The C&SW System
Last Updated 260228 - Page and Layout Under Construction
The Chicago and South Western Railway System
"We're Employer Owned"
Welcome to the unofficial Chicago & South Western Railway website and homepage of the freelance railroad that serves as the basis for my model railroad.
Yes, I am a model railroader too!
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The Chicago & South Western Railway is my fictional subsidiary of North Western Industries, the parent company of the great Chicago and North Western Railway. As you might guess, we run south from Chicago to Memphis, St. Louis, and KC with connections to all points west.
The C&SW is modeled in N scale with most of the benchwork comprised of a set of N-Trak modules that form the Division point of Jules, IL. The period modeled is the transition era loosely based on a timetable date of April 27, 1958.
The v1 layout was powered by MRC's Prodigy Advanced Wireless DCC system. Operations on the South Western were controlled by Car Cards and Waybills (CC&WB).
The v2 layout is powered by ESU's ECoS DCC Command Station. Operations on the new South Western are managed by JMRI with TrainTraxx RFID car location reporting.
The South Western is generally strapped for cash so to save some time and money, the board has elected to make this our unofficial site.
Please have a look around. I'll post photos of the pike and lots of files of our official documents...a really cool version (to be sure, it was really cool before I latched on to it) of a popular Car Card & Waybill system, forms, rule book, timetable, etc. as time allows...and anything else that I find interesting along the way.
Finally, some of the information presented (ok, alot of...) is the work of a hundred other model and railroad enthusiasts before me. My interest is only to share these fine works since they have been helpful to me. I try, but fail more than I succeed, to give proper credit where due. Be sure to check the links page to see what I've seen.
Thanks for looking and hope you enjoy my interpretation of the World's Greatest Hobby.
The C&SW Layout
The B&M Layout v6
(Decomissioned July, 1982)
(B&M - C&SW Merger Completed August, 1992)
The C&SW Layout v1
(Decomissioned July, 2013)
The C&SW Layout v2
(Construction Permit Issued November, 2019)
(Benchwork Fabrication December, 2021 - February, 2026)
(Scheduled Inaguration Date July, 2026)