NorthAmericanInterlockings: 2001 model 1979 photo photo photo
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for the correct information, which is copied below)
crossings of UP Harvard Subdivision (Northwest Line), C&NW freight cutoff, WC (ex-Soo)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_vogel/sets/72157603390003647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonroma/sets/72157600994926783/
Mark Llanuza
The Metra service is UP-NW
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| Steven J. Brown posted Metra F40PH 159 with a CNW Northwest Line train passes Deval Tower in Des Plaines - June 4, 1991. |
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| Birds-Eye View |
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP The tower is in the lower-right corner of this triangle. |
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| Mark Hinsdale posted Over the first few years of Wisconsin Central's existence, I mostly found myself assigned to CSX locations far from Chicago, and did not have much opportunity to photograph WC trains on home rails. So, when I finally went to work in the Windy City, I looked forward to spending a little time trackside on WC. One of my first endeavors was this Sunday morning in September, 1998, when I decided to go to northwest suburban Des Plaines, where WC's former Soo Line main crossed the Union Pacific's former Chicago & North Western New Line and Harvard Subdivisions in quick succession at "Deval" Tower. As luck would have it, upon my arrival, I heard locomotive horns approaching a couple of miles off to the north. Soon, this odd pairing rolled through, with a long, southbound manifest train in tow. At the time, I remember feeling a bit let down that a matched set of maroon and yellow WC SD45's wasn't in command of the train. But now, not so much. September, 1998 photo by Mark Hinsdale Mark Hinsdale shared |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Deval Tower viewed from Milwaukee Road 261’s train northbound on the Wisconsin Central in Des Plaines, Illinois - June 30, 1998. This was a deadhead move to Green Bay. |
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| Dave Arganbright posted It doesn't seem like a lot of photographers paid much attention to scoots when the cab cars were leading, so just for fun, here is a shot of 184 at Deval during June, 1978. My photo. It's easy to forget what a common sight this all-green and yellow consist used to be! Dennis DeBruler: The tower was in the lower-right corner of the triangle where the UP-NW/C&NW crossed the CP/Soo/Wisconsin Central. The upper-right corner is the famous crossing over a road where the UP/C&NW freight cutoff crossed the WC. The third corner is UP/C&NW crossing itself. https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0464507,-87.8982649,302m/data=!3m1!1e3 |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its May 1994 Deval towerman Robert Schramm inside CNW Deval tower in Des Plaines IL. [The comments talk about a fire about 2003.] |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Metra F40PH 176 (built 1989) on the Chicago & North Western Harvard Subdivision (Northwest Line) passing Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - June 5, 1991. [the tracks in the foreground are the UP/C&NW freight cutoff.] |
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| Don Raack posted A Soo Line train passing through the exchange at Deval Tower in Des Plaines. Edward Kwiatkowski shared |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Ed's share I've never seen this angle before. I added a red circle as to Don's approximate position when he took the photo. Note that the tower is in the lower corner of the triangle of tracks at the Deval Junction. The third unit in Don's photo is crossing the UP/C&NW Northwest route. The route across the top of the triangle is the UP/C&NW New Line, which is shared with CP/Milwaukee. The upper corner of the triangle is the diamond that is over US-14. |
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| Dave Arganbright posted 408 rests between runs in the war-torn Deval coach yard along with some MOW equipment on May 3, 1981. Note the "F7A" stencil below the engineer's number board. My photo. Roger Wilhelmi Jeff Delhaye trains would have to back up after entering the main line from the coach yard to get to Cumberland. All trains leaving the coach yard stopped at Des Plaines first. Lawrence Smith had no idea deval had a coach yd and was a beginning/end point for suburban trains. Thought HArvard was the only yard on the NW line other than downtown. [A comment indicates the photo is looking Northeast.] |
I had never noticed the yard that is west of this junction. (Update: it was the Des Plaines Coach Yard.)
Steven J. Brown posted two photos with the comment:
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| Keith Rieger Sr. commented on Roger Wilhilmi's posting Ray Weart That's the Deval I remember from my teenage years.,. I just wish I was smart enough to take some photos in there. The Soo Line block phone hangs between the two windows behind Dan, the Norma CTC machine sits in the desk to the immediate right of Dan and the Seeger machine would be to the photographer's right out of the scene. We were able to get the Seeger machine when it got replaced years ago but everything else, sadly, in this photo is gone. Ray Weart The only lever combination I remember anymore is 34-58-70 which lined up a westbound scoot on Track 1. I remember trains going into the Coach Yard used a LOT of levers for all the puzzle switches. There used to be a HUGE ampmeter on the north wall that would have to be watched when lining up a train into the Coach Yard so as not to overload the interlocking machine.
Roger Wilhelmi And as I recall, a switch machine motor locked up or shorted out or something like that which resulted in the ultimate demise of the lever box and tower due to an electrical fire.
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| Keith Rieger Sr. commented on Roger Wilhilmi's posting |
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| Doug Ingersoll posted |
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| Bill Kalkman posted Chicago & North Western's Deval Tower as it looked in service at 5:20PM on 7/3/81 in Des Plaines, IL. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Soo Line SD40-2's crossing over Northwest Highway while simultaneously crossing the Wisconsin Central at grade. This crossing at Deval is one of the few in the world where two railroads cross at grade on a trestle. When built in the '30's, it was intended to be only temporary. Des Plaines IL, July 23, 1988. Rob Bloxsom They have recently done some work on that trestle, I go under it a few times a week. It used to be this thunderous roar when you met a loaded coal train, now you can barely hear it.Dan Tracy What we were able to do back then you can't even think about it today. Nice shot. Matt McClure Great place for decades to watch trains with always kind towermen. Miss the tower and the staff. I work one mile south. |
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| Dominic Battista posted Soo LIne circa 1960's approaching Deval Crossing Des Plaines ILDavid Daruszka Red board. Probably waiting on a scoot.David Daruszka I worked for the C&NW in Suburban service and later for the Wisconsin Central, so I've been over that crossing both ways. |
Twenty-six years ago today:
Metra F40PH's at Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois a few moments apart. First, an express on the center main followed by the local.
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| Steven J. Brown posted Union Pacific Challenger 3985 at Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - June 15, 2002. The loco and tower are both in pieces today. There is a chance we will see the Challenger again. Not so much for the tower. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted SLSF - Frisco 1522 (Baldwin 4-8-2 Mountain built 1926) on the second day of her first weekend of excursions northbound on the Wisconsin Central at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - August 14, 1988. James L. Ludwig I rode the Sunday trip James L. Ludwig That trip they did a photo runby on thr westbound trip under the Illinois Route 83 underpass at Lake Villa then wyed and serviced the train at the Fond Du Kax shops and let all attendees watch as they put the locomotive and tender on display pn the turntable before turning it and recoupling onto the consist. Then the train stopped at Mukwanago and let people off at the interchange track so they could attend a swap meet there or ride the East Troy railroad on Duluth open air streetcar #253 while putting the consist on a siding due to freight train meets. Then they let us photograph the consist on the bridge as a roll by on the bridge as we boarded for home-the train boarded at Triton College for both trips. |
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| Steven commented on his posting |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Frisco 1522 with a freight train heads north to Fond Du Lac crossing the CNW Northwest Line at Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - July 23, 1988. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Union Pacific Challenger 3985 crossing the Wisconsin Central over diamonds on a wooden bridge at Deval Tower in Des Plaines, IL - June 16, 2002. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted
From the lens of a thirteen year old:
Soo Line GP9 southbound on the CNW New Line diamonds at Deval in Des Plaines, Illinois - July 1975.
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| Steven J. Brown posted A pair of Union Pacific AC4400CW's lead a coal train at Deval over Northwest Highway in Des Plaines, Illinois - November 13, 2018. Deval is the only place where two railroads cross with diamonds on a wooden bridge. Dennis DeBruler That makes this the second place that I know of where wood bents are still being used in the metro area. http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../49th-street... |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Canadian National local northbound with Grand Trunk GP38-2 4924 (built 1972 as MP 906) crossing the ex-CNW UP/CP new line on the bridge over Northwest Highway at Deval in Des Plaines, Illinois - November 19, 2018. Ray Weart Yeah that's my little local out doing it's thing for The Enterprise. I work that job (L50191) Mon-Fri. That was just before I got back on that job. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted EMDX SD40-2 6340 (built 1968 as C&S SD40 880 to BN 6340, became EMDX SD40-3 2000 then Portland and Western 3300) leading a Soo Line freight northbound across the Wisconsin Central at Deval in Des Plaines, Illinois - March 6, 1988. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Chicago and North Western SD40-2 6873 (built 1974, became UP 3038 but never renumbered, to HLCX 6238) on the New Line crossing the Wisconsin Central at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - November 14, 1987. [This view shows that it is not all wood. They did use some horizontal steel beams.] Steven J. Brown shared Ashley Chmura: Aww the crows nest before it was ballasted Steven J. Brown shared |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Canadian National GP38-2 IC 9634 (built 1974 as ICG 9634) crossing the UP at grade and over Northwest Highway in Des Plaines, Illinois - November 22, 2022. Matt McClure: I worked about one mile straight south and Deval was always a great place to hang and be assured of near nonstop action after work. Also wonderful to watch the circus wagon train there every summer! Steven J. Brown: Matt McClure I used to work at the hobby shop next to the Des Plaines Theater. Dennis DeBruler: A nice catch of some of the bridgework for the overpass. |
Here is another shot that catches some of the girders needed to cross tracks on an overpass.
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| Steven J. Brown posted Canadian Pacific ES44AC 8938 (built 2011) at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - March 17, 2024. Aleksandar Veljkovic: They keep ballast on that bridge now? Steven J. Brown: Aleksandar Veljkovic Yes Dave Peck: Spent lots of time right there over the years! Any current hassles photographing there? Steven J. Brown: Dave Peck I’ve stopped there frequently recently. No hassles. Steven J. Brown shared Thomas Karsten: Much quieter with a ballasted deck, 30 years ago you could hear the trains 5 miles away when they hit the diamonds. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Soo Line SD60 6038 (built 1989 became CP 6238) is northbound on the CNW New Line crossing the CNW Northwest Line at Deval Junction in Des Plaines, Illinois - June 15, 2002. Jon Roma Ah, the puzzle switches on the connection between the New Line and the old coach yard. It was one of these switches that failed to throw a couple years later. The relatively untrained operator working at the time didn't watch the ammeter, and consequently a fire started in the interlocking machine that eventually led to the demise of Deval Tower as an active interlocking tower. At the time, UP and CN had intended to leave Deval operational; however, I wonder whether or not it would have survived the march to PTC. After the fire, a modern interlocking was installed, and subsequently the tower was shuttered. The tower was demolished in November 2012. Jon Roma And for those who know of my love of interlocking tower and signaling, Deval was where it all started some 40 years ago. |
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| Steven commented on his post Comes in a Challenger flavor as well: |
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| Steven J. Brown posted
Complying with Rule 9: Never return a rental car without footprints on the roof.
Two views, mine and wife's! Milwaukee Road 261 at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - June 25, 1998.
Walt Lankenau Wooden bents? That's built to last. Steven J. Brown I am told it was built as a temporary bridge as the plan was always to straighten the road. 100 years later, still waiting! |
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| James Keats Jr. posted CP 286 rolls across the WC main at CP Deval with a duo of modern and rebuilt EMD power. I have a very big step stool. Des Plaines, IL 1/10/21 Tony Fraveletti: The CN/UP diamonds in the same plant are built on an old swap. It's always sinking so they're always balasting/leveling. John P. Pisciotto: Theres 3 sets of diamonds. 1 WC AND CNW, 1 CNW/MILW, 1 WC AND CNW/MILW. That's the one shown in the photo |
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| Andrew Sonkin posted
Honestly, I cannot remember the last time where I shot two trains running side-by-side together. But this happened!
BNSF 8498 leads CP 686 around the bend after slamming both diamonds over Deval. It passes Union Pacific’s 6AM Job with UPY Ex Missouri Pacific 705. The 705 just completed it’s spin around on the connecting wyes @ Deval are are heading back to their home base @ Bryn mawr.
Taken 6.19.19 @ Desplaines.
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| Dave Arganbright posted
Deval was my local "go to" location when I was a teenager in the late '70s. Here 412 leads one of the daily rush hour parades on an August afternoon in 1980. My photo. That's my Mom's 1973 Buick Century in the background which saw lots of interlockings around Chi-town back in the day. Ray Weart The coach yard lead is still there, the double slip switches are all gone. Bob Lalich The yard is used by a few of the local freights and MoW. Jon Roma I have fond memories of the tower, the coach yard, the many cab rides I once got, and all the interesting tidbits I learned along the way as a teenager, like how many different ways there are to shut down an F7. Douglas Kelsey I was a signal helper on a signal crew based out of Proviso Yard. We worked with a track crew to replace the diamonds at Duval during several scorching days during the summer of 1976.
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Mark Hinsdale posted three photos with the comment:
Sunday Night @ the OldiesDennis DeBruler https://www.google.com/.../@42.0471625,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3
"Crossing in the Sky"
In the faint cobwebs of my memory, it seems to me that Trains Magazine once ran an installment in their "Would You Believe It?" photo feature, about the Soo Line-Chicago & North Western diamond built on top of a timber bridge structure, situated directly over US Route 14 (Northwest Highway) in Des Plaines IL. It noted that it was the only one of its kind in existence, and I must say I've never encountered another like it in my own many years trackside. Over the decades, it has been reinforced numerous times, and battered by over height trucks more than once, but still survives today more or less in its original form. I'll say one thing, when a train bangs across the diamond here, it makes a helluva lot of racket! Here are two trains traversing the crossing, a Milwaukee Road eastbound, heading for Bensenville (IL) Yard using trackage rights over the C&NW, and a Soo Line southbound destined to Schiller Park IL. March, 1973 and May, 1974 photos by Mark Hinsdale
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| Steven J. Brown posted Metra F40PH 154 passing Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - January 1999. Bob Friedlander Anybody remember a freight house on the North Side of Busse Highway with a track connection from the main? Always stored there was a old heavyweight baggage car painted brown. The track was right before you hit the Deval diamond going to Mt Prospect.. I swear I drove back to see if the tracks once continued beyond the freight house and saw a mini water post that looked like it was used for the steamers. This line would have connected to the joint Milwaukee Road and C&NW that went by Shermer Road. Even Joe Follmar from NW fame could not find any info on this spur. I don't think they would have built a freight house a 100 yards from the Main just to store equipment? And every train that needed to use the spur would have to back up on the East main track. Steven J. Brown Yup! |
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| Bob Lalich commented on Friedlander's comment on Steven's post That track once went as far north as Central Road and was called the Feehanville line. Here is a portion of a 1911 map showing the line branching off near Deval and crossing the New Line. |
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| William Shapotkin posted We are in Des Plaines, IL, as loco #363 leads a MILW frt (using trackage rights on the C&NW "New Line" betw Bryn Mawr and Shermer) as it is about to x/o the C&NW "Northwest Line" (aka "The Harvard Sub") at Deval. Embarrassed to admit that I do not know if the train is N/B (timetable W/B) or S/B (timetable E/B). John Kamacher photo dated Sept 4, 1979. Wm Shapotkin Collection. |
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| William Shapotkin posted We are at Deval (abbreviation for "Des Plaines Valley") Interlocking in Des Plaines, IL. Loco #175 leads a W/B MILW frt as it heads N/E (timetable W/B) on the C&NW New Line and about to cross the C&NW Harvard Sub (aka Northwest Line). Today, trains of MILW successor CP still operate over this now UP-owned line -- but for some reason things just don't look the same, do they? BTW -- note those open-top auto racks! View looks S/W in this July 24, 1976 (damn -- what it really 45 years ago?) photo by the late John Kamacher. William Shapotkin Collection. (pic293) |
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| William Shapotkin posted We have returned to Deval Interlocking in Des Plaines, IL as locos #158-152 lead an E/B MILW frt as it heads S/W (timetable E/B) on the C&NW New Line and about to x/o the SOO. This xing is unique in that it is located on a bridge over US 14 (Northwest Highway). Indeed, if memory serves me correctly, I read that this is the only place in the U.S. where two railroads cross one another on a bridge over a highway (can anyone confirm that to actually be true or not?). View looks N-N/E in this slide taken by the late Johm Kamacher on July 24, 1976. William Shapotkin Collection. (Pic292) |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on William's post I think it was timetable E/B because those power lines and substation are on the north side of the New Line. https://www.google.com/.../@42.045961,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3 |
I keep forgetting that Deval included two grade crossing as well as the elevated crossing over US-45. I'm too pressed for time to figure out which grade crossing this was.
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| Steven J. Brown posted Wisconsin Central ex-BN SD45's northbound at Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - September 5, 1989. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Wisconsin Central light power drifts by Deval Tower in Des Plaines, Illinois - March 1989. GP35 4002 (built 1964 as T&P 605, became ISLX 1388), GP30 704 (built 1963 as SOO 704) and GP35 724 (built 1964 as SOO 724). Steven J. Brown shared |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Forty-six years ago - from the lens of a 13 year old: Chicago and North Western GP35 832 (built 1964, became Fox River Valley 832 to WC 2557) leads northbound at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - July 1975. Steven J. Brown shared |
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| Comments on Steven's share |
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| Steven J. Brown posted The last semaphores at Deval Crossing were these northbound on the Wisconsin Central. Back in the 70s it was easy to tell when something was coming and from where by continued observation of all the semaphores. The signals all faced away but was easy to see the back of the blades when they went up to clear. Des Plaines, Illinois - November 1987. Jon Roma I have plenty of shots in and around Deval Tower, and they can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/.../jonroma/albums/72157600994926783 Steven J. Brown shared |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Steven's share Were all three crossings controlled from this tower in the lower-right corner of the triangle? That must have been a real challenge back in the armstrong days. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Steven's share It looks like they used the foundation of the tower as a pad for today's signalling equipment. 42°02'45.0"N 87°53'51.0"W |
(new window) UP web page
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Paul Enenbach has a 1967 photo of a SOO train and the tower back when SOO used Wisconsin Central routes instead of Milwaukee Road routes. He also tells a story as an engineer of the complexities of running a train through this busy junction.
John David Larson posted the question: "Can someone refresh my memory - when did Metra start operating on the WC line past Deval Tower ... ?"
Taylor Veldman This is from Metra's website and explains the history of the NCS https://metrarail.com/about-metra/our-history/ncs-history
Fred Van Dorpe I think 1997
David Daruszka I was the engineer on most the work trains. Sweet assignment.
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Paul Enenbach has a 1967 photo of a SOO train and the tower back when SOO used Wisconsin Central routes instead of Milwaukee Road routes. He also tells a story as an engineer of the complexities of running a train through this busy junction.
Taylor Veldman This is from Metra's website and explains the history of the NCS https://metrarail.com/about-metra/our-history/ncs-history
Fred Van Dorpe I think 1997
David Daruszka I was the engineer on most the work trains. Sweet assignment.
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| Steven J. Brown posted Diamonds and CP GEVOs at Deval Crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois - November 24, 2019. Dennis DeBruler That photo illustrates some Chicago railroad history. The Canadian Pacific train is on C&NW's New Line crossing its former SOO/Wisconsin Central property on its way to its current former-Milwaukee Road property. Steven J. Brown Um....yup. Steven J. Brown although somewhat simplified. Dennis DeBruler Steven J. Brown I generally never use the SOO name in my railroad notes because usually it means Wisconsin Central, but later it meant Milwaukee Road. But I think they quickly changed the Milwaukee Road ownership to Canadian Pacific. Dennis DeBruler Actually there was a period when SOO owned both before the Wisconsin Central became Wisconsin Central again. But then WC soon became Canadian National. |
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