Chicago & North Western Railway in Iowa — Boone, Clinton, Council Bluffs & Marshalltown

Chicago & North Western Railway (“CNW” — founded 1859, Chicago HQ, merged into Union Pacific 1995) operated Iowa as the spine of its western main line. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, CNW’s documented Iowa shops, division points, roundhouses, and yards during the U.S. asbestos era allegedly included:

  • Boone IA — CNW division-point shops and roundhouse on the Chicago-Omaha main line; a principal locomotive and car-servicing complex through the steam and diesel eras. Boone is also the home of the preserved Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad museum, which reflects the town’s long CNW shop-town history.
  • Clinton IA — CNW car-repair shops, roundhouse, and Mississippi River bridge/yard complex; a major crew-change and interchange point on the Chicago-Council Bluffs line.
  • Council Bluffs IA — CNW’s western gateway across the Missouri River from Omaha NE; freight yard, engine terminal, and interchange with Union Pacific.
  • Marshalltown IA — CNW division-point yard, roundhouse, and car-repair facilities on the main line.

Plaintiffs allegedly experienced railroad-worker asbestos exposure at these Iowa premises during the steam and diesel eras through asbestos-containing brake-shoe dust at rip tracks and car shops, allegedly asbestos-lagged steam-locomotive boilers and diesel engine-room piping, allegedly asbestos pipe covering on shop and roundhouse steam mains, allegedly asbestos block insulation on shop boilers, allegedly spray-applied asbestos fireproofing on shop structural steel, allegedly asbestos ceiling and partition board in shop, roundhouse, and office buildings, and allegedly asbestos brake dust on freight cars received from interchange partners. CNW passenger-car shops additionally handled allegedly asbestos-lagged steam-generator lines on head-end power equipment.

Workers Exposed at CNW Iowa Operations

  • Railroad car repairmen at Boone, Clinton, Council Bluffs, and Marshalltown shops
  • Locomotive engineers, firemen, and hostlers on CNW trains
  • Railroad shop machinists, boilermakers, pipefitters, sheet-metal workers, and electricians
  • Roundhouse and locomotive-servicing workers
  • CNW yard switchmen, conductors, and brakemen
  • Shop-building maintenance workers exposed to alleged building asbestos

FELA — Railroad Workers Have a Different Statute

Railroad workers exposed to asbestos on the job are covered by the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), not state workers’ compensation. FELA claims have their own limitation periods (three-year discovery rule), causation standards (any part of the injury caused in whole or in part by railroad negligence), and procedural rules. FELA liability follows the railroad through successor entities — for CNW, that means Union Pacific as the surviving employer.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Mesothelioma Resources for Iowa Workers

Railroad asbestos exposure like this is a leading cause of mesothelioma, often diagnosed decades later. If you or a family member worked here: