Nostalgia & History > Switcher Saturday -- Northwestern Steel & Wire

Wikipedia says. "Northwestern Steel and Wire was a steel mill and wire factory located in Sterling, Illinois. It began producing steel in 1936 and ceased production in 2001." The full articleis at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_Steel_and_Wire

The mill purchased retired Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0s at scrap prices and used them for switching scrap to furnaces for several years.

Here are 6 of Roger Puta's photos.

1 and 2. NSW 05 in August 1965

3. NSW 6 in August 1965

Continued ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/17 17:24 by MartyBernard.

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4 and 5. NSW 15 on December 28, 1964

6. NSW Engines Sterling, IL in August 1965

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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Check out those footboards on the number five.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> Check out those footboards on the number five.
>
> Uncle Joe
> Seffner,Fl.

Northwestern Steel and Wire was a NON-FRA operation, and railroad safety practices did NOT apply there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/17 18:13 by HotWater.

Several years? Try again.

Out

HotWater Wrote:
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> retcsxcfm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Check out those footboards on the number five.
> >
> > Uncle Joe
> > Seffner,Fl.
>
> Northwestern Steal and Wire was a NON-FRA
> operation, and railroad safety practices did NOT
> apply there.

"Steal" and wire LOL. Were there some sporty thieves down at the steel mill? On topic, I couldn't help but notice the mounts for poles on all of the locomotives standard for that time. I last saw someone using a section of railroad tie for a pole in 2011 on a short line.



>Several years? Try again.

>Out


Wasn't it at least 20 years or so? I was under the impression they stopped using steam in the early 80s, but I'm too young to know for sure.

aaronhanson Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > retcsxcfm Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Check out those footboards on the number
> five.
> > >
> > > Uncle Joe
> > > Seffner,Fl.
> >
> > Northwestern Steal and Wire was a NON-FRA
> > operation, and railroad safety practices did
> NOT
> > apply there.
>
> "Steal" and wire LOL. Were there some sporty
> thieves down at the steel mill?

Yes there were, but I corrected the spelling error anyway.

On topic, I
> couldn't help but notice the mounts for poles on
> all of the locomotives standard for that time.

Yes, pretty much all steam switchers and local steam locomotives had poles. Virtually all diesel locomotives through the 1960s still had poling pockets.

I
> last saw someone using a section of railroad tie
> for a pole in 2011 on a short line.
>
>
>
> >Several years? Try again.
>
> >Out
>
>
> Wasn't it at least 20 years or so? I was under
> the impression they stopped using steam in the
> early 80s, but I'm too young to know for sure.

Neat. I was there last Friday. When I last researched it, the mill reopened under a new owner. As reported, and from what I saw in the parking lot, far less people work there than before. But there certainly still is traffic for UP. I didn't see any rail activity at the mill as I looked, though. Looking on a map, I realize now I should have gone farther upriver as activity might have been on the other end of the plant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/17 22:08 by inCHI.

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So for how many years did they run steam engines? Marty

The best place to see their switchers and RR activity is from the Avenue K bridge shown in the 2nd to last photo. Everything else is inter-plant and you can't even get remotely close to it. My dad was a certified welder and worked for Rockford Steam Boiler works. He talks about going to Sterling to work on the steam engines. He said he was scared to death crawling under those locomotives to work on them.

Dave

In 1968 I was working a road job to Nelson and had to make a westbound pickup at Sterling. Cut off the power and headed in to their siding. I was making air hoses on the empty gone when I heard a steam whistle. Nearly jumped out of my skin it was so close. Looked through a gap in the fence and saw one of the O-8-0s switching.
I remember there was a considerable deadline of mostly CB&Q locomotives, if I recall correctly, waiting to be cut up into furnace sized chunks. Kind of a sad place, I thought.

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> So for how many years did they run steam engines?
> Marty
According to the November, 1960, issue of Trains, a pair of ex-GTW 0-8-0s arrived at Northwestern Steel & Wire in April of that year.  Presumably, these were the first of the 0-8-0s to arrive.  In the November, 1990, issue of Trains, there's a blurb that states the last "continuous daily fuel-fired steam operation in [the] U.S." occurred on December 3, 1980, when Northwestern Steel & Wire dieselized.  So, the 0-8-0s lasted there for about 20 years; have no idea what was used prior to that time.
GK   

Looks like the cab of #15 has suffered damage on the fireman's side, too.