WHOA!! Talk about a roller coaster ride. If you did go faster than 10 MPH I'm betting that it would seem like quite the ride (right up to the time that the accident starts to happen).
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Must be alot of spilled coffee in the cab. Industrial spurs are supposed to look like that, not a "mainline", wow! C&NW guys must have been envious of their BN counterparts.
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| Posted by autgan on February 3, 2009 | |
Worst section of track seems like a minor understatement to me. How does the train stay of those tracks.
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Holy Cow!
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The wibbly,wobbly way comes to mind.
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Kirk, I'm guessing you took a few steps back when the 4514 rolled by your vantage point.
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When I stared on the CB&Q in 1969, the Beardstown Division between Jacksonville and Litchfield, Illinois had sections like this. The CNW did not have exclusive claims to bad track. Thanks for posting this. Breaks back allot of bad memories of the "Good old days"..
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That track makes Penn Central look good. Very interesting photo.
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Wow!
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Didn't they call this the "Cowboy Line?" Those are probably some of the most appalling track conditions I've ever seen.
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After reading Fred Frailey's history of the PRB in the Nov '89 Trains, I always wondered what the Cowboy looked like. Now I know. Yikes.
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No wonder they called this he "Cowboy Line", because it sure looks like riding a bucking bronco. Nice shot Kirk.
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| Posted by Rahul on February 4, 2009 | |
Wow. how does the train stay on track with tracks in that condition.
The smoke reminds me of the WDM's in our region being notched up.
Rahul
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What an adventure.
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Anyone have video of that section?
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| Posted by PaulJW on February 4, 2009 | |
Your next time there, look at the date stamped on the rail. I'm curious as to when it was made. That would tell you when the line was laid down and obvious no maintenance has been done over the years. I'll guess it's a line from the 1920's by the looks. It could be even older than that. I've seen some old track, still used in my area, dated 1898, from the old "Pittsbugh & West Virgina Railroad". The ties are severely deteriorated, but still used for short hauls to the Sony plant.
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Thanks for all the comments! Yes, this was the western end of the Cowboy line between Orin Junction and Casper. Friends and I were able to chase this train three times in 1988, the last year of operation on CNW's trackage west of Orin Junction. Starting in January of 1989, the train switched to the parallel BN trackage to Casper. CNW rails were removed in late '89 or early '90.
We do have video of this spot (same train actually) as well as the rest of the line west of here. We hope to have a CNW Western Lines DVD for sale in the near future, but it needs a few things (maps, narration, etc).
I do have one picture of a rail date taken about 25 miles west of this spot near Glenrock, Wyo. and the date on the rail is 1899!
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I think the Mawmee and Western has this beat
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Amazing photo, Kirk !
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