As a retired CNW Engineer, I ran many times from So. St. Paul to Oelwein, I can tell you it was a Engineers nightmare. Huge trains (sometimes over 200 cars) of mostly junk box cars. The line was all hills and curves, so many hog backs being in the caboose was like being on the end of a bull whip.
Did CGW run one train daily each way? What speed was the line?
What was, if you recall, the freight handled? Grain or flour into or out of Twin Cities? Did CGW have their own yard, or use someone else’s?
Any more info…gladly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ed
First of all, ChoChoman; WELCOME HERE! [#welcome]
You mention youpulled lots of trains with 'junk boxcars (?). Since you retired (Recently?) or some time back (?). I would guess that those cars were used in grain haul services, using the varius ‘grain door’ retention methods to hold the grain in the car?
Any how, Welcome and look forward to your answers to Ed’s questions.
[EDIT: To add comnt]
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/190060.aspx
ChoCho Man:
The above Thread is titled “Chicago Great Western Railway”. Your input and knowledge of that RR might be of much interest there. Just a thought![:-^]
Did you go through Rochester, Stewartville, Racine, Spring Valley MN? I grew up on a farm 3 miles west of Racine.
ChoChoMan,
Here is a photo of Winston Tunnel for you. Did you ever go through this tunnel on a train?
The main CGW yard complex in the Twin Cites was the Park Yard/State Street Yard complex in South St Paul. They also had a yard in Mpls by the U of M campus. The CGW used trackage rights on the GN to move trains between St Paul and Mpls. My grandfather worked for the CGW(section), and did ride snow plows in the winter season(running the flanger).
I rode a train to Olewein from SSP with an old engineer(Robertson?). Like ChoChoMan said, the CGW was a real roller coaster. The main line went through Randolph & Hayfield - the Rochester line was part of a branch network that connected at Randolph and McIntire. The line still had good rail and ABS signals in 1966. When the C&NW bought the Rock ‘Spine Line’, all through traffic was moved off the CGW, and a small way freight worked it’s way from Oelwein to Randolph. Another job worked from SSP to Randolph and worked the large Roseport industrial area. With basically one RT between Oelwein and Randolph, business was poor. By 1984 the line south of Randolph was out of service. The line north of Randolph to Roseport lasted about another year. The C&NW used what was left of the Mankato branch out of Northfield to service Randolph and Cannon Falls. That line is now switched by Progressive Rail.
Jim
An old postcard of Rochester, MN.
