Central Gateway Turtle Railroad
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 CGTR #3723, a GE U25C in Hydrogold livery. | |
| Reporting mark | CGTR, GTLW, CGTZ, GTLX, TRTM |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1874–Present |
| Predecessor | GAEA, TRLN |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Third Rail |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, TX |
| Website | cgtr |
The Central Gateway Turtle Railroad (Reporting Mark CGTR, GTLW, CGTZ, GTLX, TRTM) is a Class I railroad located primarily in the Southern, Eastern, and Central regions of the United States, and headquarted in Fort Worth, Texas. The Central Gateway Turtle Railroad was founded in 1874 by the merger of Gateway Eastern and Turtle Northern, and has been operating since. In 1951, CGTR completely switched to diesel locomotives, ditching steam locomotives in favor of increasing profits. In recent years, CGTR has focused on cargo and shifted most passenger operations to TurtleTram, an experimental passenger/freight railway created by CGTR in 1989.
History
After the merger of Gateway Eastern and Turtle Northern in 1874, CGTR quickly placed the locomotives from both railways into service. These locomotives would be used until they were either replaced or retired. In 1940, CGTR would purchase their first [[1]] switching locomotive, and ALCO HH1000. CGTR would continue buying diesel-electric switchers after the HH1000, including EMD NW2s, Baldwin VO-660s, and many others. In 1948, CGTR would purchase 20 E7s and 6 Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2s, marking the first non-switching diesel-electric locomotives purchased by CGTR. These would be unscheduled or leased out until mid-1951, when CGTR would ditch steam locomotives in favor of switching to diesel to increase profits. Some of the earliest diesel locomotives placed into operation on the CGTR would be the E7s, the DR-12-8-1500/2s, an FM Erie-Built and 2 B-Units purchased in 1949, and 9 EMD BL2s. These would be shortly followed by an expiremental diesel-hydraulic switcher built by EMD, 3 [[