In 1942 the Chicago & North Western Railway published a 20-page booklet entitled A Brief History of the Chicago and North Western Line. The booklet contains interesting historical information about the origins and expansion of the railroad, and the latest technology in use in the 1940s.

The booklet also includes pictures of the North Western's locomotive fleet at the time — the different steam engine types, with their specifications, and a few early diesels including the Streamliner fleet the C&NW shared with the other railroads of the "Overland Route."

This booklet was part of the small railroadiana collection of my father, Dr. R. D. Leonard. I present it here for the enjoyment of C&NW fans, and also for steam locomotive aficionados like me. The pages are separate JPG images; navigate through them by clicking the buttons on each page. All pages are reproduced except blanks, and the otherwise-empty publication information page — the information has been put on the title page instead.

Also included here are scans of two leaflets issued in 1934 by the C&NW, touting its newly introduced Class H 4-8-4 locomotives. Styled "Zeppelins of the Rails," these powerful dual-service 4-8-4s were anything but airy, being the heaviest of their type constructed in North America. They were featured at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1933-34.

Giant Class "H" Locomotives

The Story of the Giant Class "H" Locomotive

Dr. Richard Leonard