Equipment Information

C&NW X250958 is a railroad flat car assigned for use with a crane, in this case C&NW pile driver X261709. Flat cars used for this purpose were known as “idlers” because they didn’t carry anything but simply “sat idle.” The idler’s purpose is to provide a buffer underneath the boom so that the pile driver could be hauled from either direction. This car was built as a standard railroad flat car numbered 43715. It was reassigned as an idler for X261709, based out of Chadron, Nebraska, in 1967.

Chicago & North Western X250958 Details

Builder: American Car & Foundry
Year Built: 1928
Length: 49ft
Width: 10ft 3in
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 46400 lbs
Brakes: AB
Trucks: Bettendorf
Description: Idler Flat for 261709
Arrived: 1980
Condition: Complete / unrestored / not operational

Ownership History

1928-1967 – Chicago & North Western 43715
1967-1980 – Chicago & North Western X250958
1980-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

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