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<p>In 1871, the Chicago & Alton Railroad completed a 25 mile branch line from Varna, Illinois to Washington, Illinois. This route utilized trackage rights over the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway to reach Peoria. During this time, the C&A was constructing several branch lines throughout Central Illinois. This particular route served as a connection to Peoria for the railroad. Throughout the years, the C&A would be affiliated with several larger railroads, and the railroad primarily operated as a bridge route. The C&A was reorganized in 1901, and until 1906 was owned by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway. In 1931, the C&A would be reorganized as the Alton Railroad (A), a subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Alton was sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) in 1949, and various subsidiaries were consolidated at that time. The GM&O merged with the Illinois Central Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) in 1972, and the line abandoned in 1979. Today, much of the line is completely gone, with some grading and structures remaining.<br></p>
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