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89-656: The Chicago and North Western Railway built the Chicago and North Western Terminal in 1911 to replace its Wells Street Station across the North Branch of the Chicago River . The new station, in the Renaissance Revival style, was designed by Frost and Granger, also the architects for the 1903 LaSalle Street Station . The Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory was moved 168 feet east and 52 feet south to make room for

178-571: A grain elevator in Fremont, NE , while several other GP7's, GP9's, and a few other CNW locomotives are owned by regional railroads, short lines, or industries. As of 2020, 9771 and 6706 have yet to be repainted. Union Pacific continues to follow its new tradition of releasing "Heritage" EMD SD70ACe units to represent the paint schemes of companies absorbed by UP. After painting at the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad 's Horicon, WI shop, UP 1995 , painted in

267-687: A "Heritage" C&NW paint scheme, was unveiled on July 15, 2006, at North Western Station in Chicago, IL. The North Western Station was rechristened to the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 1997 to honor Richard B. Ogilvie , a former governor of Illinois and well as the creator of the Regional Transportation Authority . The station serves as UP's Metra terminus for its three lines ( Union Pacific West Line , Union Pacific Northwest Line , and Union Pacific North Line ). However, many longtime Chicago residents still refer to

356-450: A bill were the requirement that a 3/5ths supermajority of the legislators was needed to pass a bill after May 31 to be immediately effective, the Governor had threatened to veto a bill that included a sales tax increase, and many legislators tied a transit bill to a capital plan and a casino bill to fund that capital plan. However, with a new Doomsday deadline of January 20, 2008 approaching,

445-610: A complete set of passenger and freight car shops. These shops served the eastern section of the CNW system. Meanwhile, the western section was served by back shops in Clinton, Iowa and the northern section was served by facilities in Winona, Minnesota . In 1911 a new freight yard and shops were built 13 miles west of Chicago in Proviso Township, which featured a mammoth, 58-stall roundhouse (a twin of

534-529: A doctor's office". The centerpiece of the upper level was a stately waiting room, measuring 201 by 202 feet (34 by 62 meters), and rising 84 feet (approx. 26 meters) to its barrel vaulted ceiling. In addition to the main concourse on the upper level, there was a street-level concourse for commuters. During the heyday of rail travel, the Chicago and North Western Terminal was home to the C&;NW's trains to Milwaukee , Minneapolis-St Paul , Madison and other cities of

623-681: A dozen of C&NW's bilevel railcars and painted them with the Phase III paint used with Amtrak's EMD F40PH locomotives. They are no longer in use. In conjunction with Union Pacific and Southern Pacific , the North Western operated some long distance passenger trains , including the Overland Limited , City of Los Angeles , City of San Francisco , City of Denver , and the Challenger . These services lasted from 1889 to 1955, after which

712-467: A few of them. The railroad operated what was once the largest "potato yard" or potato market, at its Chicago Wood Street yards. Potatoes came to the yard from every point in the United States to be bought or traded by produce dealers and brokers. While the facility came to be known as the "potato yard", it was also a site where other vegetables could be bought, sold or traded. In 1891, the CNW adopted

801-424: A lifelong railroad proponent, who, as governor of Illinois , created the Regional Transportation Authority , which is the parent agency of Metra. Many longtime Chicago-area residents still call it "North Western Station", and many longtime employees simply call it "CPT" – short for "Chicago Passenger Terminal". The station has 16 tracks with eight island platforms, each island platform servicing two tracks. Not all

890-626: A limited operation, instead of a full-blown program. The steam tour took place in May 1982, dubbed the "Prosperity Special" , to promote the C&NW's locomotive and rolling stock upgrades. As a result of the Prosperity Special’ s success, additional steam tours took place in the ensuing years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Some of the trains used C&NW track rights to travel over Milwaukee Road and Burlington Northern trackage. The final steam tour took place in 1987, during

979-593: A majority of the stock of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) since 1882. On January 1, 1957, it leased the company, and merged it into the North Western in 1972. The Omaha Road's main line extended from an interchange with the North Western at Elroy, Wisconsin , to the Twin Cities, south to Sioux City, Iowa , and then finally to Omaha, Nebraska . The CNW acquired several important short railroads during its later years. It completed acquisition of

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1068-403: A mile from the station, the six tracks split into two mainlines of four tracks. One mainline turns west, while the other turns northwest. West Line trains take the west tracks, while Northwest and North Line trains take the northwest tracks. Out-of-service trains use the west mainline to access yards and maintenance facilities. The Chicago and North Western Terminal has served as a terminal for all

1157-556: A number of rest areas in Thor, Dakota City, Bradgate, and Rutland. The trail crosses the Boone River west of Eagle Grove. It is a Deck Plate Girder and Trestle that is 280 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Spans. Regional Transportation Authority (Illinois) The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the financial and oversight body for the three transit agencies in northeastern Illinois ;

1246-426: A referendum in 1974. In 1973, CTA had instituted its first major service cuts, and several suburban bus companies, including Evanston Bus Company and Glenview Bus Company had ceased operations, forcing Evanston to make arrangements with CTA and Wilmette to start a municipal service. The Rock Island and Milwaukee Road were already facing financial distresses, which would lead to their eventual bankruptcies, and

1335-684: A roundabout with the Capital City State Trail, which is not a rail trail. The former Illinois Central line , now the Badger State Trail , runs on a bridge directly above the roundabout and has ramps connecting to the Capital City and Cannonball Paths. This area is known as the "Velo Underround". The Cowboy Trail is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Chadron, Nebraska and Norfolk, Nebraska . When completed, it will be 321 miles in length. The Glacial River Trail

1424-604: A thorough evaluation, Metra, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, and the Illinois Department of Transportation decided to completely replace the existing structure and in 1992, with the assistance of Federal funding, a contractor and management team were selected to begin the work. Many engineering challenges had to be addressed and resolved, not only because of the train shed's prominent location but also due to its high traffic volume as it

1513-543: Is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Milton, Wisconsin and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin . The Military Ridge State Trail runs from Fitchburg to Dodgeville on the former "Ridgerunner" line. It connects with the Cannonball Bike Path in Fitchburg. The Peace Trail runs between Janesville, Wisconsin and Beloit, Wisconsin next to the existing ex-Milwaukee Road line.. The Sangamon Valley Trail

1602-501: Is another rail trail, currently 5.5-mile (8.9 km) in length, on the west side of Sangamon County in Illinois , which skirts Springfield, Illinois . It is a segment of a former St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway 38-mile (61.2 km) right-of-way (which was later folded into the CNW) that has been set aside for rail trail use. The entire right-of-way connects Girard, Illinois , on

1691-406: Is done so that departing and arriving trains do not have to make large switch movements, which would block the use of other tracks and prevent multiple trains from arriving and departing at the same time. Just north of the station, the number of tracks reduces from 16 to six. Switches allow for trains on any of the 16 station tracks to end up on any of these six tracks, and vice versa. About a third of

1780-693: Is in Zone 1. More than 106,000 people board Metra trains at Ogilvie Transportation Center each day. Bus connections can be made on Madison Street or Washington Boulevard via the Citigroup Center or through a lower level concourse accessible by the track platforms between Washington Boulevard and Randolph Street with entrances at Canal and Clinton Streets. Connections can also be made at the Union Station bus terminal via an entrance to Union Station's north concourse on Madison Street. Ogilvie offers two connections to

1869-500: The C&;NW North Line to Kenosha, Wisconsin . At Crystal Lake Junction, some trains branched off to Williams Bay, Wisconsin . The West Line also had branches to St. Charles , Aurora , Freeport , and Crystal Lake . A fourth commuter line operated on the KD Line between Kenosha and Harvard until 1939. In 1974, responsibility for the commuter lines and equipment ownership transferred to

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1958-619: The CNW Corporation was formed to take over the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; the employee-owned stock of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was transferred to the new CNW Corporation. In 1988, the Blackstone Capital Partners formed the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation to purchase the CNW Corporation; the CNW Corporation was acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners under

2047-771: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra , and Pace , which are called Service Boards in the RTA Act. RTA serves Cook , DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry and Will counties. The RTA system provides nearly 2 million rides per day, making it the third largest public transportation system in North America. The RTA provides several services to the public, including the RTA Travel Information line at 836-7000 from all Chicago area area codes , an automated trip planner, and "try transit" advertising . The RTA has

2136-474: The Chicago Transit Authority 's "L" system. It is next door to Clinton station ; Ogilvie's platforms directly abut Clinton. Ogilvie is three blocks west of Washington/Wells station . CTA buses Ogilvie Transportation Center Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western ( reporting mark CNW ) was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States . It

2225-548: The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad , further helped reduce the railroad to a mainline core with several regional feeders and branches. Union Pacific (UP) purchased the company in April 1995 and integrated it with its own operation. The Chicago and North Western Railway was chartered on June 7, 1859, five days after it purchased the assets of the bankrupt Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad. On February 15, 1865, it merged with

2314-675: The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , which had been chartered on January 16, 1836. Since the Galena & Chicago Union started operating in December 1848, and the Fond du Lac railroad started in March 1855, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad is considered to be the origin of the North Western railroad system. Other lines acquired and added to the network included the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad in 1859,

2403-649: The Illinois Central was petitioning the Interstate Commerce Commission to increase commuter fares, on the basis that the cost of operating its commuter train system was a burden on interstate commerce . While several suburbs had organized Mass Transit Districts to purchase equipment for the carriers with federal financial assistance, the Rock Island was still operating old equipment that it could not replace. In an attempt to deal with these problems in

2492-503: The Litchfield and Madison Railway on January 1, 1958. The Litchfield and Madison railroad was a 44-mile (71 km) bridge road from East St. Louis to Litchfield, Illinois . On July 30, 1968, the North Western acquired two former interurbans — the 36-mile (58 km) Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway (DM&CI), and the 110-mile (180 km) Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railway (FDDM&S). The DM&CI gave access to

2581-707: The Union Pacific Corporation acquired the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under subsidiary UP Rail, Union Pacific controls the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (now the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) and the Chicago and North Western Railway (formerly the first Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under UP Rail subsidiary. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under Union Pacific ownership: The Union Pacific Corporation merged UP Rail into Union Pacific and then merged

2670-578: The Winona and St. Peter Railroad in 1867, the Chicago, Milwaukee and North Western Railway in 1883, the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad in 1880, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad in 1884, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway in 1893. They also held extensive property in Michigan, particularly its Upper Peninsula , to the point where they were one of the largest property owners in

2759-557: The commuter and intercity trains of the Chicago and North Western Railway. In addition, on November 9, 1969, the day after Grand Central Station closed, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Pere Marquette Railway , Grand Central's two remaining users, moved their remaining intercity services into the C&NW's terminal. Those trains, which used the C&NW's branch to the St. Charles Air Line west of Western Avenue , last ran on April 30, 1971,

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2848-477: The 1,500 mi (2,400 km) Chicago Great Western Railway merged with the North Western. This railroad extended between Chicago and Oelwein, Iowa . From there lines went to the Twin Cities, Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri . A connection from Hayfield, Minnesota , to Clarion, Iowa , provided a Twin Cities to Omaha main line. The Chicago Great Western duplicated the North Western's routes from Chicago to

2937-678: The 1920–1940s. Almost every town on their route had at least the main crossing in town protected by them. The most common style were the Center Harp shorties. They were almost iconic to the CNW. Many of them, which were grandfathered in after the Federal Railroad Administration ruled them inadequate protection in 1949, survived until the 1970s and a few remain on lines in Wisconsin that have been sold off to other railroads. Lack of available parts and upgrades to roads have replaced all but

3026-513: The 1980s, and the right of way converted to a trail. Service was discontinued to St. Charles in 1951. Service between Geneva and Aurora and Elgin and Crystal Lake was discontinued in the early 1930s. Service to Freeport ceased in the late 1940s. By 1981, following the start of the early 1980s recession and the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road, public opinion on railroads around the Milwaukee area

3115-671: The 2008 changes, there have been several proposals to reform the region's transit agencies more dramatically. In the wake of Metra 's 2013 patronage scandal, state senators Daniel Biss and Terry Link introduced a bill to merge the RTA with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). At the same time, Governor Pat Quinn convened the Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force to study potential reforms - this group concluded that Metra,

3204-427: The C&NW's dry mainline through Iowa also became flooded. Upon learning about the flooding, some C&NW employees called into work during their time off, in order to help the railroad through the flood. By the time the flood ended, most of the C&NW's rail lines remained intact and were quickly reopened. In February 1994, the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation and the CNW Corporation merged into

3293-553: The C&NW's rival, the Milwaukee Road ). Other less famous trains such as the Corn King Special (Omaha), Viking (Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Minneapolis/St Paul), and Columbine (Denver). In 1939, there were 38 inter-city departures each business day. In 1984, the head house was razed and replaced with the glass-and-steel 42-story Citicorp Center (now Accenture Tower ), which was completed three years later in 1987. Metra service

3382-486: The CNW route to Chicago was changed to the Milwaukee Road's due to poor track conditions. Chicago and North Western also operated commuter train service in the Chicago area, where they developed what was perhaps the first control car . A modified gallery car was built in 1960 with locomotive controls to allow push-pull operation. which is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum . The C&NW also pioneered

3471-626: The CTA, and Pace should be consolidated into one agency. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel opposed consolidation as reducing accountability to voters. In 2014, a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also recommended combining Metra, the CTA, and Pace to improve coordination. In an effort to avert a "fiscal cliff" attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, in September 2023, CMAP raised

3560-411: The Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary from the employee owned stock; Blackstone Capital Partners controls the CNW Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company under the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary. Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (or "CNW Holdings Corporation" and "Chicago and North Western Holdings Company")

3649-510: The Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation, leaving only the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. In May 1994, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company reverted to its original name, Chicago and North Western Railway and the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation was renamed to the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The Chicago and North Western corporate structure: In April 1995,

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3738-649: The Firestone plant in Des Moines, Iowa , and the FDDM&;S provided access to gypsum mills in Fort Dodge, Iowa . On November 1, 1960, the CNW acquired the rail properties of the 1,500-mile (2,400 km) Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway . In spite of its name, it ran only from Minneapolis, Minnesota , to Peoria, Illinois . This acquisition provided traffic and modern rolling stock, and eliminated competition. On July 1, 1968,

3827-596: The Geneva line having been extended west to Elburn . However, service on the branch to Williams Bay was gradually cut back over the years, also resulting in changes to the name of the branch. In 1965, service was abandoned between Williams Bay and Lake Geneva. In 1975, service ended between Lake Geneva and Richmond. In 1981, service between McHenry and Richmond ended. Rails and ties north of the Cargill plant in Ringwood were removed during

3916-418: The Governor called on the legislature to pass some bill, and he would "improve it," presumably using the amendatory veto . The Legislature passed HB656 on January 10, to which the Governor affixed an amendatory veto allowing senior citizens to ride all transit systems in the state for free. Although various media reports expressed concern that the legislation could not receive the votes to sustain it after it

4005-490: The Governor proposed advancing 2008 state subsidies. A new Doomsday date was set for November 4, but that was avoided when the Governor engineered a transfer of capital funds. Again, the legislature having failed to pass a transit bill, the three service boards proposed 2008 budgets that assumed no new funding and postulated service cuts by CTA and Pace, and the deferral of capital projects by Metra, as well as fare increases by all three agencies. The barriers to 2007 passage of

4094-575: The Midwest. The first routes on the C&NW to be flooded were the routes south of St. Paul, Minnesota. Ten miles of their line between North Freedom , Baraboo , and Devil's Lake were also flooded, and it isolated the C&NW's quarry supply in Rock Springs (a vintage diesel switcher from the nearby Mid-Continent Railway Museum assisted the Rock Springs quarry, until the flood cleared). During July,

4183-456: The Service Boards have the authority to determine the level, nature, and kind of public transportation to be provided, and to establish fares. Originally, RTA entered into purchase of service agreements with carriers, but the 1983 amendment gives the Service Boards the power to enter into those agreements with transportation agencies. The 1983 legislation also imposed the requirements that

4272-601: The Suburban Bus Division, now known as Pace, and the Commuter Rail Division, now known as Metra . RTA's role then changed, so that it is now responsible for reviewing the operating and capital plans and expenditures of the Service Boards, developing an annual budget and program as well as a five-year plan, and distributing sales tax receipts to the Service Boards, in accordance with a statutory formula. However, RTA no longer provides service directly, as

4361-535: The Twin Cities and Kansas City, Missouri, via Des Moines, Iowa . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) approved North Western's bid of $ 93 million on June 20, 1983. The line was well-engineered, but because of deferred maintenance on the part of the bankrupt Rock Island, it required a major rehabilitation in 1984. The company then began to abandon the Oelwein to Kansas City section of its former Chicago Great Western trackage, which duplicated Spine Line service. In 1985,

4450-449: The Twin Cities and Omaha, but went the long way. This merger provided access to Kansas City and further eliminated competition. After abandoning a plan to merge with the Milwaukee Road in 1970, Benjamin W. Heineman , who headed the CNW and parent Northwest Industries since 1956, arranged the sale of the railroad to its employees in 1972; they formed Northwest Industries to take over the CNW in 1968. The words " Employee Owned " were part of

4539-509: The abandoned Chicago Great Western Railroad from Forest Park to St. Charles . The Glacial Drumlin State Trail of 52 miles follows the abandoned CNW line between Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin . The Three Rivers Trail Trailhead is located 2 miles west of Eagle Grove, IA extending west 33 miles to Rolfe, IA. It is a crushed limestone trail that has been developed over the abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail also features

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4628-484: The acquisition (although some of them were gradually repainted into UP colors.) Many former CNW units have received "patches" with a new road number and reporting mark to match their new owner's roster. Only 2 "patched" units remain on the Union Pacific, UP AC44CW 6706, and UP C44-9W 9771. Several others work under different owners. However, it is still possible to find untouched CNW units in service. CNW 8646 and 8701 were

4717-437: The assumption that "a new funding source would be identified in 2007 to meet the funding requirements of [the] budget." Nonetheless, the CTA budget recognized, "Without this new funding source, CTA will be forced to cut service." With no legislative action by August, 2007, CTA and Pace announced proposals for service cuts, popularly known as "Doomsday Plans," to be implemented September 16. The September plans were postponed when

4806-453: The authority to enter into agreements to provide service between points within the metropolitan region and outside of its territory, including into Indiana and Wisconsin . The RTA Board consists of 16 directors , including: The chief executive officer is the executive director , who is appointed by the Chairman with the concurrence of 11 of the other directors. RTA was created after

4895-487: The centennial of the City of Chicago. By which time, there was an insurance crisis within the railroad industry. The railroad's management had also changed, and enthusiasm on the C&NW to operate steam tours was lost. The CNW was known for running on the left-hand side when running on double track mainlines. In the United States, most railroads used the right-hand track along double-track mainlines, while left-hand running

4984-528: The cities in 400 minutes. CNW was the first system to start a high-speed Chicago-Twin Cities schedule because it used refurbished rather than new equipment, but in 1939, modernized the 400 with new E3A diesel locomotive pairs and streamlined cars. Other named trains the CNW operated included the Ashland Limited , Duluth-Superior Limited , and the North Western Limited CNW eventually renamed

5073-455: The company logo in the ensuing period. The railroad was renamed from Chicago and North Western Railway to Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The railroad's reporting marks (CNW) remained the same. After the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) ceased operating on March 31, 1980, the North Western won a bidding war with the Soo Line Railroad to purchase the roughly 400-mile (640 km) " Spine Line " between

5162-411: The concept of Head End Power (HEP), generating 480 volt electricity from the locomotive to power the air conditioning, lighting, and heating on the new bi-level cars. This eventually became the standard for all railroads in the United States. Three commuter lines radiated from North Western Station ; the C&NW West Line to Geneva, Illinois ; the C&NW Northwest Line to Harvard , Illinois; and

5251-426: The day before Amtrak took over most intercity passenger trains in the U.S. Amtrak services over the lines of those two railroads have run into Union Station . Metra's three Union Pacific District lines – the Union Pacific North Line , Union Pacific Northwest Line and Union Pacific West Line – now provide regular commuter rail service along three former C&NW lines. In Metra's zone-based fare schedule, Ogilvie

5340-416: The famous "ball and bar" logo, which survived a few modifications throughout its 104-year existence. This included the changing of text: The railroad also purchased a great deal of its equipment second-hand. CNW shop forces economized wherever possible, earning the railroad the nickname "Cheap and Nothing Wasted." Sometimes employees referred to the condition of equipment as "Cardboard and No Wheels." One of

5429-421: The first 400 to the Twin Cities 400 as the CNW labeled almost all of its passenger trains with variations of the 400 moniker, including the Flambeau 400 , Minnesota 400 , Valley "400" , Shoreland "400" , Dakota 400 and the Kate Shelley 400 . CNW ceased running the Twin Cities 400 in 1963, and all intercity passenger service on CNW ended with the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak bought

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5518-418: The first rail trails created in the United States was the 32.5-mile (52.3 km) Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which used a segment abandoned in 1965. The 400 State Trail runs from Reedsburg to Elroy on the former main line. The Cannonball Bike Path runs on a 5-mile stretch in Madison, Wisconsin on the old "Ridgerunner line". It connects with the Military Ridge State Trail in Fitchburg at

5607-559: The last unpatched CNW locomotives on the UP roster which railfans referred to them as the "CNW twins". In 2017 after years of surviving untouched they were repainted and renumbered to 9750 (ex 8646) and 9805 (ex 8701) respectively. 9750 is in storage as of 2020 while 9805 is active and was rebuilt by GE/Wabtec into a C44ACM. CNW 6847 and CNW 7009 are preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in their original factory paint. CNW 1518, CNW 411, and CNW 414 (METX 308) are also at IRM, with 1518 and 411 having been restored in CNW paint. CNW 4153 works at

5696-493: The legislature must address other issues, including underfunded pensions, high salaries, absenteeism, and the lack of strong, centralized planning, resulting in several of the service boards competing for customers in the same areas, the Auditor General calling for "an end to the transit agencies fighting each other for customers, routes and federal funding for pet projects that may not fit into an overall regional transit plan." The RTA approved 2007 Service Board budgets premised on

5785-405: The level of fares must be sufficient, in the aggregate, to equal 50 percent of the cost of providing transportation, and that the RTA Board inform each Service Board, as part of the budget process, of its required recovery ratio for the next fiscal year. In 2004, the CTA, projecting a $ 55 million funding shortfall in its 2005 budget, called for a "long term funding solution," involving a change to

5874-458: The longest railroads in the United States as a result of mergers with other railroads, such as the Chicago Great Western Railway , Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and others. By 1995, track sales and abandonment had reduced the total mileage to about 5,000. The majority of the abandoned and sold lines were lightly trafficked branches in Iowa , Illinois , Minnesota , South Dakota and Wisconsin . Large line sales, such as those that resulted in

5963-429: The newly formed Regional Transportation Authority , whose rail division was later branded in 1984 as Metra . The C&NW continued to run the lines under a "purchase of service" contract, in which the railroad maintained the right-of-way and operated trains on behalf of Metra. All three C&NW commuter lines live on in the Metra system, and are still operated by Union Pacific under a purchase of service contract, with

6052-424: The one in Fulton, Illinois ). Changing traffic patterns and competition with automobiles and trucking disrupted the railroad's profitability by mid-20th century. After nine years in bankruptcy, the CNW was reorganized in 1944. It had turned rapidly to diesel power, and established a huge diesel shop in Chicago . Its Proviso Freight Yard, located 12 miles (19 km) west of the city center in suburban Cook County,

6141-414: The operation of paratransit service to Pace starting July 1, 2006, thereby relieving the CTA of that responsibility. The General Assembly also directed the Illinois Auditor General to audit the RTA and the Service Boards, as part of its review of the funding issue. The Auditor General's preliminary report, while agreeing that public funding was insufficient to support the level of transit services, said that

6230-407: The platforms are the same length; the platforms on the western part of the station (tracks 1–10) are significantly longer than the eastern platforms. In general, West Line trains depart from the western platforms (roughly tracks 1–5), Northwest Line trains depart from the middle tracks (6–10), and North Line trains depart from the eastern tracks (11–15). (Track 16 is seldom used by revenue trains.) This

6319-456: The rehabilitation project, which lasted four years and cost $ 138 million, over 60 contractors spent more than 800,000 man-hours performing repairs and producing new construction. The station was renamed the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 1997, two years after the C&NW merged into the Union Pacific Railroad. The station was named for Richard B. Ogilvie , a board member of the Milwaukee Road (the C&NW 's rival and competing neighbor) and

6408-471: The sales tax distribution formula in the RTA Act. In response, the Illinois General Assembly appropriated $ 54 million to cover the cost of CTA's paratransit service for 2005. An amendment to the RTA Act made the RTA responsible for the funding, financial review and oversight of all ADA paratransit services, effective July 1, 2005, and transferred responsibility for operating or providing for

6497-530: The second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company and the Chicago and North Western Railway into the Union Pacific Railroad; the Chicago and North Western system became part of the Union Pacific Railroad system. A joint UP-CNW subsidiary, Western Railroad Properties, Inc. , was also merged into the Union Pacific system in the acquisition. Chicago and North Western locomotives continued to operate in their own paint schemes for several years after

6586-411: The six-county area, the RTA was established, with some taxing powers, to provide financial support through grants to the CTA and suburban mass transit districts, and purchase of service agreements with the private bus and rail operators. In 1983, after a financial crisis, and the RTA taking over several private bus companies and the Rock Island and Milwaukee Road lines, the RTA Act was amended to create

6675-550: The south end, to Athens, Illinois , at the north end. The right-of-way spans the western half of Sangamon County in a north–south direction, and also traverses small sections of Macoupin County and Menard County . The Three Eagles Trail runs for a couple miles south of Eagle River, Wisconsin . The Wild Rivers Trail is a 104-mile-long rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Superior, Wisconsin . The Great Western Trail of 17 miles follows

6764-513: The state. By 1899, the company had rostered 1,380 locomotives, 1,176 passenger cars, and 49,484 freight cars. The first repair facilities for rolling stock were located along the Chicago River near the center of Chicago , but these were abandoned for a more extensive, 240-acre plot of land to the west along West Kinzie Street. The facilities were expanded in 1900 and became known as the 40th Street Shops, which at that point included three roundhouses, extensive locomotive overhauling capabilities, and

6853-477: The station as "North Western Station," and many longtime employees still call it "CPT," for "Chicago Passenger Terminal." The CNW's most famous train, the Twin Cities 400 from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul, was introduced in 1935 to compete with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 's Zephyr s and the Milwaukee Road 's Hiawatha s. This train was so named because it traveled the 400 mi (640 km) between

6942-410: The station's construction. At the time, this was the largest building ever moved. The station's 16 tracks were elevated above street level and "reached by six approach tracks and sheltered under an 894-foot-long [272 meter] Bush train shed." The upper level of the head house housed a concourse and other facilities for intercity passengers, including "dressing rooms, baths, nurses and matrons rooms, and

7031-472: The upper Midwest, including the railroad's premier 400 series of trains. Until October 30, 1955, it was also the Chicago terminus of the trains the Union Pacific ran in conjunction with the C&NW, including the Overland Limited and the famed City trains ( City of San Francisco , City of Los Angeles , Portland Rose) (operations of all Union Pacific intercity passenger trains would be turned over to

7120-488: Was adversely affected by government agricultural credit policies, which sealed a lot of products on the farms where they were produced. Although it stood sixteenth in operating revenue in 1938, it was eighth in passenger revenue among American railroads. It served Chicago commuters; its 400 streamliners provided intercity transportation, and it provided an eastern link to bring the Union Pacific 's passengers from Omaha, Nebraska and points west to Chicago. The CNW had owned

7209-433: Was also known as the "North Western" . The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway (or Chicago and North Western Railway Company ). The C&NW became one of

7298-558: Was beginning to sour. In response, management of the C&NW explored options to generate public awareness that the C&NW was still a healthy company. Manager of the railroad's Wisconsin Division, Chris Burger, pitched the idea of the railroad hosting a steam excursion program, using steam locomotive No. 1385 from the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Because of the recession, C&NW President James R. Wolfe only approved

7387-430: Was constructed between 1926 and 1929 and remained the largest such in the world, with 224 miles of trackage and a capacity of more than 20,000 cars. Potatoes from the west were one of the main crops carried by the CNW, and its potato sheds in Chicago were the nation's largest. It also carried western sugar beets and huge amounts of corn and wheat. This road, like other lines depending strongly on transportation of crops,

7476-498: Was formed and took control of the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation, which controlled the CNW Corporation and which the CNW Corporation controlled the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under the Blackstone ownership: In 1993, several of the C&NW's routes became flooded by that year's Great Flood , which also affected other railroads that operated in

7565-451: Was maintained with only minor interruptions during construction – following the example of the demolition and replacement of New York Penn Station . In 1991 Metra purchased the train shed from Chicago and North Western and conducted a survey to determine the condition. The examination included necessary repairs to improve its structural integrity and redesign measures to bring the station up to modern mass-commuting standards. After completing

7654-447: Was more common in countries where British companies built the railroads. According to a display in Metra 's Lake Forest station, the reason for this was a combination of chance and inertia. When originally built as single-line trackage, the C&NW arbitrarily placed its stations on the left-hand side of the tracks (when headed inbound toward Chicago). Later, when a second track was added, it

7743-480: Was placed on the side away from the stations so as not to force them to relocate. Since most passengers waiting at the stations were headed toward Chicago, the inbound track remained the one closest to the station platforms. The expense of reconfiguring signals and switches has prevented a conversion to right-hand operation ever since. The Chicago and North Western was known for its installation of Western Railroad Supply Company wigwag signals at many of its crossing in

7832-552: Was returned with the amendment, the amendatory veto was accepted and the legislation passed on January 17, 2008. The highlights of the 2008 amendments to the RTA Act include: In addition, the legislation amended various other laws to deal with underfunding of the CTA Retirement Plan, and authorized the Chicago City Council to raise the real estate transfer tax for the sole benefit of the CTA, which it did. Since

7921-419: Was to remain operational to 45,000 daily commuters during the project. Such challenges included the removal of original lead paint, the complete replacement of all 16 tracks which served 200 trains a day, extensive structural steel repairs (under load), erection of a new steel canopy, complete exterior masonry restoration, new electrical and plumbing systems, and construction of a new pedestrian concourse. During

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