The ('''CM&W'''), 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 .
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 .
- "The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Second Edition". Waukesha (Kalmbach Publishing), 2000. pp. 188-189.
