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About the Chicago Great Western
By Jerry L. Huddleston
Built by imaginative and energetic
Minnesotan, A.B. Stickney, the Chicago Great Western Railway
began in 1885 as a 110-mile pike from St. Paul to the Iowa State
Line named the Minnesota & Northwestern Railroad. Instead
of selling the short line to another railroad, as Stickney had
done with previous roads that he constructed, he retained ownership
and quickly extended the tracks to Chicago and Kansas City. By
connecting these important gateways the railroad became a respectable
carrier.
In 1887, the M&NW was acquired by another Stickney road,
the more appropriately titled Chicago, St. Paul, & Kansas
City Railroad, which was acquired in 1892 by yet another Stickney
road, the Chicago Great Western Railway. Because the three lines
radiated out from Oelwein, Iowa Stickney logically chose this
location to construct the system shops. At the time when the
Oelwein shops were opened in 1899, they were the largest and
best-equipped shops in the U.S. The final extension of the CGW
was completed in 1903 as tracks were extended to Omaha.
Initially, the CGW relied heavily on rate cutting and efficient
operations to compete with other railroads. Although its reputation
as a rate cutter ended when Stickney retired in 1908, the railroad
remained dedicated to flexible and innovative practices. Among
the pioneering efforts for which the CGW is remembered are its
early use of internal combustion equipment, extremely long freight
trains, piggyback service, and welded rail. The railroad had
little choice considering the competition from powerful neighbors,
rubber-tired vehicles, and government subsidized aviation. The
CGW was never financially strong, but managed to survive two
receiverships and an episode of horrible mismanagement during
the first few decades of this century.
The CGW enjoyed relative economic prosperity during the post
World War II boom that funded badly needed modernization of the
physical plant. Unfortunately, profits were ephemeral for the
railroad as the constantly rising costs of labor and material
sent the CGW into the red during the 1960's. Proposed mergers
would also change the position of the railroad with other carriers.
As a result, management believed that bankruptcy would ultimately
result if the railroad did not merge with another carrier. The
CGW found a mate in the Chicago & North Western Railway and
officially merged on July 1, 1968. The C&NW subsequently
abandoned most of the CGW. |
