Chicago and North Western (CNW), The Final Days - Remembering the Cowboy FULL VIDEO

In this video, C. Vision Productions brings you the final chapter of the Chicago and North Western's operations of its Western Division before the railroad became part of the vast Union Pacific system in 1995. We’ll begin the show by presenting footage of the "Cowboy Line" between Norfolk and Chadron, Nebraska, including more coverage of the final train before operations on this section ceased in December of 1992. In addition, we’ll see trains on the North Western‘s “Colony Line” between Colony, Wyoming and Dakota Junction in Nebraska. C. Vision's cameras captured Chicago and North Western operations on this line in the final years of the railroad’s existence, including one of the last C&NW trains before the Union Pacific takeover. Soon after the sale of the Colony Line to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern in 1996, C. Vision returned to document DM&E operations in the Black Hills. We were fortunate to capture the Mount Rushmore locomotive, DME 6359, as it led a southbound train from Belle Fourche to Rapid City. For EMD fans, you’ll see models SD40-2, SD40-3, GP50, GP40, GP35, GP9, and GP7 doing what they do best, as the locomotives power heavy trains across Nebraska and South Dakota. We’ll also see GECX 3004, a rare GE Super 7 locomotive, while it was working out of Rapid City paired up with a CNW GP40.
This video relives the history of the C&NW, right up until its final hours as an independent company. The 1990s brought a renaissance in the railroad industry, as well as the end of an era in American railroading.
Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this last look at the Chicago and North Western, check out our other videos below:
Chicago and North Western’s Western Division, The Cowboy Lines - FULL VIDEO (1993)
• Chicago and North West...
Black Hills SD40-2 Cab Ride: Chicago & North Western Colony Line - FULL VIDEO (1994)
• Black Hills SD40-2 Cab...
Union Pacific and C&NW in the Black Hills of South Dakota (1996)
• Union Pacific and C&NW...
Nebkota Railway F Units and BN C30-7's on Crawford Hill in Nebraska
• Nebkota Railway F Unit...
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Vol. 1, The East End: SD40-2 Marathon - FULL VIDEO (2012)
• Dakota, Minnesota & Ea...
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Vol. 2, DM&E Mainline Waseca to Lake Benton - FULL VIDEO (2013)
• Dakota, Minnesota & Ea...
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern: SD40-2 Thunder on the South Dakota Prairie - FULL VIDEO (2013)
• Dakota, Minnesota & Ea...
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Vol. 3, The PRC & Black Hills: DM&E’s Beautiful West End
• Dakota, Minnesota & Ea...
Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern FULL VIDEO - RCPE SD40-2 Locomotives (2016)
• Rapid City, Pierre & E...

[@markradaba]

Love the video! Long live CNW! My hometown and favorite railroad!

[@TheOklahomaHotrail]

LONG LIVE THE CNW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Trey! The CNW will live on in these videos.

[@ChescatRailfanning]

Yes

[@wrrail]

CNW Was certainly unique with the Motor bells and sharp scheme.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Agreed! CNW’s last paint scheme was excellent. That seemed to be the case for many railroads in the 90s. As in, they come up with a nice, fresh paint scheme, then immediately get bought out by another railroad…

[@AMPProductionsVideo]

I've only watched a few minutes so far; this is going to be a great documentation of CNW's final days

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, AMP Productions! We appreciate you tuning in.

[@mjrodriguez8670]

I really enjoyed watching the footage of the line from Rapid City into Chadron! The variety of C&NW freight cars, with the Continental and ex-Rock Island boxcars in woodchip service, was amazing! And I would like to see video coverage of the Wheeling and Lake Erie line, with their diesel fleet painted in the D&RGW "Action Road" scheme.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, MJ! We enjoyed seeing the variety of old freight cars as well. As for your requests, we’ll see what we can do. Stay tuned!

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

Finally you posted remembering the cowboy

[@kevinschofield7864]

i love these train videos

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much, Kevin! There are plenty more on the way.

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

Thank you soooooo much for posting a CNW my number one hundred percent definite favorite railroad

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome. Glad to hear that you are enjoying our videos.

[@buckybadger4life]

I miss CNW, it was what I grew up with in Sheboygan

[@CVisionProductions1]

We do too. The CNW is sorely missed today. Thank you for the comment.

[@Nicola636128]

Another great video, well done!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for the kind words. We’re glad that you enjoyed the video.

[@willwozniak2826]

Excellent video!..I miss the Chicago and Northwestern...

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much! We miss the CNW too… Has it really been 28 years?

[@willwozniak2826]

@@CVisionProductions1 yes....hard to believe!

[@bluedesks6629]

I just saw the last CNW unit in service today I wish I could've seen it in its heyday

[@CVisionProductions1]

The CNW certainly was loved by many. We’re glad that you got to see that locomotive. Was it one of the patched AC4400CW units? Thank you for watching!

[@bluedesks6629]

@@CVisionProductions1 Yes, UP 6706 in Arlington on MPBFW

[@tommyhunter1817]

I’ve said it before but the loss of this line is so sad. I’ve hunted between Chadron and Crawford for years near the old line. I’ve seen DM&E and RCPE use it, as well as the GW orange plague. Sure seems like the whole route from Crawford to Norfolk would be a great bypass route. Again, so sad. And, by the way, the UP sucks and so do mergers.

[@CVisionProductions1]

The Cowboy Line indeed would have been a worthy route to save. The soft ground on the PRC Sub is that line’s curse. Minus the Milwaukee Road’s Rapid City main, the Cowboy Line was the only viable alternative. Using a reference from pop culture, “and… it’s gone.” Thank you for the comment.

[@pauljung7611]

yay another train video awsome!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for watching, Paul!

[@spuwho]

I remember driving to Chicago in 1988 and I took a shortcut through Belle Fouche and followed the line mentioned here. I passed through a valley where yellow CNW potash hoppers had derailed and were scattered all over the place. Was CNW in a hurry to clean it up? It sure didn't look like it. The rail was put back in, but the cars just sat there on their sides. I think I counted some 18 to 20 hoppers off the rails and on their sides before I reached Rapid City.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Wow! We remember seeing derailments like that in DM&E days as well. Thank you for sharing that story.

[@taylorbaggarleyunionpacifi3409]

Cnw railroad was awesome union pacific made sure they won't be missed forever when got 1995 sd70ace and 2 units sd50 and sd40-2

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Taylor! Chicago & North Western certainly was a neat railroad. We’re grateful that there are still a few locomotives left in CNW paint. Much better than none!

[@taylorbaggarleyunionpacifi3409]

@@CVisionProductions1 your welcome indeed

[@arthurschipper8906]

This is another fallen flag corridor that I traverse on a regular basis. Seems to me, if some of the mega rail carriers would have preserved some of these lines as "congestion relief alternatives". (See also the Milwaukee Road).

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re right, Arthur. In many cases, railroads today have limited options for detours and rerouting of traffic. But, that’s by design. Removing track seems to be a hobby for the larger railroads. Thank you for your observation.

[@ellisjackson336]

@@CVisionProductions1removing track means less $$$$ spent on maintaining something lol

[@kevinschofield7864]

awesome train video's but i would like to see some cp rail caboose trains and cnr caboose trains i love caboose trains!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Kevin!

[@colinmulder6806]

When I look at it, this video should've been the actual Volume 2 to be released all those years back. Not only folks had the opportunity to witness pure sets of C&NW power before the U.P. takeover in 1995, we also were treated to the sight of EXTRA DELETED scenes from 1989 & 1990 featuring the daily freights that once operated on these routes. Not to mention more additional scenes of GECX SUPER-7 3004 was featured even though it didn't get the chance to pull more cars than it was given at the time being filmed. Out of curiosity, did you folks by chance manage to film GECX 3004 when it was sent to attend COAL train service in the Summer of 1994?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for another nice comment, Colin. GECX 3010 was seen in Wyoming Coal Trains. 3004 wasn’t alone out there. If you’re interested, 3004 and 3010 were (heavily) rebuilt from Milwaukee Road U30C locomotives. They both ended up in Brazil.

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1 Of interest, Brazil is also where a few of the LRCX G.E.'S ended up as well. The GECX leasers were actually common visitors to the C&NW ever since 1993 along with Santa Fe C30-7'S. Most of these spent most of their times working on lease to Southern Pacific during 1992 - 1996.

[@CVisionProductions1]

The Southern Pacific was very power short during that time, as you know. That translated into a very power short Union Pacific post-SP takeover. Catastrophic service disruptions followed. It was not surprising that SP was leasing anything they could get their hands on in the mid-1990s.

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1 I agree. Depending on which portion of the SP you were on, you just might spot any FORIEGN visitor from any CLASS 1 or REGIONAL working on SP. The best places to catch rainbow lash-ups were either the SUNSET ROUTE or the CENTRAL CORRIDOR ROUTE with Wisconsin Central & Montana Rail Link being the most unusual visitors during 1992 & 1993.

[@ellisjackson336]

@@colinmulder6806Wisconsin central in SP territory wow lol

[@goalhorn2012]

C Vision doing God's work. Also, can you come to Cali?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you!!! We might be back at some point. Either way, we have footage from California that hasn’t been used yet. Stay tuned!

[@ellisjackson3355]

Months ago my accountant told me he used to work on the C&NW when he was young...i think as a railroader at that

[@CVisionProductions1]

Very cool! That would have been an interesting job. Thank you for sharing.

[@kevinschofield7864]

hi cvisions i wish you could make a youtube video of the old buffalo southern frieght trains with the old cabooses.

[@CVisionProductions1]

If only we had footage of that! Thank you for the idea.

[@CNWrapidrails6834]

Hey Chris did you know on the colony line of the CNW there used to be a few branch lines off of the colony line and they went to the towns of deadwood empire/Newell hot springs and jolly dump

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes, those lines are shown on old CNW maps.

[@RCPETrainRailfan]

Nice video. so any update for the 2023 RCPE Full Video?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Still in the works. Thank you for asking.

[@RCPETrainRailfan]

@@CVisionProductions1 Great are u guys making scenes in downtown?

[@CVisionProductions1]

None planned as of now. Downtown Rapid City has been extensively covered in many other videos.

[@RCPETrainRailfan]

@@CVisionProductions1 Oh ok

[@RCPETrainRailfan]

@@CVisionProductions1 do u know what horn RCPE 3470 has

[@andrewcrumb8027]

So, part of the Cowboy Line between Norfolk and Chadron is now gone.

[@CVisionProductions1]

That is correct. The Nebkota made an attempt to keep the Merriman to Chadron portion of the line alive, but couldn’t make a go of it. Chadron to Crawford is still in place and active. That section is being operated by the Nebraska Northwestern Railroad.

[@andrewcrumb8027]

@@CVisionProductions1 That's what I thought. That's good news on the portion of the line between Chadron to Crawford.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It absolutely is. The Cowboy Line hasn’t been completely wiped off the map. As long as the interchange continues with BNSF in Crawford, Chadron-Dakota Jct-Crawford should be safe. Part of the UP’s coal line uses the Cowboy Line’s right-of-way as well.

[@andrewcrumb8027]

@@CVisionProductions1 And as I remember something, Although the Union Pacific did buy the Chicago and North Western in 1995 and ran some trains on the Colony Line for a year, it had no interest in operating it anymore, so the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern took over that line instead, right?

[@CVisionProductions1]

That’s exactly right, Andrew. The Union Pacific had no interest in operating the Colony Line. It was isolated from the rest of the system, and wasn’t in the best shape. The number of carloads generated didn’t justify UP staying.

[@zfactortedzabel9267]

50 shades of Gray? No, countless shades of Yellow!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes! The CNW liked to mix it up in the paint booth. You’d often see yellow and green colors that were slightly different from unit to unit, even when they were supposedly wearing the same paint scheme. Add in fading over time, plus the various versions of CNW’s color schemes, and you had some real inconsistency. It’s certainly interesting to examine. Thank you for the comment.