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81-462: The city of Baraboo is in the center of the valley. The range was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. These hills were formed from deposited sediment in a shallow sea 1.7 billion years ago. This sediment was metamorphized into quartzite, deformed, then uplifted. These outcrops may have been islands when the region was covered by shallow seas in the Cambrian. The Baraboo River divides

162-581: A grain elevator in Fremont, NE , while several other GP7's, GP9's, and a few other CNW locomotives are owned by regional railroads, short lines, or industries. As of 2020, 9771 and 6706 have yet to be repainted. Union Pacific continues to follow its new tradition of releasing "Heritage" EMD SD70ACe units to represent the paint schemes of companies absorbed by UP. After painting at the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad 's Horicon, WI shop, UP 1995 , painted in

243-587: A warm-summer humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Baraboo was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 5–7, 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was −45 °F (−42.8 °C) on January 30, 1951. Baraboo forms the core of the United States Census Bureau 's Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Sauk County (2000 population: 55,225). The Baraboo μSA

324-767: A "Heritage" C&NW paint scheme, was unveiled on July 15, 2006, at North Western Station in Chicago, IL. The North Western Station was rechristened to the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 1997 to honor Richard B. Ogilvie , a former governor of Illinois and well as the creator of the Regional Transportation Authority . The station serves as UP's Metra terminus for its three lines ( Union Pacific West Line , Union Pacific Northwest Line , and Union Pacific North Line ). However, many longtime Chicago residents still refer to

405-630: A complete set of passenger and freight car shops. These shops served the eastern section of the CNW system. Meanwhile, the western section was served by back shops in Clinton, Iowa and the northern section was served by facilities in Winona, Minnesota . In 1911 a new freight yard and shops were built 13 miles west of Chicago in Proviso Township, which featured a mammoth, 58-stall roundhouse (a twin of

486-467: A cost of $ 9 million. A post office opened in 1961. A campus of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville Baraboo Sauk County is located in Baraboo. The School District of Baraboo has four elementary schools serving students in grades 1 through 5, one kindergarten center, one middle school and one high school ( Baraboo High School ). The middle school has a swimming pool that can be accessed by

567-707: A dozen of C&NW's bilevel railcars and painted them with the Phase III paint used with Amtrak's EMD F40PH locomotives. They are no longer in use. In conjunction with Union Pacific and Southern Pacific , the North Western operated some long distance passenger trains , including the Overland Limited , City of Los Angeles , City of San Francisco , City of Denver , and the Challenger . These services lasted from 1889 to 1955, after which

648-474: A few of them. The railroad operated what was once the largest "potato yard" or potato market, at its Chicago Wood Street yards. Potatoes came to the yard from every point in the United States to be bought or traded by produce dealers and brokers. While the facility came to be known as the "potato yard", it was also a site where other vegetables could be bought, sold or traded. In 1891, the CNW adopted

729-689: A limited operation, instead of a full-blown program. The steam tour took place in May 1982, dubbed the "Prosperity Special" , to promote the C&;NW's locomotive and rolling stock upgrades. As a result of the Prosperity Special’ s success, additional steam tours took place in the ensuing years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Some of the trains used C&NW track rights to travel over Milwaukee Road and Burlington Northern trackage. The final steam tour took place in 1987, during

810-604: A majority of the stock of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) since 1882. On January 1, 1957, it leased the company, and merged it into the North Western in 1972. The Omaha Road's main line extended from an interchange with the North Western at Elroy, Wisconsin , to the Twin Cities, south to Sioux City, Iowa , and then finally to Omaha, Nebraska . The CNW acquired several important short railroads during its later years. It completed acquisition of

891-506: A male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 38 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

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972-666: A manufacturer of single-engine aircraft, was founded in a rural Baraboo barn in 1984 by the Klapmeier brothers . After a few years of designing the VK-30 , they relocated to the Baraboo–Dells Airport and in 1994 moved the company to its present-day home in Duluth, Minnesota . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 7.47 square miles (19.35 km ), of which 7.39 square miles (19.14 km )

1053-708: A roundabout with the Capital City State Trail, which is not a rail trail. The former Illinois Central line , now the Badger State Trail , runs on a bridge directly above the roundabout and has ramps connecting to the Capital City and Cannonball Paths. This area is known as the "Velo Underround". The Cowboy Trail is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Chadron, Nebraska and Norfolk, Nebraska . When completed, it will be 321 miles in length. The Glacial River Trail

1134-412: A saw mill. In 1846 it became the county seat of Sauk County after a fierce fight with the nearby village of Reedsburg . In 1852, the village was renamed "Baraboo", after the nearby river . It was incorporated as a village in 1866 and as a city in 1882. In the 1860s, the city had surpassed a population of 2,000, and many businesses started to form, including grocery stores, banks, and hotels. In 1872,

1215-641: A stark contrast. Some of these features were created when a glacial pocket was formed during the Wisconsin glaciation where the advance of the glacier halted, along the edge of what is known as the Driftless Area. Devil's Lake State Park , Wisconsin's largest state park, contains large areas of the Baraboo Hills. Pewits Nest is located outside Baraboo. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Baraboo has

1296-513: Is a natural gorge featuring unconformable contacts between the quartzite and younger Cambrian sandstone , exposed through a combination of erosion and modern quarrying. Bluffs at Lower Narrows carved by the Baraboo River expose contacts between the quartzite and younger volcanic rhyolite . Baraboo, Wisconsin Baraboo ( / ˈ b ɛər ə b uː / BAIR -ə-boo )

1377-557: Is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Milton, Wisconsin and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin . The Military Ridge State Trail runs from Fitchburg to Dodgeville on the former "Ridgerunner" line. It connects with the Cannonball Bike Path in Fitchburg. The Peace Trail runs between Janesville, Wisconsin and Beloit, Wisconsin next to the existing ex-Milwaukee Road line.. The Sangamon Valley Trail

1458-509: Is another rail trail, currently 5.5-mile (8.9 km) in length, on the west side of Sangamon County in Illinois , which skirts Springfield, Illinois . It is a segment of a former St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway 38-mile (61.2 km) right-of-way (which was later folded into the CNW) that has been set aside for rail trail use. The entire right-of-way connects Girard, Illinois , on

1539-522: Is just northwest of the Madison metropolitan area , with which it forms the Census Bureau's Baraboo-Madison Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the census of 2020 , the population was 12,556. The population density was 1,709.2 inhabitants per square mile (659.9/km ). There were 5,776 housing units at an average density of 786.3 per square mile (303.6/km ). The racial makeup of

1620-650: Is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km ) is water. West Baraboo , a suburb of Baraboo, borders the city on its west side. Baraboo gives its name to the Baraboo Syncline, a doubly plunging, asymmetric syncline in Proterozoic -aged Baraboo quartzite . Researchers at the University of Wisconsin , particularly Charles R. Van Hise , used the syncline to demonstrate that small-scale deformational structures in isolated outcrops reflect larger regional structures and that sedimentary structures could indicate

1701-563: Is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin , United States, located along the Baraboo River . The population was 12,556 as of the 2020 census . The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropolitan statistical area which comprises a portion of the Madison combined statistical area . Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum and the former headquarters and winter home of

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1782-509: The C&;NW North Line to Kenosha, Wisconsin . At Crystal Lake Junction, some trains branched off to Williams Bay, Wisconsin . The West Line also had branches to St. Charles , Aurora , Freeport , and Crystal Lake . A fourth commuter line operated on the KD Line between Kenosha and Harvard until 1939. In 1974, responsibility for the commuter lines and equipment ownership transferred to

1863-644: The CNW Corporation was formed to take over the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; the employee-owned stock of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was transferred to the new CNW Corporation. In 1988, the Blackstone Capital Partners formed the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation to purchase the CNW Corporation; the CNW Corporation was acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners under

1944-749: The Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) was built. Baraboo became home to several saw mills during this time, because of its location near the Baraboo and Wisconsin Rivers. In 1884, the Ringling Brothers Circus was established in Baraboo by circus performers and tourers the Ringling brothers , after they settled in the city in 1875 and performed their first show in Mazomanie, Wisconsin in 1882. Several other circuses then came to

2025-556: The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad , further helped reduce the railroad to a mainline core with several regional feeders and branches. Union Pacific (UP) purchased the company in April 1995 and integrated it with its own operation. The Chicago and North Western Railway was chartered on June 7, 1859, five days after it purchased the assets of the bankrupt Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad. On February 15, 1865, it merged with

2106-696: The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , which had been chartered on January 16, 1836. Since the Galena & Chicago Union started operating in December 1848, and the Fond du Lac railroad started in March 1855, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad is considered to be the origin of the North Western railroad system. Other lines acquired and added to the network included the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad in 1859,

2187-509: The Litchfield and Madison Railway on January 1, 1958. The Litchfield and Madison railroad was a 44-mile (71 km) bridge road from East St. Louis to Litchfield, Illinois . On July 30, 1968, the North Western acquired two former interurbans — the 36-mile (58 km) Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway (DM&CI), and the 110-mile (180 km) Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railway (FDDM&S). The DM&CI gave access to

2268-433: The Ringling Brothers Circus . The Al. Ringling Theatre is an active landmark in the city. Baraboo is near Devil's Lake State Park and Aldo Leopold 's Shack and Farm . The area around Baraboo was the site of a Kickapoo village as early as 1665. The current community was established by Abe Wood in 1838, and was originally known as the village of Adams. In 1839 several settlers arrived and started building cabins, and

2349-718: The Union Pacific Corporation acquired the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under subsidiary UP Rail, Union Pacific controls the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (now the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) and the Chicago and North Western Railway (formerly the first Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under UP Rail subsidiary. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under Union Pacific ownership: The Union Pacific Corporation merged UP Rail into Union Pacific and then merged

2430-594: The Winona and St. Peter Railroad in 1867, the Chicago, Milwaukee and North Western Railway in 1883, the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad in 1880, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad in 1884, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway in 1893. They also held extensive property in Michigan, particularly its Upper Peninsula , to the point where they were one of the largest property owners in

2511-480: The Wisconsin Rapids company Billmeyer and Sons and with a cost of over $ 500,000, has 11 classrooms. The basement has a cafeteria and a combination auditorium/gymnasium. The second building for the school opened on a filled-in ravine in 1912, northeast of its associated church. The building had three floors and a basement. The first and second floors each had three classrooms, and the second floor also housed

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2592-481: The 1,500 mi (2,400 km) Chicago Great Western Railway merged with the North Western. This railroad extended between Chicago and Oelwein, Iowa . From there lines went to the Twin Cities, Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri . A connection from Hayfield, Minnesota , to Clarion, Iowa , provided a Twin Cities to Omaha main line. The Chicago Great Western duplicated the North Western's routes from Chicago to

2673-702: The 1920–1940s. Almost every town on their route had at least the main crossing in town protected by them. The most common style were the Center Harp shorties. They were almost iconic to the CNW. Many of them, which were grandfathered in after the Federal Railroad Administration ruled them inadequate protection in 1949, survived until the 1970s and a few remain on lines in Wisconsin that have been sold off to other railroads. Lack of available parts and upgrades to roads have replaced all but

2754-525: The 1980s, and the right of way converted to a trail. Service was discontinued to St. Charles in 1951. Service between Geneva and Aurora and Elgin and Crystal Lake was discontinued in the early 1930s. Service to Freeport ceased in the late 1940s. By 1981, following the start of the early 1980s recession and the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road, public opinion on railroads around the Milwaukee area

2835-427: The C&NW's dry mainline through Iowa also became flooded. Upon learning about the flooding, some C&NW employees called into work during their time off, in order to help the railroad through the flood. By the time the flood ended, most of the C&NW's rail lines remained intact and were quickly reopened. In February 1994, the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation and the CNW Corporation merged into

2916-496: The CNW route to Chicago was changed to the Milwaukee Road's due to poor track conditions. Chicago and North Western also operated commuter train service in the Chicago area, where they developed what was perhaps the first control car . A modified gallery car was built in 1960 with locomotive controls to allow push-pull operation. which is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum . The C&NW also pioneered

2997-411: The Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary from the employee owned stock; Blackstone Capital Partners controls the CNW Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company under the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary. Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (or "CNW Holdings Corporation" and "Chicago and North Western Holdings Company")

3078-510: The Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation, leaving only the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. In May 1994, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company reverted to its original name, Chicago and North Western Railway and the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation was renamed to the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The Chicago and North Western corporate structure: In April 1995,

3159-671: The Firestone plant in Des Moines, Iowa , and the FDDM&;S provided access to gypsum mills in Fort Dodge, Iowa . On November 1, 1960, the CNW acquired the rail properties of the 1,500-mile (2,400 km) Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway . In spite of its name, it ran only from Minneapolis, Minnesota , to Peoria, Illinois . This acquisition provided traffic and modern rolling stock, and eliminated competition. On July 1, 1968,

3240-610: The Geneva line having been extended west to Elburn . However, service on the branch to Williams Bay was gradually cut back over the years, also resulting in changes to the name of the branch. In 1965, service was abandoned between Williams Bay and Lake Geneva. In 1975, service ended between Lake Geneva and Richmond. In 1981, service between McHenry and Richmond ended. Rails and ties north of the Cargill plant in Ringwood were removed during

3321-592: The Midwest. The first routes on the C&NW to be flooded were the routes south of St. Paul, Minnesota. Ten miles of their line between North Freedom , Baraboo , and Devil's Lake were also flooded, and it isolated the C&NW's quarry supply in Rock Springs (a vintage diesel switcher from the nearby Mid-Continent Railway Museum assisted the Rock Springs quarry, until the flood cleared). During July,

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3402-540: The Twin Cities and Kansas City, Missouri, via Des Moines, Iowa . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) approved North Western's bid of $ 93 million on June 20, 1983. The line was well-engineered, but because of deferred maintenance on the part of the bankrupt Rock Island, it required a major rehabilitation in 1984. The company then began to abandon the Oelwein to Kansas City section of its former Chicago Great Western trackage, which duplicated Spine Line service. In 1985,

3483-512: The Twin Cities and Omaha, but went the long way. This merger provided access to Kansas City and further eliminated competition. After abandoning a plan to merge with the Milwaukee Road in 1970, Benjamin W. Heineman , who headed the CNW and parent Northwest Industries since 1956, arranged the sale of the railroad to its employees in 1972; they formed Northwest Industries to take over the CNW in 1968. The words " Employee Owned " were part of

3564-515: The abandoned Chicago Great Western Railroad from Forest Park to St. Charles . The Glacial Drumlin State Trail of 52 miles follows the abandoned CNW line between Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin . The Three Rivers Trail Trailhead is located 2 miles west of Eagle Grove, IA extending west 33 miles to Rolfe, IA. It is a crushed limestone trail that has been developed over the abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail also features

3645-491: The acquisition (although some of them were gradually repainted into UP colors.) Many former CNW units have received "patches" with a new road number and reporting mark to match their new owner's roster. Only 2 "patched" units remain on the Union Pacific, UP AC44CW 6706, and UP C44-9W 9771. Several others work under different owners. However, it is still possible to find untouched CNW units in service. CNW 8646 and 8701 were

3726-491: The centennial of the City of Chicago. By which time, there was an insurance crisis within the railroad industry. The railroad's management had also changed, and enthusiasm on the C&NW to operate steam tours was lost. The CNW was known for running on the left-hand side when running on double track mainlines. In the United States, most railroads used the right-hand track along double-track mainlines, while left-hand running

3807-407: The chapel and the library. The third floor had a 600-seat auditorium while the basement had a large banquet hall/gymnasium. The second building became overcrowded due to the post-World War II baby boom , so the third school building, north of the second building, opened in 1958. The Baraboo Public Library serves the community. The former Free Congregational Society church was demolished by 1902 for

3888-546: The cities in 400 minutes. CNW was the first system to start a high-speed Chicago-Twin Cities schedule because it used refurbished rather than new equipment, but in 1939, modernized the 400 with new E3A diesel locomotive pairs and streamlined cars. Other named trains the CNW operated included the Ashland Limited , Duluth-Superior Limited , and the North Western Limited CNW eventually renamed

3969-430: The city was $ 38,375, and the median income for a family was $ 48,149. Males had a median income of $ 32,775 versus $ 22,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,304. 6.6% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or older. A city hall building opened in 1967, and another location finished construction in 2018 at

4050-534: The city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 10,711 people, 4,467 households, and 2,733 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,030.2 people per square mile (783.2/km ). There were 4,718 housing units at an average density of 894.3 per square mile (345.0 persons/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 97.12% White, 0.51% African American , 0.77% Native American , 0.52% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.57% of

4131-537: The city was 88.0% White , 1.4% Native American , 1.3% Black or African American , 1.0% Asian , 2.7% from other races , and 5.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2010, there were 12,048 people, 5,161 households, and 3,016 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,630.3 inhabitants per square mile (629.5/km ). There were 5,619 housing units at an average density of 760.4 per square mile (293.6/km ). The racial makeup of

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4212-450: The city was 94.0% White , 1.3% African American , 1.0% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.5% from other races , and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.7% of the population. There were 5,161 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had

4293-680: The city, which earned Baraboo the nickname "Circus City". Located south of Baraboo in the Census-designated place of Bluffview , was the Badger Ordnance Works , which was the largest munitions factory in the world during World War II. It was later demolished and now the land is a part of the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area. Hank Snow 's 1959 song " I've Been Everywhere ", famously covered by Johnny Cash , mentions visiting Baraboo. Cirrus ,

4374-632: The city. State Highways 33 , 113 , 136 , and U.S. 12 pass through Baraboo. There is access to Interstate 90 / 94 nearby. The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad provides freight rail service to Baraboo via the Reedsburg Subdivision , the nearest Amtrak passenger rail station is in neighboring Wisconsin Dells . Dial-a-ride transit service is available in the city through Baraboo Transit. Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western ( reporting mark CNW )

4455-522: The company logo in the ensuing period. The railroad was renamed from Chicago and North Western Railway to Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The railroad's reporting marks (CNW) remained the same. After the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) ceased operating on March 31, 1980, the North Western won a bidding war with the Soo Line Railroad to purchase the roughly 400-mile (640 km) " Spine Line " between

4536-411: The concept of Head End Power (HEP), generating 480 volt electricity from the locomotive to power the air conditioning, lighting, and heating on the new bi-level cars. This eventually became the standard for all railroads in the United States. Three commuter lines radiated from North Western Station ; the C&NW West Line to Geneva, Illinois ; the C&NW Northwest Line to Harvard , Illinois; and

4617-416: The famous "ball and bar" logo, which survived a few modifications throughout its 104-year existence. This included the changing of text: The railroad also purchased a great deal of its equipment second-hand. CNW shop forces economized wherever possible, earning the railroad the nickname "Cheap and Nothing Wasted." Sometimes employees referred to the condition of equipment as "Cardboard and No Wheels." One of

4698-651: The first 400 to the Twin Cities 400 as the CNW labeled almost all of its passenger trains with variations of the 400 moniker, including the Flambeau 400 , Minnesota 400 , Valley "400" , Shoreland "400" , Dakota 400 and the Kate Shelley 400 . CNW ceased running the Twin Cities 400 in 1963, and all intercity passenger service on CNW ended with the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak bought

4779-418: The first rail trails created in the United States was the 32.5-mile (52.3 km) Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which used a segment abandoned in 1965. The 400 State Trail runs from Reedsburg to Elroy on the former main line. The Cannonball Bike Path runs on a 5-mile stretch in Madison, Wisconsin on the old "Ridgerunner line". It connects with the Military Ridge State Trail in Fitchburg at

4860-559: The last unpatched CNW locomotives on the UP roster which railfans referred to them as the "CNW twins". In 2017 after years of surviving untouched they were repainted and renumbered to 9750 (ex 8646) and 9805 (ex 8701) respectively. 9750 is in storage as of 2020 while 9805 is active and was rebuilt by GE/Wabtec into a C44ACM. CNW 6847 and CNW 7009 are preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in their original factory paint. CNW 1518, CNW 411, and CNW 414 (METX 308) are also at IRM, with 1518 and 411 having been restored in CNW paint. CNW 4153 works at

4941-593: The late Precambrian. These formations were buried by Paleozoic sedimentary strata and are still being uncovered by the erosion of the softer, overlying rocks. Devil's Lake , the centerpiece of Devil's Lake State Park , was formed from terminal moraines blocking access to its outlet, creating what is today an endorheic lake (i.e., a lake lacking a surface outlet to the world's oceans). In addition to Devil's Lake State Park, significant sections of exposed quartzite can be found at Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area and Lower Narrows State Natural Area. Ableman's Gorge

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5022-399: The library's construction. Baraboo includes the Downtown Baraboo Historic District, which consists of 75 commercial and civic buildings built between 1870 and 1938. The Sauk County Courthouse is in the center of the district, and it serves the county. The Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport (KDLL) serves the city and surrounding communities, and is located on Bus. US 12 3 miles north of

5103-458: The longest railroads in the United States as a result of mergers with other railroads, such as the Chicago Great Western Railway , Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and others. By 1995, track sales and abandonment had reduced the total mileage to about 5,000. The majority of the abandoned and sold lines were lightly trafficked branches in Iowa , Illinois , Minnesota , South Dakota and Wisconsin . Large line sales, such as those that resulted in

5184-429: The newly formed Regional Transportation Authority , whose rail division was later branded in 1984 as Metra . The C&NW continued to run the lines under a "purchase of service" contract, in which the railroad maintained the right-of-way and operated trains on behalf of Metra. All three C&NW commuter lines live on in the Metra system, and are still operated by Union Pacific under a purchase of service contract, with

5265-424: The one in Fulton, Illinois ). Changing traffic patterns and competition with automobiles and trucking disrupted the railroad's profitability by mid-20th century. After nine years in bankruptcy, the CNW was reorganized in 1944. It had turned rapidly to diesel power, and established a huge diesel shop in Chicago . Its Proviso Freight Yard, located 12 miles (19 km) west of the city center in suburban Cook County,

5346-412: The original top-facing direction within elaborately deformed strata . These two principles sparked a global revolution in structural geology during the 1920s. The nearby Baraboo Hills are designated one of the "Last Great Places" by the Nature Conservancy because of its rare rocks, plants and animals. The hills were created by glacial action, and in some points poke up from the flat terrain to form

5427-435: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,467 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

5508-435: The public with a seasonal membership option. There are also three parochial schools: St. Joseph's Catholic School, which serves Pre-K through sixth grade; St. John's Lutheran School of the WELS , serving Pre-K through eighth grade; and Community Christian School, serving 4K through high school. St. Joseph's Catholic, under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison , is a parochial school. The current school building, designed by

5589-412: The range in half, flowing through Upper Narrows Gorge near Rock Springs and travels onto its confluence with the Wisconsin River downstream from Portage through the Lower Narrows. The Baraboos are composed of resistant Precambrian quartzite (a metamorphic rock ) which has formed an erosional remnant or Monadnock , resulting in topographic prominence . The mountains may have formed as long ago as

5670-465: The second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company and the Chicago and North Western Railway into the Union Pacific Railroad; the Chicago and North Western system became part of the Union Pacific Railroad system. A joint UP-CNW subsidiary, Western Railroad Properties, Inc. , was also merged into the Union Pacific system in the acquisition. Chicago and North Western locomotives continued to operate in their own paint schemes for several years after

5751-501: The south end, to Athens, Illinois , at the north end. The right-of-way spans the western half of Sangamon County in a north–south direction, and also traverses small sections of Macoupin County and Menard County . The Three Eagles Trail runs for a couple miles south of Eagle River, Wisconsin . The Wild Rivers Trail is a 104-mile-long rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Superior, Wisconsin . The Great Western Trail of 17 miles follows

5832-576: The state. By 1899, the company had rostered 1,380 locomotives, 1,176 passenger cars, and 49,484 freight cars. The first repair facilities for rolling stock were located along the Chicago River near the center of Chicago , but these were abandoned for a more extensive, 240-acre plot of land to the west along West Kinzie Street. The facilities were expanded in 1900 and became known as the 40th Street Shops, which at that point included three roundhouses, extensive locomotive overhauling capabilities, and

5913-425: The station as "North Western Station," and many longtime employees still call it "CPT," for "Chicago Passenger Terminal." The CNW's most famous train, the Twin Cities 400 from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul, was introduced in 1935 to compete with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 's Zephyr s and the Milwaukee Road 's Hiawatha s. This train was so named because it traveled the 400 mi (640 km) between

5994-410: Was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for a household in

6075-572: Was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States . It was also known as the "North Western" . The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway (or Chicago and North Western Railway Company ). The C&NW became one of

6156-550: Was adversely affected by government agricultural credit policies, which sealed a lot of products on the farms where they were produced. Although it stood sixteenth in operating revenue in 1938, it was eighth in passenger revenue among American railroads. It served Chicago commuters; its 400 streamliners provided intercity transportation, and it provided an eastern link to bring the Union Pacific 's passengers from Omaha, Nebraska and points west to Chicago. The CNW had owned

6237-575: Was beginning to sour. In response, management of the C&NW explored options to generate public awareness that the C&NW was still a healthy company. Manager of the railroad's Wisconsin Division, Chris Burger, pitched the idea of the railroad hosting a steam excursion program, using steam locomotive No. 1385 from the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Because of the recession, C&NW President James R. Wolfe only approved

6318-430: Was constructed between 1926 and 1929 and remained the largest such in the world, with 224 miles of trackage and a capacity of more than 20,000 cars. Potatoes from the west were one of the main crops carried by the CNW, and its potato sheds in Chicago were the nation's largest. It also carried western sugar beets and huge amounts of corn and wheat. This road, like other lines depending strongly on transportation of crops,

6399-504: Was formed and took control of the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation, which controlled the CNW Corporation and which the CNW Corporation controlled the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under the Blackstone ownership: In 1993, several of the C&NW's routes became flooded by that year's Great Flood , which also affected other railroads that operated in

6480-451: Was more common in countries where British companies built the railroads. According to a display in Metra 's Lake Forest station, the reason for this was a combination of chance and inertia. When originally built as single-line trackage, the C&NW arbitrarily placed its stations on the left-hand side of the tracks (when headed inbound toward Chicago). Later, when a second track was added, it

6561-480: Was placed on the side away from the stations so as not to force them to relocate. Since most passengers waiting at the stations were headed toward Chicago, the inbound track remained the one closest to the station platforms. The expense of reconfiguring signals and switches has prevented a conversion to right-hand operation ever since. The Chicago and North Western was known for its installation of Western Railroad Supply Company wigwag signals at many of its crossing in

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