Central Gateway Turtle Railroad

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Central Gateway Turtle Railroad
CGTR Logo.png
CGTR 3723.png
CGTR #3723, a Hydrogold livery GE U25C in 1973 (enhanced).
Reporting markCGTR (main locomotives/rolling stock), GTLW (locomotive manufacturing), GTLX (GTLW leasing units), TRTM (TurtleTram locomotives/rolling stock), GTCO (intermodal/cross-network), GTRC (locomotive/railcar leasing)
Predecessor
Track gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification12.5 kV 25 Hz AC, overhead line, third rail (TurtleTram trackage)
ParentGateway Turtle Company
Websitecgtr.com

The Central Gateway Turtle Railroad (Reporting marks CGTR, GTLW, GTLX, TRTM, GTCO) is a prominent Class I North American passenger and freight railroad, owned by the Gateway Turtle Company. Its operational footprint primarily covers the Southern, Eastern, and Central regions of the United States, with its headquarters located in Fort Worth, Texas. As a major Class I railroad, the Central Gateway Turtle Railroad assumes a critical role in transporting substantial freight volumes across its extensive network. Its intricate infrastructure and logistics system contribute to the effective movement of goods within the serviced regions.

History

GAEA-TRLN Era

Establishment of the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad

The Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad was established on July 24th, 1874, following the merger of the Gateway Eastern Railway and the Turtle Northern Railway. This collaborative effort was a response to the economic uncertainties triggered by the Panic of 1873, and it sought to create a more robust and streamlined rail network.

Distinguished by its commitment to excellence, the EGTR rapidly gained prominence for delivering impeccable passenger and freight services across the Northeastern United States. The railroad became synonymous with reliability and efficiency, earning the trust of both passengers and businesses alike.

As the network expanded, the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad played a pivotal role in connecting communities and facilitating commerce. Its reputation for punctuality and top-notch services solidified its position as a go-to choice for transportation needs. The legacy of the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad extended far beyond its formation, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of rail transportation in the late 19th century.

EGTR-QZCL Era

Queztal Central Merger

On June 19th, 1898, the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad would absorb the near-bankrupt Quetzal Central Lines, forming the Central Gateway Turtle Railroad. This would be a major event, as both railroads were rather large at this time, so the merger created a massive rail network.

Early Dieselization

Full Transition

Early Expansion and Acquisition

Monon Railroad

Ann Arbor Railroad

A Trainiax EMD SD45T-2 In The Original 1974 AA Heritage Scheme


On September 27th, 1972, the CGTR-AA merger would be finalized, making the Ann Arbor Railroad the second Class I railroad absorbed by CGTR in the 1970s. The railroad's locomotives would be transferred and placed onto CGTR's roster, and the ownership of the tracks would be transferred to CGTR as well.

Central Railroad of New Jersey

Reading Company

Attempted ATSF Merger

Later Expansion and Acquisition

Maine Central Railroad

Boston and Maine Railroad

Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad

Delaware and Hudson Railway

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad

Missouri Pacific Railroad

Illinois Central Railroad

Burlington Northern Railroad

New Mexico Rail Runner Express

Norfolk Southern Railway

Incidents

Gulfport Runaway Tragedy

On the 21st of February, 1982, CGTR #3723 was hauling a 28 car iron ore train through the stormy weather near Gulfport, Mississippi. At around 4:38 AM, the locomotive was approaching a somewhat steep grade. The engineer increased the throttle, to keep the train going fast enough, and also applied the sander to account for the wet and slippery trackage. As the locomotive accelerated up the hill, the thunderstorm began to worsen. At about 4:45 AM, the thunderstorm would reach its most severe point, and the locomotive was struggling to continue to accelerate. The engineer would set the throttle to full, to attempt to overcome this. At approximately 4:56 AM, lightning would hit the locomotive, causing the cab to completely lose power. The locomotive by this time had reached the top of the hill, and was getting ready to go downhill. With the throttle being uncontrollable and already at max, the engineer attempted to stop the train by pulling the brakes. This slowed down the train momentarily, but because of the steep grade and high throttle, the train's brakes would eventually overheat and fail. The locomotive would barrel downhill, eventually going onto a relatively sharp curve in the tracks, causing the train to derail and fall into a lake. All members of the crew in the cab would be killed, however the crew members in the caboose would only experience some slight injuries.

Cleanup

Houston Ammo Train Incident

On the 20th of December, 1979, CGTR #3718 and CGTR #3709 were pulling an ammunition train for a contractor late at night. When the locomotives reached Houston, Texas, they would approach a yard primarily full of oil tankers. The locomotives were going approximately 35 MPH, but what the operators did not know was that due to a switch being flipped, the train was on the wrong track. The train would end up spotting a large oil tanker train containing mostly Procor cars on the track ahead, and attempted to brake, although they were too close to stop in time. The two locomotives would end up ramming the oil tankers, causing them all to detonate and start a large fire. The detonation of the oil tankers would trigger the explosion of the ammunition as well, and shortly after both locomotives would explode, along with the rest of the cargo.

Cleanup

After the fires arising from the train cars and locomotives would be put out by the Houston Fire Department, all cars would be rerailed and placed into several trains in the yard. Roadswitchers CGTR #3721 and CGTR #3723 would arrive shortly to couple all of the trains and transport the damaged cars to another yard, where they would be repaired and placed back into service. CGTR #3709 and CGTR #3718 would be repaired and placed back into service as well, and would remain in service until they were retired in 2000.

Michigan Thundering Lapis Runaway

CGTR #77 Derailment

Intermodal

CGTR offers a variety of intermodal services, including trucks, vans, and off-road Maintenance of way vehicles.

Equipment

Locomotives

As of late 2023, CGTR rosters over 3,500 locomotives.

Type Quantity Road Numbers Notes Image
EMD F125 74 1–3, 14–25, 42–50, 300–349
GE P32AC-DM 35 4–13, 6900–6924
EMD GP40FH-2 26 26–41, 6300–6309
EMD F59PHI 8 51–58
MPI MP54AC 13 62–74
GTLW DAS25 2 75–76
GTLW DAT45AB 1 77
GTLW YF2 18 200–217
GTLW YF2B 2 218, 219
GE B23-7 62 400–461
GE B30-7 78 500–577
EMD GP39-2 31 600–630
GTLW GP7-GT 100 700–799
GE C30-7 45 900–944 Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1978
EMD GP40 40 1000–1039 Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981
ALCO S-4 8 1100–1107
GTLW CFP7 20 1200–1219
GE U18B 10 1300–1309 Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981, kept ex. Maine Central names
ALCO C424M 6 1400–1405 Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981
EMD SDP40F 2 1874A, 1874C
EMD SDP40FB 1 1874B
EMD SD70M 2 1898A, 1898B
EMD SD45T-2 2 1971, 1972
EMD GP39-2 1 1974
GE C30-7 1 1975
EMD GP50 1 1981
GE C39-8 1 1985
GE C40-8 1 1988
EMD SD70 1 1991
EMD SD70MAC 1 1992
GE C40-9W 1 1997
GE C44-9W 1 1999
RDG 2102 1 2102
GE U36C 1 3723 rebuilt from GE U25C after a wreck and nicknamed the "Phoenix Resilient"
Quetzal Central 4602 1 4602
GTLW SD40-GTHH 55 5000–5054 Rebuilt from SD40-2s
GTLW SD40-GTS 39 5064–5102 Rebuilt from SD40-2s
GTLW SD40-GT 64 5116–5179 Rebuilt from SD40-2s
EMD SW1504 24 5400–5423
EMD MP15AC 50 5500–5549
GE B23-7 36 5700–5735
EMD GP39-2 17 5800–5816
GE C30-7 22 5900–5921
GE B30-7 78 6000–6077
GE B39-8 20 6100–6119
EMD MP15T 20 6200–6219
GE C40-8 40 6400–6439
EMD F59PH 33 6500–6532
EMD SD60M 50 6600–6649
GE C40-8W 70 6700–6769
GE C44-9W 50 6800–6849
GE AC4400CW 645 7000–7644
GE P42DC 30 7700–7729
GE AC6000CW 50 7800–7849
EMD SD70MAC 30 7900–7929
EMD GP20D 35 8000–8034
EMD SD9043MAC 48 8100–8147
EMD SD70ACe 308 8200–8457
GE ES44DC 300 8500–8799
GE ES44AC 455 8800–9254
GE ES44C4 553 9300–9852

Liveries

Classic Freight

Classic Passenger

Bluewashed

A Trainiax GE B36-7 in CGTR Bluewashed Scheme


The Bluewashed scheme was a CGTR scheme used on freight and switching locomotives that was first seen in the mid 1960s and 1970s, appearing on the new GE U25Bs, EMD SW1500s, ALCO C630s, EMD SD39s, GE U33Bs, GE B36-7s, EMD F45s, EMD SD40-2 and EMD SD40T-2s, and being repainted onto the older ALCO HH1000s, EMD NW2s, Baldwin VO-660s, EMD BL2s, EMD SW9s, Baldwin RF-16s

Bluelined

A Trainiax EMD FP45 in CGTR Bluelined scheme.


The Bluelined scheme was a CGTR scheme used on passenger locomotives that was first seen in the late 1960s to 1970s, appearing on the new EMD FP45 in 1967, the new EMD F40PH in 1976, and being repainted onto the older EMD E7s, ALCO PA-2s, and EMD E8s, in the early 1970s. The scheme would remain on most of its locomotives until their retirements, as many of them were becoming outdated. The scheme would be replaced in

Hydrogold

Phase I

The Hydrogold scheme was a CGTR scheme used on mixed service, road switching, and transfer locomotives that was first seen in the early 1970s to 1990s, appearing on the new EMD MP15ACs, and being repainted onto the older EMD FP9s, ALCO FPA-2s, EMD FP7s, Baldwin AS-616s, ALCO C420s, ALCO C415s, Baldwin DT-6-6-2000s, FM H-20-44s, EMD GP40-2s, EMD GP9s, EMD GP18s, EMD GP30s, EMD GP39-2s, ALCO RS-3s, Baldwin AS-16s, FM H-24-66s, ALCO RSC-3s, Baldwin RS-12s, ALCO RSD-12s, ALCO RSD-15s, ALCO RS-11s, ALCO RS-36s, EMD DD35s, GE U25Bs, and GE U33Bs.

Phase II

Golden Ember

Thundering Lapis

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Phase IV

See Also