CNW Belvidere Sub Abandonment

[richhotrain]

Lance,

Thanks for that additional info. 

Please understand that I was not doubting your initial information as I mentioned in my earlier reply.

Rich

[LWales]

Hey Rich, go to the link of Tom Harris's photographs of this line. He has a scan of the newspaper article telling of the line's abandoment from Winnebago to Freeport and he has it dated as late August 1972 (I think it was), so absent of some other info, I think that would be a pretty solid date. He also has pictures of the line being torn up in December of 1972, so unless Tom has his material mis-labeled I think I would have to believe him. As a side note, I've known Tom for more than 20 years and would tend to believe his info.

As for the abandonment from Winnebago to Rockford, I'm pretty sure that happened in 1981/1982. I grew up in Belvidere, IL and first started getting out to railfan about that time. C&NW employee timetable #4 issued on Jan. 1, 1980 still shows the line going all the way to Winnebago. I can't find tt #5, but I think it was issued in 1983 or so and the line out to Winnebago was gone by then. About that same time the C&NW removed the switch job that had been based out of Rockford and service was provided by a job originating out of Belvidere.

The C&NW Historical Society also did a multi-part article on the Belvidere line years ago, maybe they would have solid dates for these abandonments.

Lance

[richhotrain]

Lance,

I am glad you saw this thread and posted your response.  I have been watching the thread for a reply since sawtooth500 first posted it some time ago.

When the thread was first posted, I tried to research the answer but was unable to find the date(s) of abandonment, although there is a lot of information about the C&NW Belvidere Sub.

I am not challenging your dates, but I would be interested in reading more about the abandonment of the sub.  Do you have any links or references that you can refer me to?

Thanks.

Rich

[LWales]

The C&NW Belvidere Sub over to Freeport was abandoned in two different segments. The portion from Freeport to Winnebago was abandoned in the Summer of 1972. A friend of mine, Tom Harris, has some of his old color prints scanned and on line of this line through Pecatonica, IL. Neat stuff of SW1s and Geeps on the branchline.

http://icrrtom.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=62458&Page=1

There is a newspaper clipping there of the last run, August 9, 1972. They didn't waste any time taking up the rails either--they came up in December of 1972.

I guess the reason would have been the declining traffic base.

The segment from Winnebago to Rockford remained in service up until 1981 or so until it was abandoned.

Lance Wales

[Sawtooth500]

Anybody know the year the CNW belvidere sub was abandoned from Rockford to Freeport and the specific reasons why it was abandoned?