Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway
| Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reporting marks | CMNW |
| Locale | Illinois, Missouri |
| Dates of operation | 1987 – 1990 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | |
The Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway (CM&W), (AAR reporting marks CMNW) was a Class II railroad that operated in the midwest of the United States between 1987 and 1990. Never financially stable, less than a year after it was created it was bankrupt and sold off its lines piecemeal to other railroads in 1989 and 1990.
History
The Chicago and Alton Railroad had built and operated lines between Chicago, Illinois, Springfield, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri and Kansas City until that railroad was merged into the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad in 1947. The GM&O itself was merged into the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in 1972. When the ICG began spinning off its redundant lines, the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway purchased the lines from the ICG on April 28, 1987.
The line struggled financially, leading to deferred maintenance on the track, and the company was bankrupt within the year.
The Southern Pacific Railroad purchased the Saint Louis to Joliet, Illinois line from the CM&W to extend itself into Chicagoland in 1989. Another new railroad, the Gateway Western Railway, purchased the Springfield to Kansas City line in 1990.
References
- "The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Second Edition". Waukesha (Kalmbach Publishing), 2000. pp. 188-189.
