So there is a link the Rugby Junction, WI post.
Northern Pacific attempted a Chicago route via control of Wisconsin Central. They even funded a good part of Central Station in Chicago before B&O bought their share or the terminal (one or the other). Financial panic of 1893 forced NP into bankruptcy along with WC and WC gained independence or someone else bought them. WC funded part of Milwaukee Roads Everett Street Station in Milwaukee, WI and Soo Line ran passenger trains into that station via Rugby Junction until the mid-1960's........I think that was the time frame at least through the 1950's.
C&NW had better connections in Chicago, primarily with the IHB at Proviso. Rock Island's route in the Chicago area was not good, connections with IHB required a back-up move to get from Burr Oak to Blue Island, RI connected with BRC from the east (!), requiring cars to take two trips over Clearing's hump.
nanaimo73 BNSF is slightly different, with ATSF and BN lines between Galesburg and Chicago. Are they both well used? Thanks!
BNSF is slightly different, with ATSF and BN lines between Galesburg and Chicago. Are they both well used? Thanks!
Steel Highway has a livestream cam in Galesburg where you can watch both lines- former ATSF goes under, former BN above. Amtrak has half a dozen trains daily using BN, along with lots of manifest traffic. ATSF line sees mostly IM traffic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kedmg3_FIuc
Unfortunately, cam is not currently online, but will hopefully come back...
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
You forgot the CN-GTW route from Port Huron.
Both used, Depends primarily on which eastern railroad is partner to a run-through or which yard is the terminal. And I believe UP now (since UP-SP merger) has overhead (no local biusiness) trackage-rights Kansas City - Chicago.
Good day!
Lately I have been looking at the various routes railroads used to reach Chicago. Union Pacific tried to expand eastward by acquiring the Rock Island, giving themselves a line though Des Moines and the Quad Cities. They ended up with the C&NW, running through Cedar Rapids instead.
It is my understanding that after the L&N reached Chicago on the C&EI, the Monon offered itself to the Southern Railway, allowing Southern to head north from Louisville. The former Southern eventually reached Chicago running north from Cincinnati, and through Muncie and South Bend, on former Pennsylvania, Nickel Plate, and N Y Central trackage.
If anyone has any thoughts comparing the current routes of these two railroads with the routes they could have had, I would enjoy reading them.
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