Chicago and North Western Transportation Company
Construction of "Northwestern Railroad," near Big Lake, circa 1870.
Construction gang at work, "Northwestern Railroad," circa 1870.
"In April of 1881, the Chicago North Western Railroad station was located at Broadway and Sycamore Street (11th St.), and it looked like this during the historic flood when the depot was used as a boat landing. Note the depot and grain elevator were both frame buildings."
Caption from the October 17, 1954 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"The North Western station still in the same location, but known as Eleventh Street instead of Sycamore, has undergone several changes, including a recent remodeling of the present depot. The photograph of 1881 comes from a collection of prints at the Council Bluffs Library."
Caption from the October 17, 1954 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
Chicago & North Western Railroad passenger depot, 1899.
Chicago Great Western Railroad grade at Bennett Avenue in Council Bluffs, Iowa, 1902.
Chicago Great Western Railroad grade at Little Mosquito Creek in Council Bluffs, Iowa, 1902.
Postcard of Chicago & North Western Depot, Council Bluffs, IA. This image was used in the September 21, 1958 issue of the Daily Nonpareil with the caption "Back in 1909, this is how the Chicago North Western Railroad Depot at 12 S. 12th St. and Broadway looked. The old picture, complete with steam engine and train in front of the platform is from an old postal card from the collection of Harland Collings."
"Freight Office, left...rebuilt by the North Western Railroad in 1953 is now the Railway Inn, a tavern at Eleventh Street and First Avenue. The old passenger depot, right, was torn down shortly after the freight office was completed."
Caption from the February 5, 1967 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Chicago Great Western Railroad depot, taken from tracks," undated.
"About 1924, this was the view looking north from atop the Standard Oil Co. building at Sixteenth Ave. and Third St. Foreground is the Turner Silo Co. In background is the Chicago Great Western Railroad yards, with roundhouse at right. This old picture came from Bud Bascom."
Caption from the October 13, 1957 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
Interior of the Chicago and North Western's repair shop on Avenue G, January 3, 1952.
"One Hurt In 11-Car Derailment of Train"
"Fishtail motion...is evident in derailed cars of Overland Limited passenger train. Several hundred feet of train is damaged."
Headline and caption from the January 7, 1953 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
Chicago & North Western train derailment on January 7, 1953.
"Extensive Improvements Are Planned...by Chicago Great Western Railroad on the property shown here. At center and at right are the old roundhouse and repair track buildings that will be torn down to make way for new facilities. At left is the new $60,000 freight and passenger depot and office building completed a month ago."
Caption from the February 7, 1956 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"New Facility...viewed from the trackside is the Chicago Great Western Railroad's new combination depot, yard office and freight house. The passenger section is at left with glass entrance. Yard office facilities are at center and freight house at extreme right."
Caption from the January 22, 1956 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Yard Office...at Chicago Great Western Railroad's new building has a glass front, seen in background, for a full and unobstructed view of the tracks. In center foregound is William J. Greulack, yard clerk."
Caption from the January 22, 1956 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Motive power and car shops offices have been combined in new quarters at the Chicago and North Western Railroad diesel shop building on Avenue G. Miss Letha Wadley, general clerk, works at her desk. Former quarters occupied by the two offices were in buildings scheduled to be torn down this summer in a modernization program."
Caption from the March 1, 1959 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"New Electronic System Keeps Tabs On Freight Cars For [Chicago & North Western]; CAR_FAX 'Eliminates Many Problems'"
"Transmitting A List...of eastbound freight cars is Chief Clerk Odell Waffle and Asst. Supt. L.C. McDowell. Information is transmitted directly from punched cards."
Headline and caption from the May 5, 1959 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Changing times and changing methods of railroading have eliminated the need for large passenger depots as well as steam powered trains. This is how the Chicago North Western passenger station appears now."
Caption from the September 21, 1958 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"93-Year Tradition Ends As No. 5 Makes Last Run"
"Old No. 5...emerges through a cloud of swirling snow with its last string of passenger cards for Council Bluffs."
Headline and caption from the March 14, 1960 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"93-Year Tradition Ends As No. 5 Makes Last Run"
"Swinging Down...from the engine cab are crewmen James Nelson, the fireman, and engineer Tom Ogilvie."
Headline and caption from the March 14, 1960 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Faulty Rail Blamed For C&NW Train Derailment; Eight of 91 Cars Leave Tracks"
"Workers Investigate...the best method of pulling this entanglement of freight cars apart. The derailment occurred when a rail broke on a feeder line of the Chicago and North Western at the north edge of Council Bluffs."
Headline and caption from the December 5, 1961 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Faulty Rail Blamed For C&NW Train Derailment; Eight Of 91 Cars Leave Tracks"
"Lakeside Pileup: A piggyback trailer, full of hams, lies on its side only feet away from the pond in Lakeside Park at the north edge of Council Bluffs. The boxcar above is lying on another freight car, behind the trailer. The eight-car derailment occurred Monday night on the side trackage of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad."
Headline and caption from the December 5, 1961 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Great Western Railway Adopts Ex-Bluffs Man's Caboose Plan; New Car More Versatile"
"New Caboose...being inspected by Louis Caparelli and Carl Cramer, is the "176" built in Council Bluffs by the Great Western Railroad and roundhouse crew."
Headline and caption from the February 18, 1962 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Gilbert's Pond, top center, and the dredged pond in Lake View Park stand out like mirrors as they reflect the gray sky on an overcast day. In the foreground is the Illinois Central Railroad tracks. North Western tracks are in the background. The park is north of the city. The picture is looking east."
Caption from the August 19, 1962 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"C&NW Employes [sic] Trickle Back To Work In C.B.; Pay Loss Estimated At $55,000"
"Getting Them Rolling Again...was the concern of the first work crews reporting back to the Chicago and North Western Railway Saturday. Inspecting locomotives idled for the last 30 days in the Council Bluffs yards were the Division General Foreman G.H. Norgard, Electrician Bud Kirkpatrick and Engine house foreman John Novak."
Headline and caption from the September 29, 1962 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Edward T. Reity, president of the Chicago Great Western Railway Company, accepts delivery of one of eight powerful new diesels the line is placing into service this month from R.L. Terrell (on left), vice president of General Motors and general manager of the Electro-Motive Division. The new locomotives, each developing 2,250-horsepower, are painted a colorful Chinese red. They are replacing smaller diesel units that have been serving on the 1,500-mile rail system through the Upper Middle West."
Caption from the September 15, 1963 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"A car approaching the Chicago and North Western Railway's crossing on Washboard Road."
Caption from the November 15, 1966 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"A Car Crossing...the railroad on Washboard Road must be within 11 feet of the rail before the driver's line of sight is clear to the curve east of the intersection."
Caption from the November 15, 1966 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Railroad tracks belonging to the Chicago Great Western Railroad Co., are disappearing from the scene in the southeast part of Council Bluffs. Five sets of tracks have already been torn up and trackage pictured in foreground is slated for removal in the near future. Midwest Walnut Co., 1914 Tostevin St., and Red Giant Oil Co., 2200 South Ave., appear in the background."
Caption from the July 6, 1969 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"100 Feet Of Track Damaged By Fire On Railroad Trestle; Believed Started By Passing Train"
"Engineer F.L. Morris...returns to his train after emptying his fire extinguisher on burning trestle."
Headline and caption from the May 3, 1968 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Since the Chicago Great Western Railroad has been taken over by the Chicago and North Western, the Great Western yards are now being stripped of rails and ties. A crew of seven college students and regular employes [sic] started to dismantle the east yards this week. Tim Gilmore, right, operates a hydraulic spike puller while the other boys use hand bars under the supervision of Ray E. Lohmeier, maintenance supervisor."
Caption from the June 8, 1969 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
"Once loose, the rails and ties are lifted by a crane into a car. This scene is just east of Highway 375 overpass. The job is expected to take most of the summer to complete. Photos by Jack Kennedy."
Caption from the June 8, 1969 issue of the Daily Nonpareil
Historical Society of Pottawattamie County newsletter from November 2009. Contains an article titled "Photograph of the 'The Longest Train' Now Part of RailsWest Collection," that talks about a large Chicago and North Western shipment of furniture destined for Beebe & Runyan Furniture in Omaha, NE. Page 8. Photograph of the train is not present in the article.