Gabe,
I don't imagine there would have been much on the line by 1980 besides perhaps a local that handled remaining customers online. The connection at Toland/Walsh looks to have been in use by at least as early as 1977 according to topographic maps (as per the 1974 map -it was not built yet).
I just want to thank everyone for their incredible help. IT is always interesting to be educated about a line in your back yard that you never knew existed--I was born in 1975, and the line would have been pulled out before I could have any memory of it.
My only remaining question is does anyone know what the local traffic was line on the now-abandoned line between 1975 and 1983. I always find learning about the swansong of a line to be one of the more interesting things. Were there trains on the line in 1980? I am assuming BN used Toland--thanks for the clarification Nordique--well before 1980?
Thanks,
Gabe
The BN abandoned the line from Concord to White Hall in 1983, and East Alton to White Hall was abandoned in 1980 according to official BNSF documents. I suspect it was a victim of route rationalization by the BN- since for the added cost of about another 30 miles of trackage rights, they could abandon an entire subdivision that was lightly operated.
The line ran into East Alton where it got on the New York Central (old main line routing prior to 1904) and operated via 19 miles of trackage rights to East St. Louis. There used to be a spot in East Alton on the east side of the ILL 3 - ILL 140 interchange where the BN went under ILL 140 where you could see the grade from the 140 bridge- I would guess it's a lot more overgrown now than what I recall from 20 years ago. If you have a very sharp eye, go south on ILL 3 from the 140 interchange, and just before you go under the ex-GMO overpass, look to your east (left) and you should see the abandoned grade's bridge cross over a small creek before going into East Alton. The tracks then jogged over and ran parallel to the ex-GMO and linked up with the NYC just north of where the ex-ICG "bubble dome" car shop is located in Wood River. Aside from that little bit- I'm not sure if there is much left seeing that is accessible in the area.
The connection you speak of near Livingston, IL where the BN (ex-CBQ main to Paducah) crossed the UP (ex-NYC) was called Toland on the BN and Walsh on the UP. Tolono is the town south of Champaign where the IC's main line crosses the NS (ex-WAB) main line.
As for train frequency I can say by the time I was old enough to remember the BN trains that ran in the late 80s on the UP from Walsh/Toland to Madison (TRRA)- they had a daily "Madison Turn" that ran from Galesburg to Madison and back, and the occasional ore and grain extras. Keep in mind also that the BN had another ex-CBQ line on the other side of the Mississippi- both of which were connected via the line that ran between East Alton, IL and West Alton, MO and over the swing span over the river in Alton proper.
Hope that helps you a little on your quest!
Gabe:My 1968 IDOT "Official Highway Map" (complete with Otto Kerner on the cover) shows the CBQ line diverging from the Paducah line at Concord, passing thru Chapin, Riggstown (west of Jacksonville), Winchester, Alsey Barrow, West Roodhouse and into White Hall. From there it struck a SE chord to Greenfield and paralleled US 67 (on west side) into Alton.
At that point it disappears into the metrosprawl of East St. Louis.
My 1972 Moody's has no info on the line (by then it was BN). I should have a 1950's Moodys in a couple of weeks, which wont help out now.
My 1941 Official Guide shows this route as the routing for St. Louis-Galesburg-Rock Island-Twin Cities trains 51/52 and 47/48.
For instance, one could board train 47 in St. Louis at 805am and arrive in Beardstown at 1140, Galesburg at 305pm (covering the 208 miles in 7 hours or 29.7 mph with 31 stops!), Rock Island at 725 pm after a 2:30 layover in Galesburg, and final arrival in Minneapolis the next morning at 755am.
Total mileage for the trip was 615 miles for about 25.6mph.
I wonder...how many people would make the St. Louis Minneapolis trip? Wow, what a ride.
Let me know if you want any other info.
Ed
Gabe, Steam Powered Video maps shows a CBQ line from Beardstown thru Whitehall, Greenfield, Medora, Brighton, and Woods to East Alton Junction with a connection to the Big Four line that went to Litchfield.
Their maps also shows there was a line west from East Alton Junction running parallel to the old C&A line, thru Alton, to Alton Junction where it crossed the C&A and crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri to West Alton Junction.
At West Alton Junction, the CB&Q had a joint (MKT) line west to Old Monroe and a joint line south that crossed the Missouri River on the 'Bellefontaine Bridge' and continued south to their North St.Louis yard. It continued south and appears to terminate at the North Market St. yard just south of the McKinley bridge.
Hope this helps.
Art
State Departments of Transportation came into being roughly 40 years ago. Unlike oil company highway maps, State D. O. T. maps showed rail lines in relation to roads. Most of the early ones on paper have been discarded, or are succumbing to acid in their paper.
For historical reference, an online library of these maps would be interesting.
According to a 1964 Official Guide Table 27 of the CB&Q timetable shows that the CB&Q had trackage between Galesburg Illinois and St Louis. At Concord Illinois the line split, one going to St Louis the other to Paducah Kentucky via Centralia Illinois. Concord Illinois is located on a county road off of Illinois highway 104 northwest of Jacksonville Illinois.The stations from St Louis north include East Alton 21 miles from St Louis; then Brighton and Medora Illlinois before heading north towards Concord. The CB&Q line might have paralleled Illinois Highway 111. You might want to check it out. Sorry I couldn't help you more.
Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis R.R.?
http://research.nprha.org/NP%20Track%20Segmenats%20of%20BNSF/BNSF%20Track%20Segmants%20Version%209.pdf
Check out page 24 of the link. It looks like early 1980's abandonment from E. Alton to Whitehall, IL. 1910 Official Railway Guide at some web sites would contain passenger schedules and stops, but a long download.
I am interested in information that anyone might have on the CQ&Q line into Saint Louis on the Illinois side. I grew up about 10 miles away from Toland, which is where the CQ&Q/now-BNSF line uses the UP's NYC line to get into Saint Louis.
It is my understanding that the CB&Q had its own line that went into Saint Louis on the Illinois side fron the north:(1) Do you know when this line was abandoned?
(2) Any idea what traffic was like on the line? When was passenger service discontinued?
(3) Most, importantly, where did it come into Saint Louis? It appears to have had to come in somewhere between Alton and Edwardsville. However, despite my father living relatively near this area and being fairly knowledgeable about local rail patterns, he does not recall the line.
(4) Are any remnants of the line remaining?
When I go home for Christmas, I would kind of like to go exploring and see if I can find any remnants of the line.
Thanks in advance,
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