Chicago and North Western’s Western Division, The Cowboy Lines - FULL VIDEO (1993)

C. Vision Productions explores the Western Division of the Chicago and North Western, during the railroad’s final years of existence. C&NW’s Cowboy Line and Colony Line are covered extensively in this program, with additional coverage of the railroad’s coal operations based in South Morrill, Nebraska. You will see historic footage of the Cowboy Line between Norfolk, Nebraska and Chadron, Nebraska, including the last train before the line’s abandonment. As a special treat, we were invited aboard CNW 6848 for the final journey across the Cowboy Line on December 1, 1992. Next, we head for the Chicago and North Western’s coal line to document CNW C40-8s and SD60s handling a steady flow of black diamonds out of the Powder River Basin. Coverage of CNW’s Powder River Sub, the CNW/BN Joint Line, and behind-the-scenes footage of the South Morrill operations center are featured in this portion of the video. We then return to the Cowboy Line to document operations between Chadron and Crawford, Nebraska. In Crawford, you’ll witness a live interchange between the Burlington Northern and C&NW, with both crews exchanging traffic and returning back to their home terminals. Last, we’ll cover the Colony Line between Dakota Junction, Nebraska and Belle Fourche, South Dakota. This line follows the eastern edge of the beautiful Black Hills, and is surely a C. Vision favorite. We’ll hop aboard CNW 5529 as our train heads north on the Rapid City Sub, towards the subdivision’s namesake. In addition to the cab ride, a great variety of trains are seen as we continue north along the Colony Line. We’ll see CNW GP40s, GP50s, SD40-2s, and even a stray SD50, powering trains over the many steep grades of the Rapid City Sub. Relive the memories of Chicago and North Western’s Western Division, in this full-length video presentation.
Copyright 1993, C. Vision Productions
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[@freddykagin]

I will never forget Chicago north Western. ❤they ran through my back yard. 😊in Wi 😊

[@CVisionProductions1]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@0fficialdregs]

one of my other favorite railroads

[@CVisionProductions1]

That’s great to hear as it is one of ours as well. Thank you!

[@donoghue964]

Another great western SD video, you know it's my favorite part of the US so it made me smile. I never got to see the CNW but dang I wish I did. Thankyou, Matt

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you Matt! Obviously, it’s my favorite as well as I grew up out there. I appreciate your comments and I hope you enjoy the video!

[@kingoflovetrain6426]

I really Enjoy watching The C&NW Cowboy Line!, This is a really Good Show!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much!!!

[@ryanfrogz]

Thanks for uploading! Love all the yard shots. Wish the railroads still let people do that nowadays.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting. I really miss that part of recording trains today. Just can’t do that anymore without being scrutinized or called in. It’s really sad.

[@tracksideadventures]

Love this era of railroading and old school video. Thanks for sharing!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for watching!!!!

[@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068]

Very well done. I love the old CNW!!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much!!! Greetings from Minnesota!

[@GOPGonzo]

Having lived most of my life next to the old C&NW racetrack out of Proviso Yard in Chicago it is fascinating to see the rest of the C&NW. It wasn't all commuter trains and double stacks.

[@CVisionProductions1]

The western division was a different territory for sure! It had some very unique characteristics about it. However, the downfall was a lot of slow track. Thank you for sharing and watching!

[@mjrodriguez8670]

I really enjoyed watching this video! The C&NW Cowboy Line across Nebraska...what more could you ask for? It is a unique line that sliced through the Sand Hills. Members of the Rosebud Sioux tribe would ride on a C&NW passenger train, bound for Omaha, in Valentine. The scenery is rather bland, though. Thanks for uploading this video to KZbin!

[@CVisionProductions1]

The line through Nebraska was extremely unique as it encountered the Sandhills. Very desolate. Thank you for watching MJ!

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

The last train on the line between Fremont and Hooper was the Fremont Elkhorn Valley Railroad's Dinner Train. Not all hope is lost though. I've taken a look at where the line is. Another Railroad Company could take operation of the line with a complete rebuild of the line. And City Funding and support for them to do that The most likely candidate would be the NCRC Although the Cites it once ran through own the property I'm pretty sure they would be OK with giving the property to the NCRC with a bit of Payment and more industries. Here is my thought to be the only catch. They have to run the dinner train between Fremont and Hooper but that in the FEVR's last days was the thing that kept their money up

[@Jerrod247]

I went to college in rapid city, trains don't move nearly as quick on the line there anymore. The roundhouse is across from the school of mines campus and looks exactly the same though.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It is a little different today for sure. But what happened is when UP took control in 1995, they sold the line and then it changed hands three times since. Therefor regular maintenance of the rails significantly declined. However, todays owner and the state are heavily investing in the rails and things are slowly improving. It is great that the roundhouse is still there. Let’s hope it remains for quite some time. Thank you for watching and your comments!

[@pauljung7611]

Wow this is CNW Cowboy Line wow this is cool!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yep. This is the original! Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!

[@highlife2227]

Thanks so much for the vid. It brought back great memories of when I was a boy and the CNW ran parallel to Hwy 30 through Iowa. There were several things to note in this video, but I had to chuckle at one. Out of all the footage, I caught one car with graffiti. Either spray paint wasn't invented in those days, or the youths on the western plains had better things to do with their time :-) Regardless, it was great to see so much CNW rolling stock as the manufacturer produced them. Again, thanks so much for your time and effort!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for your comments! Yes, it was a great time as graffiti wasn’t a big thing on rail cars back then. My how times have changed that. Thank you again!!!!

[@tedferguson4082]

The cnw is still my favorite railroad. It is full size model railroad. Doing things a model railroader would do with second hand cars and power

[@davidstewart5694]

Wood chips in boxes are definitely a thing of the past. RRing isn't anything like it was in this video. Good stuff.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! I agree. So many things have changed since 1993. The woodchip business from Whitewood was suspended shortly after the CNW was purchased by the UP.

[@davidstewart5694]

@C Vision Productions yeah no way UP would do that by that time. I was amazed to see as many fiction bearings still being interchanged at the time. Even for them those old 40' chip boxes were something. Later on in the video, there's a clip where a trailing of 4 has had a run away traction motor (sideways) truck. That low tone growling and high pitched run noise indicates they engine was set out somewhere and needed to be jacked up lol. I'm sure a pinion gear was toast

[@AlikStansberry]

“Cowboy lines” huh? Pretty stylish name for a railroad sub division I think! Chicago and North Western to me seemed like it was a much more important railroad than I’ve thought. I haven’t really found what I think is the most iconic thing about it yet, aside from the paint scheme, being one of the railroads to use dash 8s and 9s, and being one of UP’s unfortunate victims they acquired. But overall I sure loved seeing more classic motive power appear. SD60M “triclops”, standard and wide cab dash 8s and more! Real sad most of that power is gone.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It was a very unique nickname because of the territory it covered. The western division was isolated from the rest of the system in its final years, so this end of the line got little coverage. Thank you for watching!

[@calebjensen2258]

I'm from around the Ainsworth area and I was just young enough to remember when they quit running trains on the cowboy line appreciate seeing a video when it actually was under operation it is too bad this line was taken out and railbanked

[@CVisionProductions1]

Hi Caleb. Thank you for sharing. It really is too bad they tore it all up. So hard to believe it was 30 years ago. Your comments are what make me feel so glad Rick Mills and I were able to capture that line before it was all gone. Thank you for watching!!!

[@calebjensen2258]

@@CVisionProductions1 I bought his book the high dry and Dusty a while back and it was a great purchase, is Rick Mills still curator of a railroad museum in South Dakota? I really appreciate C visions Productions videos of these Fallen Flags. Also did you ever make any videos of the old Chicago Burlington and Quincy lines in southern Nebraska and Northern Kansas?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes he is. The museum is going strong and growing every year. As for the CB&Q, no unfortunately not. Sure wish we did. Thank you for your support by watching our videos!!!

[@scudfarcus4343]

I remember there was a CNW line that ran through the small town (at the time, mid 1960's) of Waconia, MN.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re correct on that. It was a former M&StL line. Hopkins to Norwood, via Excelsior and Waconia, was abandoned in 1980. As you may know, Dakota Rail operated the former Great Northern “Hutch Line” along the northern shores of Lake Waconia until 2000. Thanks for watching the video.

[@freddykagin]

Beautiful thank you 😊

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome 😊

[@colinmulder6806]

I'd like to point out some factors on this video: 1. I believe the C&NW coal line between South Morrill & Bill, WY should've been a video all itself. Out of all the places on C&NW'S territory, this one alone is their busiest with 30-40 coal trains a day in a 24 hour period. 2. The location west of Morrill where C&NW'S coal line crosses over BN'S territory is another noteworthy location for action. A majority of BN's coal traffic comes through there primarily destined for Colorado & Texas with occasional visits from Santa Fe & Kansas City Southern. This line doesn't actually go to Alliance, NE but actually runs between Shawnee JCT to Bridger JCT. That's where it joins the CASPER LINE for the run to Guernsey, WY & on to Denver, CO which is all part of BN'S DENVER DIVISION. 3. If you go east from South Morrill, you'll find Northport, NE where U.P.'S North Platte Subdivision crosses BN'S Angora Subdivision to Sterling, CO which also crosses over U.P.'S transcontinental mainline at Sydney, NE. Northport's even where the two railroads interchange a pair of coal trains to go between Eagle Butte Mine & Jeffery, KS often sporting run-through power from each other. 4. The G.E. DEMO #001, did you folks ever got video of it's TEST RUN? The name "WEB W. MORSE" under it's number, WHO'S that exactly? Those NEW 35 G.E.'S mentioned, by chance would those be the C44-9W'S scheduled for delivery between late 1993 - Early 1994? 5. The section of original trackage at Crandall is quite the necessity. In the case their congestion & unloading complications at the Wyoming mines, one or two empty coal train sets can be stored there until they can be handle. Once loading they can be taken to bill where they'll become part of outbound loaded coal trains. 6. If this was shot in 1993, does this mean you by chance saw U.P. coal trains with SDEX coal cars & Santa Fe C40-8W'S? Those trains started showing up in January 1993 upon winning a coal contract from BN & as a result they've manage to bring CHICOS SUPERFLEET SIX-AXLES to Wyoming coal country.

[@CVisionProductions1]

All very good points, Colin. As for the GE test consist, we never witnessed it in operation. Same with the ATSF power on those coal trains. We definitely would have included it in one of our videos if we had documented them. Regarding CNW’s order for 35 new GE locomotives, the C44-9Ws were grouped in larger orders. The 35 units mentioned would have been CNW 8801-8835, which were AC4400CW locomotives. As always, thank you for the detailed comment.

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1 You're welcome as always: 1. WOW, the year was 1993 & the C&NW was already planning ahead for the purchase of the AC4400CW'S two years from this video while awaiting it's next new power to arrive in the form of C44-9W'S. 2. When I found out you visited the coal line in 1993, I could've thought those NEW SDEX coal trains would've been spotted but then again I never found out what their schedules were like through COAL country. 3. When loaded they travel from Rochelle Mine to Bill & South Morrill where U.P. takes them to North Platte then west to Cheyenne upon servicing & crew swap. Folks thought they were turned on a WYE switch at O'FALLONS but their wasn't any evidence of this & they probably would've ran out of fuel if they continued to Cheyenne without servicing at Bailey Yard. 4. When empty, they travel from Cheyenne to Egbert, WY where they switch onto the YODER BRANCH which connects to the C&NW at South Morrill. This branch is used by other coal empties whenever the North Platte Subdivision is congested & gives the coal loads a more clearer shot to Bailey Yard. 6. I happen to notice two of those coal trains that passed through Lusk, WY didn't have a C&NW C40-8 leading. My speculation was that their was a shortage of C40-8'S at either Bill or South Morrill during your visit. On a positive note, U.P. diesels with wide cabs can lead on the coal line when theirs a shortage of dash 8'S due to being equipped with SAFTEY CAB SIGNALS.

[@CVisionProductions1]

All very good observations and information, Colin. Thank you. You certainly know your stuff!

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1 Thank you & your very welcome as always. Those two coal trains I mentioned, any idea or reason their were minus a lead C&NW C40-8?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Not sure on that, Colin. Probably just how things worked out on those days.

[@broyobrogdon6403]

Another great video!!!Thanks

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you Broyo!

[@tommyhunter1817]

I have deer hunted for 25 years around Whitney, NE along the old Cowboy line. Damn shame they let that line go. All the history. I’ve seen DM&E and RCPE try to make a go of the Chadron to Crawford and Dakota Junction to Rapid City lines. Crying shame. Killed a lot of little towns.

[@CVisionProductions1]

The Cowboy was a neat line. It’s just too bad that it couldn’t remain viable as a through route. At least the Nebraska Northwestern and RCPE are keeping the Chadron to Crawford portion alive. Thank you for the comment.

[@tommyhunter1817]

@@CVisionProductions1 last time I was up there a MOW guy gave me an old spike out of the line. He said it had probably been there since the 50’s at least. Good friend of mine in Whitney was an engineer on the Cowboy line. He’s 88 now.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Awesome! It’s good to have friends with connections…

[@tedferguson4082]

I lived near the cnw in Casper Wyoming. It was slow going

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you Ted. You were on the western end of the western division! I never had a chance to capture any trains there. Sure wish I could have.

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

I wish it were like the old days where photographers and videographers were allowed on cab rides

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I’m guessing that if the C&NW line through southern SD and Minnesota had been abandoned in the middle 1980’s The Cowboy line might still be running?

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re absolutely correct -that actually was the CNW’s plan. They intended to abandon the PRC instead of the Cowboy, thereby consolidating all traffic to and from western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming onto the Cowboy Line. South Dakota intervened, and the rest is history. We appreciate the comment.

[@patricknoveski6409]

Such a great paint scheme. What happened? U. P. Gobbled up another one. Damn. Nebraska looks bleak.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yep, UP took over the CNW on April 25, 1995. The CNW had a great paint scheme. And yes, north western Nebraska is a lot of rolling sand hills. Not good for farming but barely good enough for ranching. Great place to visit to get away from civilization!

[@charleshagenbuch6078]

UPs 1995 EMD CNW heritage unit is definately one of my favorites!

[@mlatsomlatso2673]

I enjoy your videos,l m in Zim Sourthen Africa,the SDs this side we call them D10s,they were introduced soon after our independance in 1980,the sound of the engine reminds me of the SDs pulling a tourist passenger train from South Africa to Vict Falls,l was a cattle herdboy for my grandpa in Grants Siding.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! It is always great to hear from our viewers from other parts of the world. Glad to hear that a form of the SD’s were being used in Africa. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts!!!

[@Nicola636128]

Another excellent video, as usual. A question: I noticed some boxcars that had no doors on the side of the wagon and others of the same type had a kind of wall (in wood?) to close where once there was the sliding door; was there a reason and were they destined for a particular load?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you and good question! Those box cars were modified for wood chips heading to paper mills in Wisconsin. They would put up wood and a cardboard type wall to be able to load wood chips with a blower into the cars. Then when emptied at the paper mills, they can just take the temporary doors off to unload.

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

You’re lucky you caught these trains because most of the rail of the cowboy line is taken out (no rails)

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

The only portion there is is between chadron and west of merriman

[@CVisionProductions1]

There is nothing left east of Chadron.The track has been gone for years.

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

Chadron I think Is just car storage

[@JackCarsonsRailroadVideos]

2:30 looks like someone has a pair of bad turbos

[@CVisionProductions1]

Could have been. The locomotives were in pretty tough shape at the time.

[@alexandercolgan7812]

The video makers mislabeled the Spring Creek crossing between Hermosa and Rapid City. I live there and it’s a much larger, plate girder bridge with tall cottonwood trees around it. I’m not sure where that trestle that they show is located. The RCP&E now makes its run to Crawford about three times each week, but always at night.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Hello, Alexander. We’re pretty sure the shot you are talking about is at milepost 88. C. Vision refers to the area around the Spring Creek Valley as “Spring Creek”. The 6808 was working up the last mile of steep grade before dropping down into the Spring Creek Valley at milepost 87. Hopefully that answers your question. Thank you for watching. Also, you live in a beautiful area!

[@alexandercolgan7812]

Ah ok! Thanks! It’s really cool to see these shots running through familiar towns. The CNW era was before my time.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome! We’re glad you’re enjoying our videos. There will be more covering this area very soon.

[@CNW4634Railfanner]

Nice video

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you!

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

Hey Chris why did you add coal trains in the cowboy lines instead of the Wyoming coal trains video you did

[@CVisionProductions1]

It is because the coal line from near Van Tassel to Shawnee was a part of the original western division Cowboy Line.

[@DL541]

Its a baby Rick Mills!!

[@CVisionProductions1]

One of the rare on-screen appearances by the one and only Rick W. Mills! Thanks for the comment.

[@25mfd]

@ 9:09... check out that F.R.E.D. (flintstone) F.R.E.D.... it is caveman ancient

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes! Some of those rear end devices were really big and clunky in those days. Technology really has advanced! Thank you for watching the video.

[@markcinque7011]

Nice,0:34

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you Mark!

[@CNW4634Railfanner]

Changed my name

[@CVisionProductions1]

Noted. That’s a good name.

[@CNW4634Railfanner]

@@CVisionProductions1 Yea I'ma start KZbin RCPE Or When I'm out of town Like BNSF or UP

[@AllanLoveJr]

The Chicago and Northwestern Cowboy line across Northern Nebraska should have never ever been abandoned reasons why there was plenty of agriculture farmers needed that line to get their crops on the trains and have them shipped to ports but it's quite obvious that politics and American communismand greedAll thanks to the Union PacificDefinitelyPut it in to this lineUnion Pacific is to blamefor the destruction and the ultimate disasters endto the cowboy line

[@CVisionProductions1]

No it shouldn’t have been. But the demise came when the line was flooded out west of Crawford.