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  • Old CNW St Louis line

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.

Moderator: railohio

 #50468  by Hoosierailnut
 
Whats left of the old CNW that went from Nelson down past Peoria, Springfield and down through Edwardsville? I know most of it is gone down in Edwardsville but is there any of it still left elsewere?

 #51893  by dhaugh
 
What I know of it, the line still exists from Nelson down to just north of Springfield - owned by UP. I believe they run on trackage rights south of there, and then old CNW tracks pick up again south of Girard, but these are now owned and operated by NS. Dave

 #53081  by MR77100
 
UP operates it to Bar Jct., north of Springfileld, where they jump onto the C&IM and take that to Ridgely Jct. in Springfiled, where they hop onto the GM&O to St. Louis. NS owns the C&NW south of Girard? I was on an Amtrak train at Girard in 2000 and saw them taking down the overpass at that time. Did they install a connecting track with the GM&O? How far south does the line go?

 #56359  by dhaugh
 
I read in an old North Western Lines issue that the line south of Girard was sold to the NS, as the NS wanted to take over coal hauling ops in that area. But, I'm going by memory now... a risky thing... Dave

 #83835  by NS59
 
When I was working A.O. Smith yard in 1999 a remember the work train ripping up these tracks, as I was responsible to make sure we had a full crew each day. The coal train that ran this route is still operated by NS, but some new track as well as I believe a purchase of some from the BNSF was arranged to allow of the mentioned abandonment, If you would like more details I'm sure I can hunt up some of my old paperwork from back then.

 #88138  by edkyle99
 
This line is intact north of Barr, and is busier now than in
recent years, with an average of more than half a dozen
trains a day, according to a recent Trains magazine map.
I think the "Southern Illinois" line picked up some traffic
that formerly ran, in SPCSL days, on the ex-Alton.

And even more traffic may be coming. A Fred Frailey
article in the current Trains magazine says that a new
connection may be built to connect the line to the
ex-Santa Fe near Edelstein so that UP trackage rights
stack trains can turn north to access Global 3 (west of
Rochelle) and UP's Chicago intermodal terminals.

- Ed Kyle

 #88246  by AmtrakFan
 
I know a fair number of Coal Trains run on it.

John

 #92888  by Hoosierailnut
 
Whats gonnna happen to the old GMO ex Alton now that all the trains run on the old CNW?
Id sure hate to see the line wind up like the old PRR Fort Wayne line with only amtrak running on it like it was back in the 1980s..

 #93064  by edkyle99
 
UP has upgraded signals on the line since the merger.
I think Illinois provided some funds for this because the
line is a designated high speed corridor. And several
Amtrak trains use the line - more than what was
running on the Pennsy Ft. Wayne line back when it
was single-tracked. I think there are some freight
moves south of Bloomington, but very few north of it.
And now that UP has closed the IMX intermodal facility
in Chicago, it is unlikely that the line will see new
freight schedules as long as UP is the owner. I could
imagine KCS or a Canadian road wanting the line if
UP decided to dispose of it. Otherwise, the line's
future depends on the high-speed passenger trade.

- Ed Kyle