What did the large x on the door of CNW box cars mean?
The large X on the wood box car doors were used in LCL service from various Chicago freight houses to the huge LCL facility at Proviso Yard. They were called “Dolly Cars” as the freighthouses used movable wire cages on casters loaded with the LCL packages. These were easily rolled out of the cars at Proviso for sorting into overnight box cars to various cities. The westbound trains were called the Roundup. This was of course replaced with the overnight piggy back 26 foot trailers in 1954. NWL has had a pix or two showing these cars being pulled from the Merchandise Mart. Lloyd Q: I want to find out if 1880s era trains hauled live cattle and hogs from S MN to slaughter in Chicago. If so, how many livestock cars, typically, would make up a train? How much time would the run take from Mankato? What types of locos were used? On your website, I see a photo of 4-6-0 loco #511 built in 1890. That is the oldest CNW loco I have found. CNW played a formative role in the development of small town
