Burlington Northern’s local operating from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois, pauses just north of Earlville. The branch used to cross Chicago & North Western’s Troy Grove line here, but it now connects to C&NW 0.8 of a mile north of town, where BN has trackage rights to a connecting track at Earlville that curves eastbound onto the Chicago Division Second Sub main line running from Aurora to Galesburg.
In this view at C&NW Junction on June 10, 1984, the BN local waits as a southbound C&NW train rumbles by. The BN local will enter C&NW trackage as soon as the C&NW Troy Grove train goes by. BN operated this former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois, and by this date, trackage of the branch was deteriorating, with traffic dwindling. Soon, the local would be discontinued on this 46.8-mile long line, and it would be torn up in 1985. C&NW No. 4321 is a rebuilt GP9, while BN GP40 No. 3030 is the former CB&Q No. 630.
