The line would be extended to Pequot in 1876. By 1881, the railroad would become part of the Chicago, St. Louis and Western Railroad.
By 1885, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway would purchase the C&StL as part of a project to connect Kansas City to Chicago.
It would be merged into the subsidiary Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway.
The line would be extended to Chicago by 1885, using the B&O Depot.
In 1888, the line would be extended from Ancona to Fort Madison, Iowa. This also included a new crossing of the Mississippi River at Fort Madison; and crossing of the Illinois River at Chillicothe.
In 1900, the subsidiary was fully merged into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The ATSF system expanded to the west and southwest United States.
Between 1905 and 1911, the line would be double tracked from Chicago heading westward. The new line was important for freight heading from Iowa and Missouri to Chicago.
While the line provided a solid freight base, ATSF began to struggle. Through the era of mergers, there were a few attempted mergers.
Finally, the line merged with Burlington Northern Railway to form BNSF Railway in 1996. Today, this line is owned by BNSF and known as the Chillicothe Subdivision.
11/21/21
View an article regarding the construction of this bridge.
This massive bridge carries a BNSF Mainline, and Illinois Highway 9 across the Mississippi River.
Utilizing a double deck design, the railroad deck is on the bottom while the highway deck is above. A long series of girder spans, supported by steel towers approach the bridge for the road.
In contrast, the railroad approaches are a long series of deck girder spans, which are close to the ground. These spans are approached by a long causeway on the Niota side of the river.
The main spans of this bridge are absolutely huge Baltimore Through Truss bridges with riveted connections.
On the west side, a massive swing bridge employs a pair of 7-panel spans which meet on a pivot point. It is also approached by four 7-panel Baltimore Through Truss spans on the east side.
This bridge was built in 1927 as a replacement to a previous single track through truss bridge, originally built in 1888. The bridge rests on concrete substructures.
Historic photo of the previous bridge
Because BNSF owns the bridge, while the state uses it, a toll is charged to go eastbound across the bridge from Fort Madison. This toll is used to fund repairs to one of the heaviest used bridges on the Mississippi.
In terms of railroad traffic, this structure is one of the busiest over the Mississippi River. Because of this; it is very likely the bridge will eventually be replaced by BNSF.
The west side is the only area where this bridge can be photographed from. The east side has been made off limits by BNSF.
The author has deemed this bridge to be regionally significant due to its design and how heavily used it is. Despite being of a newer age, the bridge is a critical piece of the United States transportation system.
The photo above is an overview, while the photo below pictures a tower of the swing span.
Mississippi River Railroad Bridges
| Upstream | Burlington Lift Bridge |
| Downstream | Keokuk-Hamilton Bridge |
These Pictures Start at varying points in the Series
