Towns and Nature: Council Bluffs, IA: C&NW Roundhouse, Coaling Tower and Railyard

Friday, December 7, 2018

Council Bluffs, IA: C&NW Roundhouse, Coaling Tower and Railyard

Railyard: (Satellite, the east side of the yards. The west side is the CN/IC yard.)

Roundhouse: (Satellite, )

Coaling Tower: (Satellite, the long building for their passenger car fleet has completely erased the steam engine servicing facilities)

Glenn Anderson posted
Gather 'round the turntable boys! On a cold, but sunny January 11, 1992 this was the Chicago & North Western's Council Bluffs, Iowa engine terminal. From left to right we have C&NW 6514, AT&SF 7484 (leased, I believe), C&NW 8503, 8549, 8532 and UP 8188. There were many other units there on this day, but these are the only ones I recorded. Photo © 2018 Glenn Anderson.
Dennis DeBruler

I like the coaling tower in the background.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Glenn's posting
Is this land scar of a big roundhouse where this turntable was?
https://www.google.com/.../@41.2469371,-95.../data=!3m1!1e3
Jeffrey D. Brauer That one is the UP yard in CB. The CNW yard (now houses UP passenger fleet) was further NE, just north of highway 6 and just east of river as it flows more N-S.
Scott Hartlieb Use historicaerials.com Some places you can get 1930s views
Dennis DeBruler So it was this one, https://www.google.com/.../@41.2690062,-95.../data=!3m1!1e3
I use Historic Aerials a lot, but I don't like them because they slap a Copyright on everything. They used to have a non-commercial exception. Anyhow, their 1969 image shows that they tore down the roundhouse except for the part we still see on the south side. And it clearly shows the coaling tower to the north. And the 1990 image shows the coaling tower. But Google Earth's 1990 image shows today's configuration of no tower and a long building. But Historic Aerial's 2000 image does not show the long building that Google Earth shows existing in 1990. It does appear in Historic Aerial's 2002 image. Glen's photo shows that Historic Aerial's 1990 is correct and Google Earth's 1990 is off by more than a decade. I'm sorry to learn of such a serious error in Google Earth.
Glenn Anderson Note that the long building immediately north of the turntable is a more recent addition to the facility. It is the shop and presumably storage site for UP's passenger car fleet, most of which were involved in President Bush's funeral train this week.
Dennis DeBruler Now that I know how to read the mistake in Google Earth, the long building was built between Apr 2000 and Mar 2002.

Chicago & North Western Historical Society posted
Someone wanted to see a photo of the C&NW rail yard in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here is such a photo, a company taken photo, from 1965.
Ronald Holte: Thanks for sharing! In that yard several times over the years. My first trip into Council Bluffs as a brakeman and return trip the next day I was told to walk the train. I asked where the train was. I was told the furthest track over. I ended up walking an Illinois Central track. Memories!
Gregg Richwine: For those not familiar with Council Bluffs, this view is looking south. At the very top of the photo, you can see the original Broadway viaduct. The street running east-west behind the engine house is Avenue G. As a kid, I loved riding my bike past the engine house and seeing the locomotives peering through the south windows. Another viaduct now carries Avenue G over the UP/CNW and CN/IC tracks. Out of sight to the right is the IC coaling tower and the spur to the IC swing bridge over the Missouri. Behind the camera view is the truck-eating bridge that carries the UP/CNW main over the Big Lake Park road.
Grant Stuart: Would that be Bartlett North on the left?
Gregg Richwine: Grant Stuart Yes

I knew this yard still had a turntable. But until I studied the above yard photo, I did not realize that part of the roundhouse is still standing. I had to make some significant changes to these notes.

3D Satellite

Of course, the roundhouse was a lot bigger during the steam era.

Digitally zoomed the aerial photo below

Rich Pennisi posted
A gathering of CNW locomotives 8009-6867-7015-8015-8012 on the turntable leads at Council Bluffs, Iowa August-September 1989. My photo.
Tom Sciortino: Glad to see council bluffs shop I worked there for 20 years . I think we put out very good work , EMD sent a letter stating this to our shop . We we’re basically rebuilding the locomotive with out pulling car body. The locomotives would leave the shop and make it to the next 90 inspection which was very good considering all the failures that could happen.