Can anyone tell me when the Chicago & North Western started operating the Des Moines to Beverly DMBV and BVDM trains?I know they were still operating for a while after UP took over.
I have a photocopy of a C&NW Train Operations Manual that is mostly dated either 12/1/85 and 6/1/86,but doesn’t have DMBV listed and the yard jobs are numbered differently as well.Most of the mainline freights are the same as when I worked for a shuttle service back in 1997 and 98.
Have a good one.
Bill B
I looked through the Trainwatcher’s Guide For the C&NW (early/mid 90’s) and didn’t find anything in regards to the service you mentioned. A guessing fool would suggest that Des Moines to Beverly would be handled by the MDMPR/MPRDM (Proviso - Des Moines) unless there were enough cars (tonnage) to warrant an extra.
CC
Thanks,Chris
So during the C&NW era Des Moines to Beverly trains would have been MDMBV and MBVDM.I remember that PRNPA and NPPRA would setout and pickup at Beverly yard,along with a couple of other trains.The Train Operations Manual I have also lists PRBFA and BFPRA as working Beverly as well,but I think these were gone by the time I was picking up crews there or working yard duty.Any indications in that book of yours about coal trains for Iowa Electric?Thanks again.
Have a good one.
Bill B
No, that’s what UP would call them now, if they existed. CNW would have called them DMBVA and BVDMA.
Those could have been the cutback version of what were once DMPRB and PRDMB, but I’m not sure about that.
Thank you for clearing that up,Carl.
Have a good one.
Bill B
UP used to run MDMBY and MBYDM. They haven’t run that for quite a while. The symbol for Beverly can be BY or BV depending on the train. (BV is also used for Beaver, Iowa about 20miles west of Boone) Cedar Rapids can be CR or CE, again depending on the train.
Jeff
Wouldn’t that basically be assigning up to four different sets of initials for the same destination? Doesn’t all UP traffic for CR go through Beverly? Or do they sometimes run it up the passenger spur?
I think you’ll find that Beverly only has one set of initials now (probably BY, if indeed any trains originate and terminate there).
CE or CR might be reserved for trains that deliver directly to a customer, such as the power plants, or a unit train of oats that goes into the city.
All loose car traffic goes thru Beverly. Loose cars are interchanged to the Crandic off the main line by ADM and received from the Crandic down by Wilson Ave. Thru trains normally set out on the south side and pick up off the north side at Beverly yard.
Unit coal and grain trains going to and from the Crandic go via the new connection at Fairfax. Unit grain trains, including ones to Quaker Oats with a QO destination symbol, may be split up in to Beverly yard tracks, taken up the old passenger/original main line (called the Cedar Rapids line by crews) or sometimes, taken east over to Otis and backed up the Cedar Rapids line. Brian posted about seeing Canadian hoppers over there. Those were probably loads that had been backed up that track. The power is usually sent back light via the main line to Beverly. Sometimes, if the crew is short on time or there is too much main line traffic, the power is left there and later a yard crew will go and get them. A yard engine will come out of the city down the CR line and get the cars.
The current manifest origninating/terminating is MBYNP/MNPBY. Grain trains, except Quaker Oats (QO) will use a CR destination. Coal going to Alliant Energy use a CE. Coal going to ADM use the BV. (I believe I’ve got the coal right, it might be the other way around)
Jeff
Aha, so that’s what I was looking at last Saturday…
Good information coming in from all that reply to my inquiries.
When I worked for a shuttle service in 1997-98 there was indeed a DMBV/BVDM set operated by the UP.That was changed sometime around 2000 to DMBY/BYDM.At that time I no longer worked that job as I had gone back into construction work.
In 1985-86 the C&NW had Beverly as BV and Cedar Rapids as CE(because CR was the Conrail connection in Chicago).Trains to Beverly before the Des Moines trains were originated at Proviso.I can’t say as to why they changed to Des Moines(destination of the majority of loads from Beverly or just to reduce Proviso’s workload maybe?).I’ll have to get some more of the back issues of the CNWHS magazine and try to find more info on the subject as I’ve been out of touch with people I know that work at Beverly and it’s been almost 10 years since I was privy to a lot of info.Hard to remember everthing that occured,but bits and pieces are remembered.Bear with me.Thanks.
Have a good one.
Bill B
quote by: Bill B
Information pulled from the Trainwatcher’s Guide For The C&NW (published by the CNWHS). This guide/info dates from the early to mid 90’s.
Coal
BMCEC: Belle Ayr Mine - Cedar Rapids (Iowa Electric)
ROCEC: Caballo Rojo Mine - Cedar Rapids (Iowa Electric)
RMBVC: Rochelle Mine - Beverly
BMHTC: Belle Ayr Mine - Hampton, IA (my geography is a little off… is Hampton close / interchange at CR?)
ECHTC: Exxon Caballo Mine - Hampton, IA
NAHTC: N Antelope Mine - Hampton, IA
ROHTC: Caballo Rojo Mine - Hampton, IA
CDFLC: Cordero Mine - Fruitland, IA (again, not sure where in IA Fruitland is exactly)
Other
BVBOE : Beverly - Boone, Extra (there’s also a BODME: Boone - Des Moines, extra & that might help answer your original question)
FRBVG: Fremont - Beverly, Grain
MCBVG: Mason City - Berverly, Grain
BOBVG: Boone - Beverly, Grain
YBE31 & 33: Beverly - North Yard, transfer (33 dated 10/1/93 & 31 1/13/94)
YBE35: Beverly Industry (1/13/94)
YCE22, 23 & 24: Cedar Rapids Industry (10/1/93)
I look through the guide and posted anything I could find in regards to Beverly / Cedar Rapids.
CC
Hampton is on the Spine Line about 50 miles north of Ames, no interchange at CR. Fruitland rings a bell, but I can’t place it at the moment.
quote by Billbtrain:
I didn’t find anything specific to Des Moines to Beverly, but I did find something on Chicago (Proviso) to Beverly. Information from the Chicago & North Western Freight Trains And Equipment by Patrick C. Dorin:
Proviso - Beverly
Pre 1980 = #259… Post 1980 = PRCEA
Beverly - Proviso
Pre 1980 = #254… Post 1980 = BVPRA
CC
Fruitland, IA is on the IC&E nee: CRI&P. The wye to enter the spur, which is about 3-4 miles long and east of main track, is located about 5 miles south of Muscatine Yard office. Used to be very near milepost 227 on the RI, MILW, SOO and CP. Don’t know if IC&E has changed it of not.