Western Railroad Discussion > The Cowboy Line these days

Several days ago I had the very enjoyable experience of driving back home to Idaho from Chicago across Nebraska's Highway 20 (rather than the interstate. I was able to view most of the CNW's cowboy line from the road and took a few pictures. Drove it all the way from Norfolk, through Long Pine, Chadron and on in to Casper where the CNW lines ended and I laid over for the night. What a diverse and interesting route, and an excellent way to end my temporary borrow out to Chicago where I had the opportunity to work the former CNW lines. Most of the Line is now a bike route. Here are a few of the trestle east of Valentine. I have more pictures, however it wont let me load more then three. Anyone have a video of this bridge being used the way it was intended??

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Here's a few more

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A bit of remaining grade just east of Chadron

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And a few at the basically abandoned yard at Chadron. I'm not sure how often it gets any use. I saw no sign of active operations.

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More at Chadron

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Enjoy all of you CNW fans!!

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HogheadMike Wrote:
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> Several days ago I had the very enjoyable
> experience of driving back home to Idaho from
> Chicago across Nebraska's Highway 20 (rather than
> the interstate. I was able to view most of the
> CNW's cowboy line from the road and took a few
> pictures. Drove it all the way from Norfolk,
> through Long Pine, Chadron and on in to Casper
> where the CNW lines ended ...

Didn't that line extend west to Lander at one time? There's still an old depot there. FWIW, Wikipedia agrees with me:

On October 1, 1906, Lander became the westward terminus of the "Cowboy Line" of the Chicago and North Western Railway, thus originating the slogan "where rails end and trails begin." Originally intended to be a transcontinental mainline to Coos Bay, Oregon or Eureka, California, the line never went further west, and service to Lander was abandoned in 1972.

Well, I'm not claiming to be a CNW historian. Honestly, I know very little about this line....that's why I drove it, to try to get a better understanding of its operations.

Very cool shots Mike. I had no idea anything was left at Chadron.

There's a 1977 shot in this thread of a train in Lander.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2590632,page=1

Here's a few 1982 shots I took on the line, one in Neliegh and one in Norfolk, and a shot of the depot at Osmond.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1779851

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1779989

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1779847

Thanks for the pictures they brought back some memories of the the Cowboy running west from Fremont - Norfolk and on to Chadron. I got my start on the CNW in Chadron June 1980- Management Trainee. Assistant RDM at Rapid City 1981-1983 I worked out in Casper during those years alot . 9 Months as Acting RDM when Earl Root RDM at Casper went on medical disability. I inspected CNW track out to Riverton weekly for the beer train . Very interesting drive out from Casper to Shoshoni CNW / BN where the CNW turned sw to Riverton 25 miles of 60 lb rail and lots of old ties . Also very little ballast and lots of slow orders on this line.
Retidred now from the UP - Assistant Chief Engineer - Structures 2012

Great photos of the remains of the Cowboy Line. Some years ago, my wife and I, being members of the First Iowa Division, of NARCOA, rode a good portion of that line several years in a row with our motor cars. We set on at Gordon and rode East to Marriman, turn and return to Gordon, have lunch and ride West to Chadrom and return. A long fun day ride. The NEBKOTA at that time still had the fancy F9s. They were beautiful with fresh paint. Kind of a light gray with a red/orange. Big NEBKOTA name on the sides. At that time the trains were limited to 10mph, as the track was not that great. Good to see what is still there.

Rather than hijack Mike's thread on the Cowboy Line, I posted a couple of my shots of the line over on the Nostalgia board under "CNW Riverton Turn in 1988"

Dick Ebright

On a gloomy afternoon the portends the future of what's left, here's a shot
of the Eastern end of the Cowboy Line. Sold to a scrapper who was going to
recondition it and use it for car storage, obviously.

Out

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When CNW was getting itself involved with the joint-access project of entering the Powder River Basin, I believe they were considering re-habbing and using that line.

How things would have been different if they had chosen that path.

Instead, they entered into a joint venture with UP that used a large portion of UP's Platte Valley line.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> When CNW was getting itself involved with the
> joint-access project of entering the Powder River
> Basin, I believe they were considering re-habbing
> and using that line.
>
> How things would have been different if they had
> chosen that path.
>
> Instead, they entered into a joint venture with UP
> that used a large portion of UP's Platte Valley
> line.

probably got a heads up that UP was going to take them over and realized it better not to waste the money

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > When CNW was getting itself involved with the
> > joint-access project of entering the Powder
> River
> > Basin, I believe they were considering
> re-habbing
> > and using that line.
> >
> > How things would have been different if they
> had
> > chosen that path.
> >
> > Instead, they entered into a joint venture with
> UP
> > that used a large portion of UP's Platte Valley
> > line.
>
> probably got a heads up that UP was going to take
> them over and realized it better not to waste the
> money

What actually happened is CNW and BN were to build
a joint line to haul coal. CNW did not have sufficient
assets to participate without a major loan. BN was
balking and asked for a cosigner ..... Enter UP who
guaranteed the loan ...... thus setting the stage for
a complete takeover about fifteen years later.

callum_out Wrote:
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> On a gloomy afternoon the portends the future of
> what's left, here's a shot
> of the Eastern end of the Cowboy Line. Sold to a
> scrapper who was going to
> recondition it and use it for car storage,
> obviously.
>
> Out
With Mr.Williams taking over operation of the Dakota Southern he doesn't need the FEVR for car storage. The Diamond with the BNSF was removed around May so it won't be long now. I drove the Line from Hooper to Fremont two years ago to see if there was any chance of riding it with Motorcars again and found trees in the gauge between Hooper and Nickerson in the 3" range so it would have been alot of work even if permission was granted.
Oh well.
Steve

Great pictures and some of them gives one a feeling of desolation and history. What an experience. Thank you for a "walk" down memory lane.

Jim

If ever going through Long Pine be sure to stop at the local museum. A fabulous HO scale model of the Long Pine yard in the 1940's.

What a fantastic set of photos! Thanks many times, Mike. Last fall I drove from North Platte to Rapid City on the back roads, but it was well after dark when I got to Chadron, which I had not seen since 1984. So I was wondering what it all looks like now. I can't thank you enough for showing them!

Rich