorn branchline A GP7 and a GP9 team up on a railroading is appropriate for a 25- Chicago-area transfer run in December year-old locomotive. On June 27, 1978, 1992. The elderly pair is en route to in­ GP7 1590 has just one car in tow-a terchange with the Illinois Central as it gondola-in addition to its caboose, as passes 16th Avenue tower (right).

Pacific RAILNEWS-49 R.J. Williams

espite C&NW's long history of employing unusual, unwanted, and just-plain-old locomotives, at Dthe end the motive power philosophy was changing, no doubt under the in­ fluence of Union Pacific. In its last cou­ ple of years, crew comfort cabs became the norm for North Western locomotive orders, and the railroad found itself at the cutting edge of locomotive technol­ ogy, being among the first to receive the latest offerings from General Electric.

Bryan Pieper

50-June 1995 R.J. Williams

North Western received the first its attractive lines on a pair of C44-9Ws DASH 9 locomotives in the U.S.; they rounding the curve at Bertram, Iowa, were immediately assigned to coal ser­ with a loaded coal train the day after vice. In March 1995 C44-9Ws roll east­ Christmas 1994 (above right). ward out of the setting sun at Wheaton, North Western's last units were also with a loaded coal train (left). its most progressive, as it became one of III., The paint scheme introduced with the the first to sample General Electric's a.c. DASH 9s was a big hit with photogra­ technology. The first AC4400CWs were phers. Obviously, it will disappear with sent west to the Powder River Basin; the UP's purchase of C&NW, but for the 8822 was photographed leading a coal short time it was around it gained a lot train at Walkel� Wyo ., on March 14, of fa ns. The lightning stripe showed off 1995 (above left). PRN

Pacific RAILNEWS·51 RAIL NEWS Kansas City Southern

INTERMODAL The addition of the new ).B. Hunt traffic trains are operating with extra sections. has altered the appearance of hot intermodal Kansas City-Shreveport train 5 has operated in KCS Wins Hunt Business trains 7 and 8. Volume in early April was in as many as four sections in one day. As a re­ excess of 50 units daily, with as many as 70 sult of the heavy traffic levels, and associated Beginning Monday, Feb. 20, 1995, KCS was units, including blocks of doublestacks, noted power and crew shortages, northbound trains awarded a major contract with trucker j.B. Hunt on heavy traffic days. Train frequency has also are departing Heavener as long as 9,000- of Lowell, Ark. Initially, the volume hauled on been increased to provide daily service. Three 10,000 feet in length. These monster trains are this hot new Dallas-Atlanta 1-20 corridor was 30 four-axle combinations of KCS and NS power also ferrying power back north. Southbound units each direction daily. Volume is expected to are now the n0l111 on this run and former Mid­ trains from Pittsburg, Kan., are being restrict­ increase to 80 units daily after six months, and South GPIOs are now making regular appear­ ed to 6,500 feet to allow meets with these to 110 units daily within one year. ances, occasionally running in solid sets. northbound rolling freight yards. Even the dai­ Presently, Santa Fe-originated traffic is being Diminutive MidSouth Geeps pulling strings of ly Second Subdivision locals between Pitts­ handled by a new daily Santa Fe transfer job doublestacks and spine cars make for an un­ burg, Kan., and Watts, Okla., are toting 50 or (symboled TA LZ eastbound and TZAL west­ usual sight. more cars and are frequently running short on bound) between Alliance Yard and KCS's for­ time. Further compounding a tough situation mer-Santa Fe Zacha Junction intermodal tenni­ NORTHERN DIVISION are the Wyoming-TUGCO coal trains 77178 nal northeast of Dallas. KCS hands the train to between Kansas City and Monticello, Texas, Norfolk Southern at Meridian, Miss., to com­ Tr affic Strains Operations which are expected to retul11 in mid-summer. plete the journey. This new contract augments Because of increased K.C.-Texas traffic, KCS the existing Santa Fe/BN haulage arrangement Traffic levels continued to erupt systemwide has initiated a pair of expedited trains between to Birmingham established two years ago and during the last few months, and increased den­ Kansas City, Blanchard, La., and Dallas, symbol­ the KCS/AT& SF service could soon replace the sity on the Kansas City-Shreveport segment ed No. I I southbound and o. 12 northbound. joint BN service entirely because of Hunt's dis­ may require reactivating sidings that were re­ Reports suggest that the movement is primarily satisfaction with the BN/AT&SF performance. moved years ago. For example, Lyons siding intended for intermodal traffic. This is the first The new Santa Fe/KCS Dallas connection is south of Stilwell, Okla., may be reconstructed. dedicated movement between these two termi­ now the shortest, most direct route between Weary crews have remarked that nearly ev­ nals. In the past, traffic was allowed to accumu­ California and the Southeast. Several other ma­ ery trip is like being on the road just after a late at Deramus Yard in Shreveport and then jor shippers are eyeing the route with interest. derailment has cleared. Nearly all manifest was dispatched to its appropriate destination. ! s ts nJ b e t ve to (any the ,. Chicago & North Western's� na��me and trad��itional� yellow��w!�: and reen paint scheme. These �a�� g beautiful models not only feature the attractive contemporary "lightning bolt" paint scheme, but they also carry afted by A in Precision of Korea. See the Operation Life sa ver emblem on each side. Each is exqUIsitely handcr j you friendly OMI dealer today as only 80 of these fine models will be produced!

52-June 1995 MID-SOUTH COUNTRY Spotlight on Corinth, Mississippi

KCS operates on three of the six rail lines ra­ diating from Corinth, Miss., including the southern route to Meridian, and the former Corinth & Counce shortline railroad (known as Te nnRail under MidSouth operation). Trackage rights on the Norfolk Southern, run­ ning 24 miles to Middleton, Te nn., are used to access the isolated former SouthRail trackage between Middleton and Houston, Ala. KCS is very active, operating several freights in the Corinth area. Train 40 I departs Corinth around 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, heading west on the NS to Middle­ ton, then south to Houston, returning the fol­ lowing day as train 402. Train 31 departs Corinth heading south toward Artesia around 6 p.m., then swaps crews with northbound train 32 at Saltillo. Yard jobs are daylight switcher 107 and evening switcher 108. LOCOMOTIVE NOTES Off-line Power

Locomotives from other railroads are now appeari ng more frequently on the KCS. Bob Plough North We stern S060s 8009 and 8035 ar­ rived on the property on March 3, 1995, for Booming business on KCS's Northern Division has No. 5 running as many as four sections daily. 8060 a 30-day lease. Other C& W units are be­ No. 740 leads theK.C.-8hreveport train across the Bk River south of Lanagan, Mo. on Feb., 17, 1995. coming common on grain trains, also work­ ing northbound manifests. UP units are mixed with BN and KCS units on coal trains. NE WS BRIE FS eling south behind GP38-2 40 11 through Salli­ Some UP units have been noted on regular saw, Okla., in mid-February. The cars were freights. In an unusual move, a southbound UP Detours K.C. Traffic via KCS spotted again heading west through Sulphur grain train departed Pittsburg, Kan., on Feb. Springs, Texas, trailing train 8 on Feb. 26, fol­ 28 with Soo S060s 6028, 6049 and 60 19. A major derailment on the UP Kansas City-Lit­ lowing a solid block of 25 J.B. Hunt trailers ... Soo units have also run on intermodal train tle Rock line northwest of Sallisaw, Okla., late Train 53 set out the TUGCO trainset at TUG­ 9. S, Santa Fe and Conrail units have also on Feb. 28 resulted in at least two northbound CO siding on Feb. 17 in preparation for reacti­ worked on the KCS recently. UP trains backing through the connection at vating of the Tidewater Turn between TUGCO It has been reported that National Railway Sallisaw, then proceeding north via the KCS to and Monticello, Te xas, sometime this spring. Equipment dispatched six ex-Illinois Central Kansas City. The two confirmed trains were Th anks to Lowell McManus, Charles Pitch­ S020s for use by KCS while several of the SFTX coal empties from either Newport or er, Mike and Chris Palmieri, Wayne Kisel; fer­ GP40s are at the NRE facility in Silvis, Ill., White Bluff, Ark. The UP line was reopened the ry Sample, fohn Locke, Bob Plough, Rich Wa l­ for overhaul and painting. Several of the re­ following day ...Second-hand I 15 lb. rail was lace, Darrell Elsea, Nick Huth, Chris Guss, cently acquired ex-NRE GP40s are in service placed along the right-of-way between Newton Leroy Brandenburg, Mike Murray, Michael wearing glistening KCS gray-and-yellow and Union, Miss., on Feb., 15. The rail train Matalis, Dale Gerstel; Roger West, Gene and paint. Significant physical modifications have was powered by KCS 4742 (in BN paint) and Nathan Bailey, Danny Johnson, David [-iurt, occurred including cab interiors receiving in­ 4764. The appearance of these units on the 80 Nick Huth, Wa rren and Tillie Caileff, MIssIs­ sulated flooring, new paint, and new control to 85 lb. trackage was a momentous event as SIPPI RAIL NEWS, TIIAI'I'IC WORLD, KANSAS CITY stands, with the exterior featuring the stan­ these are reportedly the largest units ever to op­ STAR, the KCSHS and the KCS Railway. dard three-way light package (headlights, erate over this former GM&O line ...Business Mars lights and ditch lights). cars Kaysee and Prospector were observed trav- Michael Hasbargen

CANADIAN NATIONAL MOBILE GAIN RAILWAYS Passenger Equipment 1867 - 1992 ANTENNA Edited by Gay Lepkey and Brian West Tu ned to Railroad Band Complete history and technical information for all passenger service Th e one you've heard about! equipment operated in Canada and the United States by Canadian Increased range National Railways, its predecessors and subsidiaries, including: • • 5/8 wave, 3db gain Central Vermont Railway * Grand Trunk Western Railroad • Tuned for optimum Sensitivity, Newfoundland Railway Intercolonial Railway " Grand Trunk Railway * 160-161 Mhz. Canadian Government Railways " Canadian Northern Railway Magnetic mount Grand Trunk Pacific Railway " Canada Atlantic Railway •

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Pacilic RAILNEWS. 53 RAIL NEWS Short Lines

IN &P ter the loader is completed all outbound Ever­ With the increased output from Cascade, a green products will be hauled by truck. larger than nOlmal train of 35 cars was operat­ Major Operational Changes Through April, the schedule found the ed on April 17. The train negotiated the steep Council Local, now based at Weiser, operating grades of the Payette River Canyon arriving in Wide-ranging changes have occurred on the a round trip to Tamarack on Mondays and Banks in good order, but three miles west of Idaho Northern & Pacific since it was pro­ Thursdays, averaging a lO-car train each way, Banks, something went seriously wrong. When fi led in the February 1995 PRN. INPR no each time. The last train on the New Meadows the dust settled, the middle lO cal'S containing longer operates trains from Emmett to the Branch could run as soon as mid-May. In the rough cut lumber had jackknifed, throwing the UP at Nampa on the southern portion of the meantime, the Council Local also operates on lumber into the river. A public relations disas­ Idaho Northern Branch. Presently the only Tuesday and Friday mornings from Weiser to ter ensued. At first residents were told that regular freight movement on this segment is Payette over the UP main line, then into Em­ whatever lumber they fished out of the river a UP switcher out of Nampa Yard working to mett, with the Tu esday train going as far as was theirs to keep. This decision then was re­ fertilizer distributor at Maddens. The only Banks on the Idaho Northern Branch before versed and the INPR called in the county sher­ other moves on this line have been Morrison returningto Payette and We iser. iff, the state police and even the Governor's of­ Knudsen locomotive test runs. Traffic in and Boise Cascade lumber production at Coun­ fice to stop people from taking the lumber out out of Emmett is now interchanged at cil is being shifted to the company mill at Cas­ of the river, and to force people that had al­ Payette, though INPR still retains-but has cade, Idaho. Beginning in April, the mill at ready taken lumber to return it. Meanwhile, yet to use-trackage rights over the UP be­ Cascade went to 24-hour weekday operations, the Boise Cascade mills at Horseshoe Bend and tween Payette and Nampa Yard. and 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday. This Emmett ran out of raw materials as both are Other changes will result from the March change forced INPR to adjust train schedules supplied by the Cascade mill. It was nearly a 31 shut-down of the Boise Cascade mill at to keep up with the larger volume coming out week before the line reopened. Council, Idaho. INPR filed an abandonment of the Cascade mill. There are now two, and petition for the New Meadows Branch with occasionally three, trains per day on the Idaho TC&GB the ICC on April 17, 1995, and approval is Northern Branch north of Emmett. One train expected shortly. The continued operation of departs Cascade in the morning for the trip Railroad Resumes Operation the Council Local is reliant upon completion down the grades to Banks, where the upbound ' of a new chip loader for trucks by the another train from Emmett is met. Crews exchange Dormant since 1985 when the Phelps Dodge customer on the line, Evergreen Lumber; af- trains at Banks and return to their home base. copper mine at Ajo, Ariz., shut down, the

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We've got a new railroad and a new annual, Burlington NorthernSanta Fe Annua/- 1994 Follow RobertC. Del Grosso as he reports on the SN during 1994 with concise coverage leading to their merging with the AT&SF. This years Annual fe atures SN's Snow Removal Equipment, the first decade,. new equipment, 1994 motive power review, up-to-date roster, maps, loco assignments, the new SD70MAC's, plus an All Color Section, and much more. There's another first this year - The Annual is HA RDBOUND with 160 pages. Follow us into this new era of western railroading with our pre-publica­

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54-June 1995 43-mile Tucson, Cornelia & Gila Bend Rail­ road is once again active. Phelps Dodge brought in Econo-Rail Corp. of Houston, Te xas, to temporarily reopen the line and dispose of railroad equipment during the scrapping of the mining operation. Econo­ Rail is the owner of the MK-rebuilt, ex-Ore­ gon, California & Eastern U25Bs now in use on the Port of Galveston Railroad. Original­ ly, plans were to rehabilitate the TC&GB just long enough to ship out the scrap from the mine and the ra ilroad equipment; now the focus has changed to setting up a long-term operation that will extend beyond the clean­ up of the mine equipment. Econo-Rail is planning on shipping out mining wastes con­ taining low copper content to other operat­ ing Phelps Dodge mills to take advantage of new economical extraction processes. A tourist train operation for the line is also in the planning stages.

ARIZ ONA & CALIFORNIA Business Slow in 1995 Bryan Loftin With major customer Boise Cascade closing its Council mill, Idaho Northern Pacific has tiled to Carloadings on the Arizona & California were 8. abandon its New Meadows Branch, seen here at milepost 55 south o. Council on March 24, 1995. off by nearly 10 percent from last year's levels for the first two months of 1995-this despite an increase in automobile, intermodal and through traffic on April II, 1995, after nearly owned short lines in offering tourist train op­ steel shipments. A fa ll-off in construction ac­ six weeks of being closed. The line previously erations part of the year. Running between tivity in the Phoenix area prompted a decline had been closed for more than a month for re­ Benson and Charleston, Ariz., paJ'allel to the in lumber and cement shipments that offset pairs following damage caused by January San Pedro River, these trains will operate in growth in other commodities. storms. The line opened for only five days at the spring and utilize GP20 2044 for power. Local traffic remained steady during the the end of February before being closed yet Passengers will be hauled in a consist of period, and ARZC announced with pride its again by another deluge of severe weather. open-air cars borrowed from the California success in that area. With its fourth anniver­ Western Railroad, the Kyle property that was sary approaching (on May 9), the railroad NORT HERN NE VADA recently put up for sale. said that local business had increased from Th anks to William Eley, Steve Kalthoff, zero to 12 percent of the Arizona & Califor­ New Tr ack to be Built James Doughty, Ben Kerr, Bryan Loftin, nia's total volume. Michael Pechner, Jeff Erickson, Curt Howell, The railroad is pushing ahead with track­ The new Northern Nevada Railroad has re­ Greg Brown, FLtMStES, Idaho Northern & Pa­ work that wi ll allow the railroad to keep ceived Interstate Commerce Commission ap­ cific and Arizona & California. freight speeds at the 49 mph maximum al­ proval to build three miles of new railroad be­ lowed for FRA Class 4 track. In January, tween Keystone and Riepetown, Nev. This line Wayne Monger ARZC started a program to replace 20,000 will be necessary for Northern Nevada to gain ties in 1995, primarily between Wall and Ut­ access to the new copper ore processing mill ting, and Matthie and Aguila, Ariz. Crews are and loading area being built by Magma Cop­ also rehabilitating 18 bridges on the railroad. per in the mountains south of Ely, Nev. NORTH COAST SP &SW Railroad Reopened To urist Tr ain Operation IIIAR'\'

SANTA FE'S WAYNOKA SUB hrs The 156-mile North Coast Railroad between The 27-mile long Kyle-owned San Pedro & See what may be the last video look at2 SF's Willits and Eureka, Calif., finally reopened to Southwestern is joining four other Kyle- 107.5 miles of the Belen C/O between Wellington, KS and Waynoka, OK...... $29.00 SANTA FE'S PA NHANDLE SUB hrs Features 205 miles of the Belen CJO between2

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RAILNEWS-55 Pacific Take a video trip across America! CP Rail System

CORPORATE NE WS hours offered for northbound traffic. CP is co­ ordinating this initiative with improved con­ Profits Improve nections in the corridor between Potomac Yard in Washington, D.C., and Montreal. America by Rail CP Rail's parent, Canadian Pacific Limited, re­ Entertainment the entire fam ily will enjoyl ported net income of C$393.1 million in 1994, OPERATIONS Travel across the entire United States from a significant improvement from the loss of Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, California! $190.6 million the previous year. CP Rail itself Shortline Connections Developed Your Amtrak train will treat you to some of the reported net income of $277 million last year, best scenery this great land has to offer. Along up from $244.8 million in 1993. Revenue ton­ CP continues to develop interline connections the way, we stop at 12 of the best and most miles increased by similar percentages, jump­ with short lines and regionals in Iowa, allowing scenic steam & diesel tourist railroads in the ing from 93 billion to 102.3 billion in 1994. its road power to run through to improve Financial experts are still intrigued by the $1.2 USA! You even see some wildlife! Cities, equipment turnaround times. Recent examples billion cash reserve CP has accumulated and include potash moving via Iowa Northern Rail­ farms. mountains and more! Original music anticipate another rail acquisition in the U.S. way to Waterloo and via Iowa Interstate Rail­ composed especially for "America By Rail" in the not-too-distant future. road to Durant. [A[S and Cedar Rapids & Iowa adds to your enjoyment. This visually stunning CP hopes to take advantage of the new Ex­ City Railway collaborated to handle coal trains tape is perhaps one of the best rail videos ever pressRaii on-dock facility under construction loaded on the CP in southern Indiana for deliv­ made. If you love America, you will want this at Elizabethport, N.J. An interim facility was ery to Archer Daniels Midland at Cedar Rapids. tape! 2 hours of great scenery and trains. built in 1991; it handled 72,000 containers in In Wisconsin, coal movements remain $19.95 for orth America customers 1994. The permanent operation will handle heavy for CP, with the Wisconsin Power and $24.95 fO I'overseas PAL customers 100,000 boxes, with a future capacity of up to Light station near Portage (Columbia) receiv­ 200,000 units. The $12.5 million project ing 4 million tons of coal annually from BN/CP, Cab Ride backed by the Port Authority of New York and moved in six trainsets (four aluminum, two New Jersey will support container movements steel). Traffic moving to the Wisconsin Public Through from CP, CR, CSX and Sea-Land. Service station at Weston is shared with As traffic continues to escalate on CP's for­ C&NW, with 165 trains unloaded per year. mer Milwaukee Road main line between In a new joint service with Wisconsin Cen­ The Rockies '-"""----".!.=.C�� Chicago and St. Paul, investment is being tral, 400,000 tons of coke will be loaded at the made in support facilities, including a new Koch Refinery in Rosemount, Minn., for ship­ locomotive hauling the California Zephyr crew facility under construction at Portage, ment to either Green Bay or export at Mobile, through the Colorado Rockies. Outstandi Wis. When the structure is completed, the for­ Ala. we motive power and coal hoppers move scenery looking forward as we travel f mer Milwaukee depot will be demolished. intact over the CP between Rosemount and Denver to Glenwood Springs. Buy one all or CP and CSX have announced another joint­ Cardigan Junction, north of St. Paul. The unit three in this cab ride series. service venture, called Capitol Express Ser­ train concept cut costs and released several CP #1 Denver-Moffat Tunnel (87 min) vice. Schedules call for a 72-hour run between four-axle units that were held captive on this #2 Moffat Tunnel-Bond (110 min) Montreal and Rocky Mount, N.C., with 84 short, but slow-speed operation. #3 Bond-Glenwood Springs (80 min) Each tape is $29.95, or purchase the complete set from Denver to Glenwood Springs for only $74.95. Save $15.001 Gone but Not Chicago & North Western Mainline West Forgotten:

VISit one 01"the most 11llerestll1g railroad lines in the entire nation ... C&NW's busy east-west Chicago & North line frQm Chicago to Omaha and Fremont. This incredible program treats you to the Western Alco C628s. ell/ire mainline. See stack trains. coal trains, and much more. In addition, take an inside "Centuries of the look at the operations of Chicago's massive Proviso Yard, including the loading of North Woods" doublestack containers . See a variety of (90 min.) or Beta motive power from F's and Geeps to today's VHS modern units. Also ride in the cab of a Metra You'll never see a better program on these monsters from Alco and their years of service on the North Western. Explore the history of the C628; t- .. see them haul iron ore on the Lake Shore Division; chase them on train We accept MastercardlVisa, Check/MO ESGBA; and hear from the shop people who kept them running. Shipping $4.00 USA, Canada $4.00 then $1 for NEW LOW PRICE! each additional tape. Europe $6.50, Asia $8.50 East End Productions All tapes available in PAL for overseas orders. Was $ 60.00 Phone (800) 248-9670 (Railway Productions) P.O. Box 471 Now $45.00 Fax (5 13) 732-0666 (Greg Scholl Video) Gurnee, IL 60031 Illinois Residents Mail orders to: Greg Scholl Video Productions add 6.5% tax ($2.93) 1'.0_ Box 123, Batavia, OH 45 103 ===-=====-_ ��� _J _

56-June 1995 Because of high traffic volumes and con­ gestion on the former Soo corridor between Glenwood, Minn., and Portal, N.D., CP has been routing many sulfur trains via Winnipeg and the Noyes (Minn.) gateway. Speaking of congestion, the yard facilities in Milwaukee were plugged with heavy traffic during the winter months. Conversely, the in­ stitution of bypass trains through the Chicago terminal has greatly improved the fluidity of operations at Bensenville Yard. To provide a suitable pool of grain hauling equipment over the winter months, CP amassed at least 1, I 00 new cars by the end of January. The last of the 115000- 1 t 5899 series National Steel Car order was constructed in December 1994, while the 1 14000- 1 14199 se­ ries cars were acquired from Tri nity Industries during January. MOTIVE POWER ACs in the Summer

CP has announced that the 83 AC4400CWs scheduled for delivery between August and December will be numbered in the 9500-series Greg C. Sieren and will have the comfort cab, but not the "Draper Taper." CP Rail No. 425 leaves Milwaukee, Wis., for the Tw in Cities on Dec. 28, 1994. Almost a decade af· In the meantime, CP continues to bolster its ter the Soo Line/Milwaukee Road merger, a number of locomotives still wear Milwaukee paint. fleet of leased locomotives, with 192 units on line by mid-April. Recent augmentees include 13 Conrail C40-8s in the 6000 series that will 5490 is former SP SD45 903 1, while sisters problems with some units, CSX has placed re­ be used primarily west of Calgary so as to fa­ 549 1 -5494 due in mid-April came from UP strictions on the usage of MLW units on the miliarize crews with new GE technology. Other SD40 3022, C&O SD40 753 1 and D&RGW Railrunner trains operating between Detroit new rented units on the property include a SD45s 5333 and 53 16, respectively. and Chicago. group of eight former Amtrak GP40s refur­ CP continues to use a few Illinois Central Retired SW8/SW900s are being rebuilt in­ bished by Helm, which are now numbered in units to balance horsepower-hour credits ac­ to yard slugs, paired with 1500/ 1 600-series the HLCX 4400 series. In the near fu ture, CP crued from unit grain train movements earlier Geeps for yard service in Canada. Four 6700- expects to obtain additional units from Helm, in the year, with SD40A 60 14 and SD40-2 series units were completed by the end of including SD40-2s 6204, 6206 and 6209. 6102 noted during March. With the arrival of 1994, with two more conversions under way. Providing further support for a tired mo­ more reliable motive power, the stable of ac­ Th anks to Mike Cleary, PI Gratz, Jesse tive power fleet are 10 remanufactured tive MLW units is rapidly dwindling. The Kattner, THE MIXED TRAIN and TRAFFIC SD40M-2s from Morrison Knudsen. The units number of operating six-axle units had WOIILD. will be numbered in the 5490-5499 series; the dropped to three M-630s and nine M-636s by first was to be delivered in late March. The early April. Because of oil and electrical fire Karl Rasmussen

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A system-wide look at the Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific RR ,4dJUtd Sakie La Ute Located in the beautiful arrowhead region of northeastern Minnesota. The DW&P starts at the Pokegama yard near Superior, Wisconsin and travels 170 miles north to a connection with CN HPi0.nee4 R�" NorthAmerica at Ranier, Minnesota. Action indudes: mainline freights, yard switching, transfers, & a cab ride on DWP #5906. Plus vintage 1970's footage of RS 11 Alcos induding the West C&NW Freight F-Unit Litho Duluth Ya rd & Tu nnel. Also connecti ng RR's: CN, DM&IR, C&NW, SOO, BN, GT, WC, and the What better way to remember the First Railroad of MD&W using rare AlcoS2's on yard switching & DWP transfers at International Falls, Minnesota. the West! This large IOYl" X 13W' fo ur-color, Running Tim e: 100 minutes, Beautiful Color, Live Audio and Narra tion varnished image depicting the Chicago & North Western's classic freight F-u nits was produced SPECIAL INTRODUCTORYOFFER I from color separations made from the original painting. Printed on heavy weight coated stock (J,JJ.t $34.95 �� ����07/31/95 with a wide bordeI', is it shipped rolled in a tube via I st class mail. LIMITED TO 500 IMPRESSIONS. Plus $2.50 shipping and handling for each order. Illinois residents must add 8�% sales tax.

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Pacific RAILNEWS-57 RA IL NEWS Burlington Northern

MERGER opening of the former Northern Pacific main . from B and Santa Fe may have had a ripple line over Stampede Pass in western Washing­ effect on some other shippers, although capaci­ Racing To wards Consolidation ton to provide greater service capacity to the ty and equipment restraints may have a greater ports of Tacoma and Seattle. BN has been ne­ influence on this change of trends. With an ICC decision expected no later than gotiating with Washington Central Railroad Expecting bulging traffic volumes later this Aug. 23, 1995, Burlington Northern and Santa (which operates the former NP east of Cle year, BN took advantage of a mild Midwest Fe management teams have been staggering un­ Elum) to begin operating six to eight trains winter and began heavy track maintenance der a load of logistical decisions, all the while per day between Pasco and Auburn. Traffic projects in early March. The C&r Division be­ keeping a jaundiced eye on competitors seeking volumes are expected to increase to 16 moves tween Aurora and Savanna, [II., was one of lucrative merger protection terms. While many per day by 2002. One of several issues to be re­ the first recipients of new ties and welded rail, of the details of the consolidation of interest to solved is which railroad will dispatch the line. as this single-track speedway sees a high per­ the railfan community remain a secret (the The latest forcasts give a minimum of two years centage of intermodal traffic, which will in­ surviving name or paint scheme or perchance before Stampede would reopen, as a number of crease under Santa Fe influence. a new corporate identity, equipment and train hurdles need to be overcome, including envi­ BN plans to continue heavy track mainte­ renumbering conventions, etc.), the dealings ronmental concems. Reconstruction of the tun­ nance projects in the Tw in Cities terminal this with competitors have been very public, and nel at the top of the pass will be required to al­ summer, with an emphasis to be placed on the BNSF appears to have cut some shrewd deals. low the operation of doublestacks, with under­ fonner NP double-track main line between St. SP, which had demanded the most conces­ cutting of up to nine feet proposed. Paul and Minneapolis. Portions of the parallel sions-including access to BN's Chicago-Seat­ A number of opererating scenarios are be­ former GN main were upgraded in 1994 to tle main line and Santa Fe's main line between ing evaluated. One scenario would result in a facilitate the expedient movement of CP Rail, Vaughn, N.M., and Colton, Cali f.-settled for major upgrading of the former NP yard facility Chicago & North Western and eventually substantially less in mid-April. Also surprising at Auburn. BN is also investigating operating Tw in Cities & Western traffic during this con­ is the agreement with UP to limit its conces­ eastbound traffic via Stampede and westbound struction period. sion to a minor trackage rights agreement be­ traffic over Stevens Pass. BN has other plans to As reported previously, BN is investing ma­ tween Abilene, Kan. and Superior, Neb. The reduce operational stress in Washington, as it jor resources in the former NP double-track 95-mile line will not even be used directly by may procure operating rights over the Union main line between Dilworth and Staples, Minn. UP-Kyle Railways will gather grain traffic for Pacific between Spokane and Wa llula. This line sees up to 45 trains per day and oper­ the Omaha based carrier. ations suffer from a combination of hotshots, BUSINESS coal drags, stiff grades and an inflexible auto­ STAMPEDE PASS matic block signalling system. Crossovers and Tr affic Up, Though Inter modal Flat bidirectional CTC is currently being installed Dealing with the Northwest Bottleneck between Dilworth and Detroit Lakes as well as While the movement of bulk commodities and Wadena and Staples, all aimed at expediting in­ As BN prepares for amalgamation with Santa general manifest traffic continues to escalate on termodal traffic which should increase later Fe later this year, several major engineering the BN, the steep climb of intermodal loadings this year with the Santa Fe integration. and operational hurdles remain to be over­ has leveled off, at least temporarily. The well­ Large customer Minnesota Corn Processors come. Of major concern is the proposed re- advertised transfer of ).B. \-Iunt business away is undoubtedly unhappy with the delay being

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58-June 1995 experienced in the consttuction of an $8 mil­ lion, 4.7-mile branch line in Columbus, Neb. The new line includes ai, 700-foot-long bridge over the Platte River, the proposed construc­ tion of which has aroused the interest of sever­ al environmental groups as well as abutting landowners. The line extension was slated for construction beginning in September but the crescendo of opposing voices has put an indefi­ nite hold on the project. OPERATIONS Coal Boom Causes Headaches

Mushrooming volumes of coal traffic have been a boon for BN's bottom line, but have stressed equipment reserves to the limit. While deliveries of more new SD70MACs continue, the company is still short of motive power and now is faced with a deficiency of coal hoppers. To that end, 960 more alu­ minum cars have been ordered from John­ stown America Corp., with delivery expected during the second quarter of the year, just in time for peak movement of coal during the air-conditioning season. Richard Gruber With most of the SD40-2 and C30-7 fleet still tied to unit coal trains, BN has taken oth­ The last active, unrebuilt Spokane, Portland & Seattle locomotive on Burlington Northern's er measures to keep its manifest and inter­ roster is GP9 1977, shown leading a westbound freight into Kansas City on March 26, 1995. modal trains moving, including leasing more power from Conrail, and ensuring timely re­ ceipt of horsepower hours from Grand Trunk. POWER BRIE FS Overhauls of the SD40-2 fleet are continuing Fifteen 6900-series rebuilt SD40s were re­ at West Burlington, with flashing ditch lights a ceived from CR in Chicago, moving to Min­ Isolated Cabs Arrive spotting feature on those units that have neapolis on the point of trains t 9 and 207 emerged from shopping in the past six months. March 11-12. The blue EMDs were immedi­ Based on Conrail's successful experience with Santa Fe influence may soon grace the ately placed into systemwide service and have the isolated cab, BN has reached agreement property as B Illay lease the 30 9500-series been spotted on all types of trains. with EMD to begin constructing all of its SF30Cs that will be retired upon delivery of Other unusual operations found a huge o. SD70MACs with this Feature. All BN the 25 SD75Ms from EMD. The units would 142 departing La Crosse, Wis., on Feb. 21, with SD70MACs from 9572 on up will be delivered be owned by GE Capital and leased to BN on GP9s 1913/1819 and SD9s 61 13/6 109 leading with the new cab design. Modifications to the an intermediate term basis. 129 cars (11,908 tons), while on March 16, older 9400-series units continues at Clyde Thanks ta Mike Bartels, /IIlike Cleary, PI No. 44 arrived at Alliance, Neb., behind the diesel shop in Chicago, incorporating minor Gratz, Glenn Lee and Mel Ta liaus. odd-looking set of MPI SD40M-2 9039, GP39E changes that make them cOIllpatible with oth­ 2803, GECX M-630 5000 and SD40-2 7287. er units in the 9475-9571 series. Karl Rasmussen

ALCOS ALONG THE ST. JOHN

Tak e a Rideon filmed in summer, 1992. CANADIAN ATLANTIC RAILWAYS Florenceville Tu rn Watch rare Alco RS-23s passing through the villages and scenery in New Backwoods Railroads. Brunswick's picturesque Upper St. John River Va lley as we follow the CARs backwoods local on the now-abandoned Gibson and Shogomoc Subdivisions. In Backwoods Rail­ roads:Branchlines Enjoy a ride in the van on one of the last trains using a van in eastern and Shon Lines of Canada! \Vesren1 Oregon, author D. C. Jesse Relive the glory days of the Canadian Pacific in New Brunswick through Burkhardt focuses an interview with a retired engineer. on the intricate rail­ road network of the Witness the tradition of red Alcos and yellow vans traveling over the rails Willamette Valley along the Upper St. John River in New Brunswick. Passing within sight of and its bordering mOllntain chains. the world's longest covered bridge at Hartland, the switchback at Newburg Past and present SP Jet., down the Southampton Spur to Nackawic, and through the back yards and BN lines are fe atured. of Devon into Fredericton. ALCOS ALONG THE ST. JOHN l68 pages, maps, charts, over 150 color and b/w photos 1 Hour...... $1 9.95 $45, cloth, 0-87422-1 04-8 ISBN $3. 00 & Now available in bookstores, or by calling (plus shipping handling) Send Check or Money Order to: the Washington State University Press, �/Jl O��' 1-800-354-7360. VIDEO NeverHomeBoy Video from the camera of Gary Knapp ("The NeverHomeBoy") PO Box 253 Hinesburg, VT 05461

RAILNEWS-59 Pacific RAIL NEWS Southern Pacilic

OVERLAND RO UTE had moved eastbound over the Modoc as the OPERATIONS EUCHQ (Eugene-Chicago quality) was at New Symbols for Modoc Tr ains first run an as EUGJM (Eugene-Grand junc­ New Dirty Dirt Tr ain tion manifest), coming down the East Valley After SP closed the Modoc Line to through Line to Roseville, then moving east around A new contaminated dirt train, this one from traffic in January, traffic was detoured over the wye without going into the labyrinthine Los Angeles, has made its appearance on the Donner Pass, and the East Valley Line, run­ Roseville yard, a continual clog point of SP Overland Route. The LASUU (Los Angeles­ ning westbound as ROEUQ (Roper Yardl operations. However, because the crossovers Sunnyside unit) was seen on April 15 with four Salt Lake City to Eugene quality). Traffic that from Track One to Track Two just east of the units and 50 SP and Golden State gravel hop­ wye had been removed as a cost-savings pers covered with visquene (heavy plastic tarp). measure. the EUGjM had to run against the Coal traffic is lip on the Overland Route; current of traffic on Track One to Rocklin in addition to the regular SNTAC (Skyline • where it crossed over. Often, despite rela­ Mine-Trona coal), and the occasional CPPMC tively low traffic levels on Donner, EUGjMs (CO-OP to Permanente coal), SNWCC (to A TABLE OF arriving in Roseville would face incoming West Colton) or SNSTC (to Stockton for ex­ CONTENTS traffic from Rocklin, forcing them to hold on port), SP has been running a regular ARKTC the single-track East Valley Line, thereby (Arco Mine -Kaiser Te rminal Coal) for export. blocking the route to and from Oregon. After In April, the railroad started running a UTLBC A repeated incidents, including delaying the hot (Utah Railway-Long Beach Coal). Additional­ LOT OF LABRF and Amtrak No. 14, SP decided to ly in the eastbound direction, SP is running change its operating plan. Eastbound traffic the RIGVC (Richmond-Geneva Coal), a train from Eugene is now carried on the EURVM, of imported metallurgical coke that arrives by which is yarded at Roseville. At least one ship in Richmond, Calif. , for the U.S. Steel RVGjM per day forwards traffic over Donner Works in Geneva, Utah. eastward. Hot traffic from Eugene runs on SP has continued to operate Grand junc­ the Burlington Northernas EUCHD (Eugene­ tion-Pueblo operational cycles routed via Den­ Chicago detour). ver and the Moffat Tunnel main line in an ef­ fort to keep traffic densities over the Ten­ nessee Pass main line within manageable lim­ its. These detour cycles operating as * SPECIAL VIDEO OFFER! * GJPUD/PUGJD commonly consist of empties and low-priority traffic. _SOME_ On Thursday, March 23, 1995, SP operated CNW's a short executive passenger special west out of Iron Ore Denver Union Station. Powered by SP 9739, the A special traveled westward via the Moffat Tunnel. TOUCH OF Route At Dotsero, Colo., the junction with the Ten­ A SJ:stem-wide look at the nessee Pass main line, the h'ain headed eastward CHICAGO &NORTH WESTERN'S to Mintul11, Colo., where the patrons detrained. Upper Michigan Taconite Operations �� s OAK LAND NEWS €. PR \ SP to Host UP in Jack London Square �\� C\�()Lawrence A. Stuckey regales and informs. His C.P.R. The trackwork is nearly complete for the rout­ engine service on the Prairies in ing of Union Pacific freights in and out of steam and early diesels highlights Oakland, Calif., via Southern Pacific's line through jack London Square. Union Pacific this rare real-life collection. trains will come off the old Western Pacific 64 pp. 8t" x 11" soft. text. map. timetables. line at Melrose, crossing over on the existing rosters. 58 super-fine pictures ••.$ 22.95 • SP Melrose industrial lead to the SP just be­ low Fruitvale. UP trains will use SP tracks up CANADIAN RAILWAY ATLAS 72 pp. 8t" x 11" soft. Includes free 38t" x 28" wall map. through jack London Square to Magnolia

LAST CHANCE! .•..••...• $ 21.95 (where they formerly crossed the SP at grade); CANADIAN RAIL OPERATING RULES 256 there they will swing back onto their own pp. 4" x 6t" soft. signals In colour ..$ 19.95 alignment. This change will allow UP's line on SIGNAL FLASH CARDS 104 cards zt" x 3t". Third Street in Oakland to be abandoned. This signals In colour. English OR French . $ 19.95 unique section of street trackage was the only Send a cheque I'ralrlL'C;;,� TO ORDER $ ;U 95 true double-track section of the former WP; or money order to either Postage 300 address. Calculate your $ 2'- only one track is in service at this time, and order as shown at right. 95 G.S.T. (Canada) I B.2 Please add $ 3.00 postage. soon it too will be history. Canadians. add 7% G.S.T. Pay Total $ WI RESIDENTS ADD 5% SAlESTAX 277 MOTIVE POWER Nickel Belt Rails . Publishers Older Locomotives Sold

P.O. Box 483, Stn. "B", Sudbury ON P3E 4P6 U. s.A.: P.O. Box 578, Houlton ME 04730 ;piE15IEipRiir� The remainder of the long-stored Rio Grande WISCONSIN 54720 GP35s have been sold. Included are D&RGW

GO-June 1995 NE W BOOKS!

James S. Belmont

An unlikely meet occurred on March 1 G, 1995, where Southern Pacific's Tintic Branch-a line seeing only two trains per week-crosses Union Pacilic's Provo Subdivision at Payson, Utah.

3029-3043, 3045-3050. Many of these units Th anks to Brian Jennison, Vic Neves, Joe were retired by SP in December 1993. Howev­ Kerr, Sam Reeves, Harry Wo ng, H.A. er, until recently a few of the more-dependable Th orne, arlo Elfes, H. W Farewell, Wa yne units could occasionally be found in road ser­ Monger and the Southern Pacific Informa­ vice. Early 1995 saw a total of 152 diesel loco­ tion Center. motives depart from the combined Rio Grande-SP roster. Many are destined for Omni­ Joe Strapac and R.C. Farewell Tr ax, a dealer/leasing company that plans to overhaul the units and place them up for sale. Omni-Trax has facilities in Loveland, Colo., Chicago and Wichita, Kan. Other units are be­ ing retired for scrap as their maintenance costs increase with age. No particular class or group Carl Loucks ...SELLING RAILROAD TIMETABLES of locomotives is immune from potential re­ ti!'ement, although present policy is to clean P.O. Box 484, North Haven, CT 06473 out the older units first. PUBLIC TIMETABLE SPECIAL: The 150 series of leased GP38-2 locomo­ tives is presently being renumbered to the The history of your favorite road told in timetables. 4845-4872 series, in sequence with Southern Three system timetables, one from the 1940's, Pacific's own GP38-2 units. Only 10 locomo­ one from the 1950's and one from the 1960's. tives were actually given SP colors and three­ Choose from ATSF, ACL, B&M, B&O, CB&Q, digit numbers: 151, 153, 158, 159, 162, 164- C&EI, C&NW, C&O, CV, D&RGW, D&H, DL&W, 167, and 170. IC, L&N, LV, MILW, MP, NH, NYC, N&W, PRR, SLSF, SOU, UP, WAB, WP. NEWS SHORTS Each set, three timetables ...... $20 Cantara Wreck Settlement Any six sets of three IT's each, 18 Timetables ...... $80 SP Rail Corp. and three other defendants agreed EMPLOYEE TIMETABLE - STARTER KIT to pay $38 million for costs related to the 1991 For the new collector, ten Employee Timetables, derailment at the Cantara Loop near Dunsmuil; hours of interesting reading. One each from Calif., that contaminated the upper Sacramento ATSF, SP, UP, ICG, Seaboard, Southern, CSX, NS, BN, C&NW...... River with herbicide. The final settlement fol­ AII ten for$5,O lows a consent decree filed in a Sacramento, EMPLOYEE TIMETABLES .. . CaJif., federal court in which SP agreed to pay ATSF - System 1992 ...... $15 $30 million over a five year period. A U.S. Dis­ BN . Northern Corridor 1993 ...... $20 trict Court judge approved the decree in mid­ CNW - System 1992 ...... $20 March, allowing the settlement to be paid to the CSX - Baltimore Div 1993 ...... $15 state and federal governments. CR - Dearborn Div 1991 ...... $12 Te st runs for push-pull operation of Amtrak's NS - Lake Div 1992 ...... $12 Capitols, which run on the Southelll Pacific be­ tween San Jose and Sacramento have been con­ NS - Piedmont Div 1993 ...... $12 ducted throughout the spring. Te sts were origi­ SOO Line - System 1989 ...... $15 nally conducted with locomotives at each end of Up - System 1992 ...... $20 the trains; cab cars have now arrived. The first Any Five Above Just ...... S50 of the new California cars are on the property in New Catalogue Issued Monthly both coach and cab control configurations. Sent with each order or SSAE

RAILNEWS-Sl Pacilic RAIL NEWS The Information Super Railroad

PRO DIGY Hobbies BB/Trains Topic topics of discussion. Amtrak receives some at­ tention in this board, especially since service Wi thin the Trains topic on the Hobbies BB, Wide Variety of Rail Offerings cuts and budgetary problems started making both the modeler and prototype enthusiast headlines. In general, most Amtrak discus­ Our next stop on the InfOlmation Super Rail­ will find interesting and useful information. sions occurs on the Travel BB. road is Prodigy, a joint venture between Sears Collectors of model trains, buses and even air­ Bulletin board messages are arranged by Roebuck & Co. and IBM. Service was first in­ planes discuss their latest finds. People inter­ subject line. Individuals can reply to messages troduced in 1987 with a Connecticut test mar­ ested in Lionel trains have a particularly associated with an existing subject, or new ket. Prodigy became available throughout the strong fo llowing, but models from American notes can be added. All notes posted can be U.S. in 1990 and it has been available in Flyer to Marklin are discussed. read by everyone else who logs into the topic, Canada since November 1994. Presently, If you are interested in trading photos, and the Prodigy software permits individuals Prodigy has more than two million sub­ you will likely find someone to accommodate to reply by private email messages. scribers, making it one of the "big three" on­ your requests here. Also, an informal home The software provided by Prodigy makes it line services along with CompuServe and video loan program has been set up. easy for members to browse notes and their America Online. Railfans will find the most On the prototype scene, most of the discus­ replies. The software keeps track of the last interesting locations in the Trains topic of the sion focuses on freight railroads, steam loco­ time a member visited a topic, and only mes­ Hobbies Bulletin Board (BB) and the Rail top­ motives used for excursions and museum op­ sages with replies added since the last visit are ic of the Travel Bulletin Board. erations. Commuter railroads are also frequent automatically made available for browsing. The "last time visited date" software can easily be reset so that members can re-read replies; this feature comes in handy when an original note has a long history of replies. Each note has the Now Available at technical capacity to have 200 replies; how long a message remains active depends upon a Great Price ! the number of replies it receives. The typical Chicago and Minneapolis & St. Louis lifetime of a note is between 30 and 50 days. Northwestern Powder Footage from the steam days River Coal Line and during the arrival of the Travel BB/Rail Topic diesel. Some color. Vol. 1 and 2, 90 minutes. The Rail Topic is a unique and friendly bul­ A great video at a great price! 90 minutes. letin board with members who span the spec­ Burlington Northern trum from Amtrak employees to rail news re­ $32.95 each, shipping and porters to people inquiring for the first time Denver Division handling included. about taking a ride on Amtrak. Because of the CASEY JONES Part 1 and 2, 90 minutes. All Five for $150. wide variety in train-riding experience and fa­ VIDEO miliarity among the people who visit this top­ PRODUCTIONS ic, interchange is very cordial, even when PO Box 1385 there is a difference of opinion. To rrington. WY 82240 One of the most popular subjects in the Rail Topic is Harry Sutton's "First Timer Ti ps." VI DEOS BY A He started this subject about two years ago as PROFESSIONA L a series of notes where the first-time Amtrak RAILROADER rider could find guidance on how to have a fun and successful Amtrak journey. The original three notes have grown to eight, and several INFORMATION 307-532-7204 additional notes have been added by Don ORDERS ONLY 800-23 1-1385 Weinstein. Because Prodigy bulletin boards VISA I MasterCard don't have archival libraries, Harry, who is the

PHILADELPHIA TROLLEYFEST '93 THE VIDEO! Starring Peter Witt Car 8534 (Brill 1926) � .�� To celebrate the lOOth anniversary of traction in Philadelphia. SEPTA surprised and delighted everyone. 37 "� and our cameras were there to cover it! �. .· . ...' -- II ,; I See the restoration of 8534 . W1U : r..- _��. \, io • , , . ' • pCe's on the historic Chestnut Hill trolley and elsewhere - - • 8534. inside and out. as it returns to the streets after nearly 40 years in storage! . t%�:'J.: _� �.�.-< _ See the new "bullet replacement" cars : _..! :":_ : • N-5 Approximately 50 faSCinating minutes from the Traction SpeCialists:

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62-June 1995 topic's "Special Contributor," keeps the series only software that works with Prodigy that access to the World Wide Web for Windows of notes alive by periodically reposting them. wasn't written by Prodigy. The DOS and users. Prodigy also provides a link to the In addition to being a place to leam the ins­ Windows versions each cost $29.95. Pro-Uti I USENET newsgroups. and-outs of riding Amtrak, the Rail Topic is al­ provides a variety of shortcuts and enhance­ Th anks to lack Adler, lack Callan, Bill so a useful place for finding news about Am­ ments to the basic Prodigy software. I t does J-/akkar inen, J-/ar ry Su tton, Carol Wa llace trak. Members frequently post trip reports from let you read and write bulletin board mes­ and Don Weinstein. their Amtrak adventures. Messages dealing sages off-line, and then automatically upload with foreign train riding, particularly in Mexico, the messages. Users can write macros, a se­ Dave Warner France and England, also frequently appear. ries of program steps, to automatically This past January, a "Prodigy Northem Vir­ download all messages from a topic posted ginia Railfest" was alTanged exclusively through since you last visited. Pro-Util also has off­ messages posted on the Rail Topic. Twe lve peo­ line email capabilities. ple participated in a day of railfanning in the n n GLACIER Wa shington, D.C., area. The event was so suc­ I ter et NATIONAL cessful that another "Prodigy Railfest," this one Prodigy offers electronic mail exchange via PARK in the New York City region, was held this past the Internet. In 1994, Prodigy was the first Izaak Wallon Inn Essex MT spring. Additional Railfests are being scheduled of the major commercial services to offer 59916 for other locations along the Northeast Corridor. (406) 888-5700 ",. ��� �:;��=�� Prodigy Costs Prodigy can be ordered by calling 1-800- PRODIGY. Prodigy offers two basic pricing plans. The Basic Plan costs $9.95 per month for five hours of on-line time; additional hours are $2.95 each. The Value Plan, $14.95 per month, pelmits unlimited access time on most of the Prodigy system, and includes five hours G. TRA IN VIDEO PRODUCTIONS of PLUS feature access time. Additional hours Victoria Avenue Vineland, OntariO, Canada LOR 2CO of PLUS time access cost $2.95. The bulletin 381 1 boards, as well as Internet access time, are PLUS features. Discounts are offered for both 1994 plans if six or 12 months of service are paid for FourRe cent Videos Shot In at one time. A "30/30" plan was recently intro­ RAILROADING THROUGH CANYONS, duced which provides 30 hours of access time on all features for a monthly fee of $29.95. TUNNELS AND PASSES OF THE WEST Prodigy has phone numbers offering access at Scenery at its Finest! speeds from 2.4 to 14.4 kilobytes per second. No specific charges are assessed for sending yoming-Burlington Northern's Platte River Canyon. Union Pacific at Altamont. and receiving email regardless of whether the WUtah-Southern Pacific, Rio Grande and Utah Railway in the Soldier Summit email is to/from the Internet or just to/from area. Nevada-UP, Rainbow Canyon, Meadow Valley Wash. Arizona, N.M.-Santa Fe, another Prodigy customer. Connect time to Kingman, Nelson and Abo Canyons. Approx. 80 min. NalTated. send and receive messages is a PLUS feature, BURLINGTON NORTHERN so reading and writing email off-line using a Sand Hills and Butte Subs (Grand Island to Crawford Nebraska) Prodigy software program is encouraged. Travel 300 miles through the high Mid-Plains, see trains Software to Access Prodigy snaking their way through the valleys with wide sweeping CUIVes (such as the large horseshoe curveat Marsland), the new Since its inception, Prodigy has provided its SD70MACs tackling Crawford Hill, photographed from many own software to access the service. This soft­ unique vantage points. Narrated. Approx. 80 min. ware comes in DOS and Windows versions, as well as a version for Macintosh computers. All UNION PACIFIC versions are generally similar, and offer a Pocatello Subdivision (Green River, Wyoming to Pocatello, Idaho) "point-and-click" means of moving around Experience spectacular mountain scenery as you follow UP's 250 screens. By having proprietary software, miles of mainline through the lush valleys of the Wasatch and Prodigy has been able to include on-line Aspen mountain ranges. Featured are Puru Hill, Nugget Canyon, commercial advertisements at the bottom of Pescadero, Lava, a ride up the Dry Valley Branch and much more. Narrated. Approx. 90 min. most screens. The advertisements are some­ times distracting, and at slow modem speeds CSX Corbins C.C. SubdivisIon (Corbin to Covington, Kentucky) noticeably slow down screen updates. The Prodigy Mail Manager for DOS ($4.95) Tw elve tunnels, UI8Bs, U23Bs, BQ23-7s, B30-7s, the new or E-Mail Connection for Windows ($1 4.95) DASH 8-40CWs, a variety of paint schemes, two separate helper pockets-you'll ride three SD40s through one and a can be downloaded directly from Prodigy, and DASH 8-40CW through the other, pushing 13,000-ton coal pennit the user to read and write email off-line, trains over the "roller coaster." One-hundred-fifty miles of and automatically send and receive mail on-line. mountain railroading at its best. Narrated. Approx. 80 mins. A Macintosh version should be available soon. All videos mastered on BETACAM SP Natural HIFI Stereo. Also available .•• A recently released Windows-only product Available in VHS only. called Bulletin Board Note Manager is de­ 3 . CSX Each tape costs $ 9 95 plus $4.00 S&H (Canadian Funds). The Alleghany Subdivision signed specifically for heavy bulletin board u.s. VISA orders will be charged the equivalent of $43.95 Canadian (Approx. $33 U.S. which Includes S&H.) (The old C&O main line, users. It permits you to search topics for mes­ Clifton Forge, VA.·Hlnton, W.V.) sages of interest and download them automati­ -ORDER 2 TAPES · SAVE 5% -ORDER 3 TAPES · SAVE 10% Scenic mountain railroading. cally. Replies can be written off-line, and then Discount Applies To Price of Tapes .iIlliI S&H Orders payable by VISA or Money Order. Ontario orders add 8% PST. helpers, tunnels-includes a free guide Ihe Alleghany Subdivision. posted automatically at the next log-on. This To order call toll·free 7 days a week 10 software costs $19.95, and like the others, can We ll-received. 90 mins. Still $36.95 plus $4.00 S&H (Canadian Funds). be obtained only through Prodigy. "�� -­ (800) 667-3510 "ReCllmmended viewing" -C&O His· A program called Pro-Util can also be (905) 562·3866 torlcal Society, Clifton Forge, VA. downloaded directly from Prodigy. It is the ----�� -----

RAILNEWS-S3 Pacific COMMENTARY

The Last Word • • • With Ed Ripley

Nonetheless, UPS doesn't think railroad inter­ modal service is very good. At the annual meeting of the Intermodal Association of North America in 90% On-lime March, UPS intermodal manager Greg Nugent said Why that, rated on a scale of one to ten, rail service merits just a three or four. "Too often," said Nugent, "rail­ roads don't understand what UPS is about"-prompt, cost-effective, but above all reliable delivery. Doesn't Cut It UPS is not alone. Less-than-truckload shipper Car­ olina Freight, for one, wasn't impressed when Santa Fe's 1994 annual report boasted that Chico's inter­ modal trains achieved an 89 percent on-time record for the year. "[n our business," huffed Carolina Presi­ dent James Hertwig at lANA, "you'd better not be 95 percent [on time] or below." Roadway Express Presi­ dent Michael Wickham also emphasized the service sensitivity of tTUck freight and lamented that "there is still much to be learned on the rail side." Robert Young, president of Arkansas Best, complained that railroads are still more concerned about what's good for them than what's good for their customers. Then there's truckload giant J.B. Hunt, which start­ ed diverting movements to rail way back (relatively speaking) in 1990. Hunt signed on as one of the pri­ mary customers supporting Santa Fe's invasion of the Southeast on Burlington Northem rails in 1993. The railroads, though, managed to muff the opportunity to make the new service a success. Congestion at BN's in­ termodal terminals and poor on-time performance led Hunt to divert much of its traffic off the Birmingham­ Memphis route early in 1995. For now Hunt has routed much of its traffic over the competing Kansas City Southem/Norfolk Southern service to Atlanta. Yet another disaffected customer is K Line, the Herb Johnson Japanese ocean carrier, which has been shipping East Coast freight from Los Angeles and Seattle by rail for Brand-new warbonnet SD75M leads a Santa intermodaltrain over Cajon Pass in 1995. 20G Fe several years. Unreliable and inconsistent service from Union Pacific, Santa Fe and Conrail, among others, has K Line reconsidering its options. In a recent hink last year's remarkable boom in intermodal speech, a senior K Line official said his company may loadings means the railroad industry is out of consider rerouting this h'anscontinental traffic via con­ PS the woods? Think the new Te amsters agree­ tainer ships operating through the Panama Canal be­ inter­ Tment with the less-than-truckload carriers hands the cause the railroads can't deliver on a consistent basis. railroads a juicy slice of the truck market permanent­ It doesn't require genius to realize that sentiments Umodal ly? Think the railroads have learned how to satisfy like these are a serious threat to railroad prosperity. In­ their intermodal customers? Don't be too sure. telmodal, after all, generates about 13 percent of the The railroads' intermodal customers-the compa­ industry's revenue (probably more in the West) and re­ manager Greg nies that control the freight and pay the bills-still mains the fastest growing segment of the business. aren't crazy about the quality of train service. Many Loss of the forward momentum that the industry has Nugent said of them continue to see intermodal as inferior to old­ built up over the past few years would hit hard. fashioned, over-the-road trucking in satisfying the de­ The conventional wisdom has been that truckers mands of their customers, the industries that gener­ have had no choice but to divert trailers to rail move­ that, rated ate and receive freight. And given the knife-edged ment. Particularly since the railroads achieved two­ economics that dictate how freight is shipped, there's person train crews in the early 1990s, doublestacks on a scale of little to prevent intermodal units from slipping back have been cheaper than over-the-road for moving onto the highway, to the railroads' detriment. freight over an ever-diminishing break-even distance. United Parcel Service might be one of the most en­ Also, motor carriers were unable to fu lfill their vora­ one to ten, thusiastic rail boosters in the shipping community. cious appetite for federally certified drivers as more UPS has relied heavily on intemlodal for many years, and more existing employees got fed up with life on rail service to the degree that Santa Fe operates a network of the the road and opted for other employment. If they fastest freight trains in the West primarily to meet wanted to keep growing, the truckers concluded, UPS's needs. UPS has backed up that reliance by they simply had to work with the railroads-a con­ merits just a building rail-served sorting terminals near Chicago clusion borne out by the LT L industry's 1994 con­ and in Northern California.The company is now mov­ tract with the Teamsters, which allows them to divert three or four. ing into the next generation of intenTIodal equipment up to 28 percent of their intercity truck miles to rail. by acquiring 28-foot containers to be carried four to a The assumption underlying the right to divert, unit in new doublestack cars with 56-foot wells. though, was that the railroads would deliver LTL

G4.June 1995 freight reliably. But as growth in trailer and vestment over the past few years. But too many container volume strained terminals and train units still sit around in terminals too long, or go capacity, that assumption began to weaken. down for maintenance too quick. More utiliza­ Meanwhile, the truckers began to make head­ tion remains to be squeezed out of the fleet. way in their efforts to reduce driver turnover. Te rminals, any intermodal veteran would A slowdown in the growth of the national say, are where the battle is won or lost. Hun­ economy, widely expected during 1996-97, dreds of millions have been spent to pour con­ may bring formerly disaffected drivers back to crete and buy cranes in an effort to keep up trucking. Fuel prices have been more or less with growth. This must continue. More impor­ steady, which weighs against further rail diver­ tant, though, is the improvement of strategies sions. And sales of heavy trucks are setting to push more volume through these fixed and monthly records. expensive assets, through better information Under these conditions, intermodal's management and closer cooperation with the shortcomings from a trucker's perspective be­ truckers doing the pick-ups and deliveries. come more prominent. Obviously, these in­ Finally, railroads must work better with clude lost time and equipment productivity as each other to deliver the services the customer trailers are delivered to terminals, wait to be wants. Even after the large mergers that have loaded on trains, wait to be unloaded from been announced, and the others that are likely trains, and wait to be picked up at the other to follow, many natural intermodal markets end. One recent study estimates that inter­ will require interline service involving at least modal equipment is sitting still 70 percent of two railroads. Unfortunately, the competing the time because of these inherent inefficien­ self-interests of the carriers involved often cies. Carriers using containers also have to makes such a movement more attractive to master the frustrating chess game of moving one partner than the other, and the fa ilure of chassis around to meet boxes arriving by rail. that second participant to give the movement Another problem that may not be evident the attention it deserves often causes the cus­ at first glance is the circuity built into most in­ tomer to walk away in disgust. Management termodal movements. Roads go everywhere, must find a way to solve this problem. but fast intermodal service is available only There's a whole lot of freight out there over a limited network of high-density rail moving solely by highway. Estimates are that routes. Railroads promote fast trains, for ex­ just 17 percent of the trailers and containers ample, between Chicago and the Bay Area. making one-way trips of 500 miles or more But in the real world the shipper may want to move by rail. To survive in the long term, the move a trailer of outdoor all-weather boots railroads need to attract more of that business. from a manufacturer in western Wisconsin to Let's not let the industry's history of inade­ a warehouse in Reno. To use intermodal, the quate service and bad habits discourage our trucker may have to move the trailer 300 miles customers and stunt intermodal growth. PRN over the road to Chicago, 2,500 miles by rail, and then another 200 miles by road to its des­ tination-or about 900 miles more than the direct highway distance. Intermodal's existing cost advantages may prove short-lived as well. A recession may push down truck driver com­ pensation, particularly at non-union carriers. Meanwhile, pressures are building for another increase in truck size and weight. The federal government is looking at "harmonization" of U.S. weight restrictions with those of Canada and Mexico as a consequence of the North America Free Trade Agreement. Our northern and southern neighbors allow 80,000 lb. high­ way payloads, while U.S. law limits containers to 65,000 lbs. Increasing the legal size and weight limit of trucks will lower the unit cost of highway transportation and likely divert some intermodal loads back to the road. What can railroads do to maintain inter­ modal growth? A good start would be to gear their efforts to providing what the truckers want-reliable service above all. An on-time record of 85 percent or 90 percent doesn't cut Three hundred color photographs of Santa Fe it when that means the ultimate customer, op­ equipment from 1945 through the 1970's are expertly erating a just-in-time plant, has to shut down captioned by Lloyd Stagner in Ihis new 128-page hardcover book. Lightweight and heavyweight pas­ when every tenth trailer is late. Even today, it's senger cars, boxcars, reefers, gons. hoppers together difficult to convince veteran railroad employ­ with non-revenue equipment complete Ihis colorful ees used to pulling dead freight when the yard look at one of America's fa vorite railroads. fi lls up that schedules are sacrosanct. Available 1, ,(1' J, J995. order today at tlze sp e­ -Illinois Central's Yazoo Railroads need to redesign services with re­ cial pre-publicatioll price of $40+$3,50 postage, $5 liability in mind. It's often far better, from the fo reign, Give street address for UPS delivery, NJ perspective of the customer, to say you can de­ res, add 6% tax, After 7/1/95, price is @S49.95 Line in Mississippi liver in 60 hours, and do it 99 percent of the each. time, than to claim a 50-hour schedule and make it 50 percent of the time. Morning Sun Books, Inc. Reliable service demands adequate locomo­ 11 Sussex Court tive power. Here the railroads have made some Edison, N. J. 08820 progress-witness Southern Pacific's massive in-

RAILNEWS-S5 Pacific PHOTOS FOR SALE. M/ W equipment, track laying INTERESTED IN CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN? EXCHANGE equipment. some freight and passenger equipment. Send Join the Chicago & orth Western Historical Society. a Classifieds LSASE to: Tie Gang Photos. Dept. P. P. O. Box 17680. not·for·proflt corporation chartered in the State of Illinois. San Diego. CA 92 177. 378·379 C& WHS membership. $19 for one year (overseas mem· berships 540), includes a subscription to NORTH W ESTERN NEW LOWER PRICES: 30e a word/S7.50 per issue CALIFORNIA RAILFAN FIELD GUIDES. Cajon. LINES, issued quarterly. Send membership dues to Lou minimum. Payment in advance. We reserve the .-ight to Te hachapi. Keddie. Donner. more. orthern $12; South· Hamilton. Membership Chairman. C&NWHS. P.O. Box edit all copy and refuse any listings. Ads cannot be crn $17; TX +8.25 percent; $2/0rder postage. Jason 1436. Elmhurst. IL 60 1 26. 379 acknowledged, nor can proof copies be sent. Closing Kazarian. Box 260386. Plano. TX 75026·0386. 379·381 date: two months before issue date. Count all numbers, TiMBER TiMES: Logging railroad quarlerly modeling name and address. Home/office street address and magazine. Scale drawings. historical photos and stories. telephone number must accompany order. Mail to: 516 per year ($20 foreign). TIMllER TIMES, Box 219. Classifieds, Pentrex Publishing, P. O. Box 379, Ad Index Hillsboro. OR 97 123. 379·38 1 Waukesha, WI 53187 940s GOLDEN JOURNEY- I Tr avelogue story of RI· B SP Golden State. VHS only. color 20 min. approx. 529 RAILROAD VIDEOS: 2·hour VHS tapes. Vol. I o. I . 91 13 By town Railway Society Inc ...... 53 (Soo/CNW/WC), Vol. No. 2 (Soo/BN/C 'W/Amtrak). postpaid. Kansas Rail Hobbies. Farley Lane. Over· 66212. 379 Vol . No. 3 (BN & CNW at Rochelle). Vol. No. 4 (Soo Line land Park. KS C $25.95 $3 Carson Home Video ...... 62 only). each. includes 90·minute train cassette! BOOKS, RAILROAD out or print. 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East End Productions ...... 56 ATSF 4·8-4 NO. 37S1-Great new book. 20 high·quali· TED ROSE WATERCOLORS. Original paintings F ty pages, mostly color. Profits support 3751 restoration. available or commission the artist to create custom art. $9.95, $2 80� .. Just plus s/h. (Califol11ia orders include Conlact: Ted Rose. P.O. Box 266. Santa Fe. NM 87504. Four Ways West Publications ...... 54 ea. tax). Send to: SBRHS·BOOK, P. O. Box 2878. San (505) 983·948 1. 374·397 92406·2878. 376·38 1 Bernardino, CA G . . RAILROAD LOGO HAT PINS $2 each, patches 51. G. Tra in Video Productions ...... 63 MILWEST is an organization of modelers, historians. military pins $2. Write for free list. please specify. Vic·s. Graphic Composition Inc...... 57 former employees and others who share an interest in P. O. Box 90042, Portland. OR 97290. 377·382 H the former Milwaukee Road's " Lines West" west of . Hen'on Rail Video ...... 14 Mobridge, South Dakota. Our quarterly newsletter. IT'S HERE! 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James DuBose. 23 orthridge. 62684. 377·380 LIMA SUPER·POWER STEAM LOCOMOTIVES. Sherman. IL . L . . Authentic. original 1946 53·page hardcover builder's Logo·Motives ...... 58 . CALIFORNIA BY TRAIN & BUS. Visit hundreds of catalog. Includes GTW streamlined Northerns. $39.95 Carl Loucks ...... 61 destinations by rail. Color maps. California Tr ansit postpaid. Excellent condition. SASE for brochure. Lima M Guide. 518.95 ppd. to CTP. P.O. Box 72040. Davis. Books, P.O. Box 528453. Chicago, IL 60652. 377·379 Marsh Lake Productions ...... 5 CA 95617. 375·380 . . FLIMSIES! The Ncwsmagazine of Western Railroading. Mind's I Productions ...... 11 ... . NEED MONEY FOR A PROJECT? Venture capital Published twice monlhly. we cover the Western rail MO·KAN Video ...... 55 sources are available. call (702) 747·6964 for infor· scene with timely coverage of news events. somelimes MorningSun Books ...... 65 mation. 371·382 before Ihe actual event! $30-24 or $10-7 issues. Sam· pIe 51. 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White River Productions ...... 10

SS.June 1995 SIERRA PACIFIC COAST RAILWAY INC. Post Office Box 4030 • Felton California 95018- 1079

Imagine a new shortline railroad company dedicated to applying modern technology and manage­ ment techniques to its operations while still maintain­ ing respect and appreciation for the great history of railroading. Imagine a company offering the latest in intermodal services, with a rate of 20,000 car loadings projected for its fourth operating year, also able to provide space and facilities for maintaining and oper­ ating historic railroad equipment.

Visualize a railroad with miles of track wind­ ing through California's pristine San Joaquin VaHey, traversing the steep grades and breathtaking vistas of the golden Sierra foothills, and spanning a long-forgot­ ten narrow gauge route stretching from California's Coastal Redwood forest to its sunny Pacific beaches.

Suppose this shortline railroad operated both modern diesel-powered freight and historic tourist trains as part of a carefully conceived business plan in which profitability, environmental responsibility and regard for railroading history were held as mutually beneficial objectives?

; j.•

What if it" cp].Jld be demonstrated beyond..a

doubt that the ' bus.iriess plan for our new shortline ' �, -.' •

railrQaQ wa.s. b·ased 'on sound economic plannipg .by · -_- : - -;:.- ·.s�a:soneg railT-? !id professicJnals? . -, ' - , ' - "- -.'� :-,--: . .' ,- - WhQ are the people'dedicated to achie 'ri a!):' . g -, t'1e$ e- ol5jectiy�'s?' Welcome to -tile -peo� IB- of the .... .--" of _ � Sierri Pacific COi:lst Railway. Welcorrie to: the com­ I· - pan,y llei:licated to' providing quality. service .to its . _customers today, while- respecting and preservwg the. -traditi�ns, eq!lipment and scenic beauty of the historic rail!o�ds over which i Coperates.

� . , . Watch the future of this new railroad unfold in� - . - ' " a railroad 1995. The Sierra Pacific Coast Railway, - for tbe future, built on respect for the past. -tP(} Rarf(Qa� Mirlifo;(; v ([email protected]) Special Two-Tape Offer: Buy both The Rathole and Th rough the Rathole fo r the sp ecial price of just SA VE $1 0. 00/ $49.951 Sp ecify Order Code #RHSPEC