The Burlington & Northwestern/Burlington & Western
1882 Burlington & Northwestern Railway Pass
1888 Burlington & Northwestern/Burlington & Western Pass
1892 Burlington & Northwestern/Burlington & Western Pass
1892 Burlington & Northwestern/Burlington & Western Pass
1888 Burlington & Northwestern Stock Certificate
1898 Burlington & Northwestern Agent Slip
Background
The Burlington & Northwestern/Burlington & Western branches began life as three-foot-gauge lines and were converted to standard gauge in 1902. These interesting Iowa branches, ran north from Burlington over the Rock Island to Mediapolis, west to Winfield and then to Washington or Oskaloosa, respectively. I originally set out with the plan to model the B&NW/B&W, with the operations set during the summer of 1934,
prior to the CB&Q selling the Burlington & Western portion of the line from Winfield to Oskaloosa to the M&StL. At that point, the timetable listed a Passenger Motor Car (gas-electric or doodlebug) train over the line each direction and a freight train each way. After the B&W was sold, the B&NW was operated with a single daily mixed train. The Burlington abandoned the Winfield to Oskaloosa B&W trackage in late 1934, selling portions of the right of way assets to the M&StL. Either branch would be a perfect modeling subject for a small layout or an experiment with Proto 87 (which I am still contemplating myself). Thanks to Frank Ellington, drawings exist of several of the depots, and Sanborn maps provide a lot information about track arrangements and on-line businesses/industries.
For additional information about the B&NW, I highly recommend Burlington Bulletin #30, published by the Burlington Route Historical Society. It was authored by David Lotz, and is entirely devoted to the the two branches, including many photos from the steam and diesel eras. Charles Franzen, a long-time Washington resident faithfully documented this neat little branchline with his camera during the late steam and diesel years.
Burlington & Northwestern Facilities - Burlington to Washington, Iowa
Burlington, Iowa
(Des Moines County)
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Yard
- Depot
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Fuel, water and sand
facilities
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Wood Interlocking Tower
-
J.I. Case Plant
Latty M.P. 8.9
(Des Moines County)
Sperry M.P. 11.8
(Des Moines County)
-
CRI&P brick depot
Mediapolis M.P.
15.4 (Des Moines County)
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CRI&P frame depot
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CB&Q roadway
buildings
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10'x16' tool house
-
9'x34' bunk house
-
3'x3' outhouse
Roscoe M.P. 20.4
(Des Moines County)
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CB&Q Depot,
18'x56' one story frame, built 1898, 4'x6' outhouse, 8'x12' coal house, 1280
sq. ft. cinder platform, 288 sq. ft. wood platform
-
Stock pens: 5 pens,
8'x14' scale, 16'x16' scale house, 10,272 sq. ft. cinder paving
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Water Station: 24'x16'
wooden water tank on 16' high wood frame, concrete foundation, 6' diameter, 19'
deep dug well, 6" diameter, 40' deep drilled well, Windmill with 10' wheel on
50' wood tower, 12'x12' pump house, 9'x20' coal house
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Grain elevator
Bridge 21.56
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7 span pile trestle,
single span 20" I-beam girder, possibly over a road?
Yarmouth
M.P. 23.9 (Des Moines County)
-
Depot per Frank
Ellington drawings, photos in BB#30, extant structure moved to Mt. Pleasant,
896 sq. ft. wood foundation, 4'x6' outhouse, 4' diameter, 15' deep dug well,
7'x11' coal house, 1224 sq. ft. wood platform, 1224 sq. ft. brick platform
-
Stock Pen Facilities:
5 pens, 8'x14' scale, 16'x16' scale house, 4' diameter, 15' deep dug well, 9576
sq. ft. cinder paving
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Mid-West Lumber
Company (siding, S. of mainline)
-
F.D. Hayes Grain
Elevator (siding, S. of mainline)
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Farm Bureau Oil
Warehouse
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Graham and Orchard Oil
Warehouse
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Methodist Church,
dwellings
Mt. Union M.P.
28.3 (Henry County)
-
Depot per Frank
Ellington drawings, with train order signal as in photo, 20'x52', one story
frame, concrete foundation, built 1911, 4'x7' outhouse, 8'x12' coal house, 1970
sq. ft. brick platform, 324 sq. ft wood platform
-
Stock Pen Facilities:
5 pens, 8'x14' scale, 16'x16' scale house, 6' diameter, 28' deep dug well, 5376
sq. ft. cinder paving.
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Roadway buildings:
10'x14' tool house, 9'x34' bunk house, 3'x3' outhouse
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Mt. Union Co-op
Elevator Company, formerly Farmer's Elevator(on siding)
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Farmer's Elevator
Company Bulk Oil Station (on siding)
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Mt. Union Lumber
Company (spur)
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Portion of Downtown
w/bank, garage, stores, masonic lodge, fire dept.
Bridge31.83
M&St.L Crossing
M.P. 32.9
-
Diamond and
interchange track
Bridge 33.15 6 span
pile trestle
Winfield M.P. 34.0
(Henry County)
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Depot, built 1892, one
story, frame, wood shingle roof, heating and plumbing, measure and photograph,
vintage photographs in BB#30, RA, Charles Franzen collections
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Stock Pen Facilities,
4 pens, 8'x14' scale, 16'x16' scale house, 5400 sq. ft. cinder paving, 3280 sq.
ft. brick paving
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Roadway buildings:
8'x12' tool house, 10'x14' tool house, bunk house (two car bodies), 3'x3' out
house
-
Water Station: 16'x14'
wooden water tank on 18' wood frame and foundation, 6" diameter, 67' deep
drilled well
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Fuel Station: 16'x61'
coal bin
-
Shops and engine
house: 18'x57' frame engine house, one stall, 27' inspection pit, steam heat,
5'x6' outhouse, 6'x15' ash/cinder pit
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Cudahy-Sunlight
Packing Company
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Mid-Continent Oil
Company
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Winfield Lumber
Company
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Winfield Elevator and
Supply Company
-
Hatchery
Bridge 36.05 (Crooked
Creek)
-
Single span through
truss, 5 span pile trestle
Bridge 36.94 (Lemon
Creek)
-
Single span deck plate
girder (apparently over a creek-side road??), 14 span pile trestle
Wyman M.P. 38.7
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Depot from photos in
BB#30, existing residence
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Stock Yard - Siding E.
of main
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Gas Station
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School
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Covenenter Church
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General Store
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Dwellings
Crawfordsville M.P.
42.4
- Board & batten depot, more photos in Burlington Bulletin #30
Hwy 161 crossing
Havre M.P. 47.0
Washington M.P. 52.5
(Washington County)
-
Wye for turning trains
-
22x70 Depot on west
leg of wye, one story frame structure, wood foundation, with indoor plumbing
and gas lighting, 9'x12' Coal House
-
Roadway Buildings:
9'x15' Tool House, 9'x34' Bunk House (x2), 3'x5' Outhouse (x2)
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Stock Yard Facilities
on north leg of wye, 5 pens, stock scales, 16'x18' scale house, 7548 sq. ft.
brick paving
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Interchange with
CMStP&P, CRI&P
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Baxter Coal Company
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Paul's Lumber Yard
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Standard Oil Company
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Washington Oil Company
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Iowa Southern
Utilities
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Feed Mill
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Poultry/Produce
company