Chicago Great Western Bridge Culvert #K136.75

In 1884, the Wisconsin, Iowa & Nebraska Railway (WI&N) constructed 104 miles of new railroad, extending from Waterloo, Iowa to Des Moines, Iowa. In 1886, the WI&N was sold to the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City Railway (CStP&KC).  In 1887, the CStP&KC constructed 27 miles of additional railroad between Oelwein, Iowa and Waterloo; followed by 159 miles between Des Moines and St. Joseph, Missouri in 1888.  In 1891, the Leavenworth & St. Joseph Railway (L&StJ) completed an additional 23 miles between St. Joseph and Beverly, Missouri.  In 1892, the L&StJ was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW), followed by the CStP&SJ in 1893.  The CGW would be reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railroad in 1909.  The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri; connecting major cities in these states.  The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to develop lines.  As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area. This line served as a principal mainline for the CGW, proving a connection to Kansas City via a swing bridge at Leavenworth, Kansas and trackage rights over the Missouri Pacific Railway.

In the early 20th Century, the CGW was often surviving on razor-thin profit margins.  In 1940, the CGW entered bankruptcy, and was again reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railway.  At this time, the MC&FD was formally merged into the CGW.  After the bankruptcy, the CGW became an innovative railroad, pioneering intermodal service and becoming one of the first railroads to completely switch to diesel locomotives.  A capital improvement program was launched in 1949, which sought to rebuild and rehabilitate deteriorated infrastructure.  In 1968, the CGW was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW).  This route provided the C&NW with access to Kansas City, although deteriorated track conditions limited effective operations.  After the C&NW purchased the former Rock Island "Spine Line", the former CGW route became excess.  In 1983, the line between Marshalltown and Bondurant, Iowa was abandoned, followed by the entire line between Des Moines and Beverly in 1984.  Another segment between Waterloo and Marshalltown was abandoned in 1988. 

In 1995, C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). UP abandoned a section of the line in Des Moines in 2001.  In 2003, UP sold the Oelwein to Waterloo segment to Iowa Northern Railway (IANR).  Another section of the line between Bondurant and Des Moines was abandoned in 2011.  In 2025, IANR was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN).  Today, CN continues to operate the Oelwein segment as the Oelwein Subdivision.  Several sections of this line have been reused as parts of trails, including the Sargent Road Trail between Waterloo and Hudson; the Chichaqua Valley Trail between Baxter and the north side of Des Moines and the Great Western Trail between the south side of Des Moines and Martensdale.  The remainder of the railroad has been abandoned and reverted to adjacent property owners.  However, much of the original right-of-way is intact.