Home
Profile
Search For Bridge
Logout
Manage RR Stories
Update RR Story
Update Railroad Story
Story Name
Railroad
Current Railroad
Valuation Section(s)
Subdivision(s)
State
South/West Terminal
North/East Terminal
Description
Text
HTML5
Prior to 1870, several railroads had acquired right-of-way and graded portions of a 45-mile new railroad line between Mendota, Illinois and Prophetstown, Illinois. The Illinois Grand Trunk Railway (IGT) acquired the railroads, and finished construction in 1871. An additional 17 miles to Fulton, Illinois were completed the following year. The railroad had been constructed and operated under lease of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). In 1886, the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad (CB&N) would construct an additional 18 miles of railroad, connecting Fulton with a newly completed mainline at Savanna, Illinois. Both railroads were consolidated into the CB&Q in 1899. In 1904, the Fenton & Thomson Railroad Company constructed 13 miles of new railroad from Fenton to Ebner, Illinois; providing a bypass of Fulton. This railroad would also be consolidated into the CB&Q. The CB&Q was beginning to construct an extensive network of railroad lines, extending westwards from Chicago. The StLRI&C was merged into the CB&Q in 1899. This line provided a connection between the mainline from Chicago to St. Paul and the Quad Cities. In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). Portions of the original line through Fulton were abandoned in 1968 and 1982. The Mendota to Denrock portion of the line would be abandoned in 1985. In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. The remaining portion of this line is operated by BNSF Railway as the northern portion of the Barstow Subdivision.<br>
Update Story