Deadwood R.R. Plans to Use Former C&NW Chadron Roundhouse

Forwarded by Bob Vicker & John Leahy

(This being an interesting & challenging project, we will try and keep this page updated with the latest news.

The updates will be at the bottom of the page.)

A long-discussed plan to create a passenger train connection from Whitewood to Deadwood in South Dakota's Black Hills could spark a revival of railroad work in Chadron, NE. The Deadwood Black Hills and Western Railroad (DBH&W) has leased space in the former Chicago and North Western Ry. (C&NW) roundhouse in Chadron, and hopes to begin hiring workers next month to restore and maintain a fleet of passenger cars and locomotives.

"We'll have a lot of mechanical work," Ralph Justen, manager of the Chadron facility said in an interview last week. "We'll need electricians, and air conditioner people, generator people, body work and painting." Justen said the company expects to hire between 15 and 25 workers in Chadron.

DBH&W selected Chadron for the center of its car and engine rehab operation because of the massive roundhouse, once an integral part of C&NW operations, that has been largely idle since the late 1980's, according to Justen. "It's the building," Justen said from his newly created office in the structure. "It's great. It has drop pits, inspection pits and a turntable. There aren't many roundhouses left; most are in use or torn down. The nearest comparable facility may be in Denver."

Chadron's original roundhouse was built not long after the town was founded in 1885 as a division headquarters for the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. Most of that structure burned in 1909, after C&NW had acquired FE&MV, but was rebuilt quickly and had as many as 20 stalls for engine and car repair and maintenance, Justen said.

DBH&W will only use seven of the stalls for its project. The Chadron-based Nebkota Railroad, which primarily hauls grain, wood and rock, leases some of the space from current owner Dakota Minnesota and Eastern railroad, and Cougar Systems, a manufacturer of industrial aluminum handrails, uses part of the building as well.

To meet the DBH&W's timeline, work will have to start in Chadron soon, Justen acknowledged. The company wants to have a five or six car passenger train running on the old line from Whitewood to Deadwood next summer, he said. "To meet the timeline, we'll be cracking all winter," he said. "But it's a doable time line."

Discussions about restoring passenger service to Deadwood, which ended in the late 1950s, have been ongoing for 10 years, initially as part of a $100 million resort project backed by actor Kevin Costner. Resort officials talked of service extending from the Rapid City airport to the resort site, on a high hill above the town. Estimates put the cost of the project at $10 million or more, but failure to find financial backing stalled the effort.

Another impediment has been ongoing disputes about ownership of the right-of way long the abandoned line from Whitewood to Deadwood. And once the right-of way is secure, the company must rebuild track on the route.

But Justen, whose background includes operation of a Wisconsin company that provided charter rail service for corporations and community festivals and a stint as director of the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is optimistic about the project. The railroad's rolling stock has been located, and financial arrangements are nearly complete, he said.

Long terms plans for the railroad include a daily Rapid City to Deadwood train, after track rights are negotiated with the DM&E, and rebuilding a steam locomotive to pull the Whitewood to Deadwood train, the press release said. "Once operational, this engine will be the first mainline steam engine to pull a regularly scheduled passenger train in this part of the world in some 50 years," the release said.

The DBH&W plans to have its trains in operation all year round, and hopes to schedule special trains for holidays and events like the Sturgis motorcycle rally. The company also hopes to host the popular children's character “Thomas the Tank Engine,” a popular event in other parts of the country, Justen said.

Rejuvenation of railroading in the high plains region may be part of a revival of passenger trains nationwide, according to Justen. "Some people think the railroad industry is gone, but the railroad industry is hauling more freight today than ever," he said. Justen indicated that some signs point to a renaissance of passenger train travel as well. "The passenger thing is coming back," he said. "You can only build so many lanes of concrete (highways). We need a diversified traffic network."

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Update – 09/03/04: As Ralph says, they are going to have to be "cracking" all winter if they are going to have this in operation by summer 2005. Right now, there's nothing in Chadron - no passenger cars, no locomotive(s) or anything else, and the roundhouse lease is costing them $1,000.00 per month. Summer 2005 looks like a tough target what with all this and the necessary track construction - let's hope it happens. We'll keep you abreast of developments as they occur.

Chadron Roundhouse as it looked in 1990

Revised: 09/05/04