Burlington Northern operated a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois. The branch utilizes 0.8 miles of trackage rights on Chicago & North Western’s Troy Grove line here to reach a connector track at Earlville curves eastbound onto the Chicago Division Second Sub main line running from Aurora to Galesburg.
In this view on June 10, 1984, the BN local closely follows a C&NW southbound train on BN trackage rights to the Second Subdivision connection track. The C&NW train is already clattering over the diamond crossing of BN’s Aurora to Galesburg line.
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. Trackage rights on this short piece of C&NW trackage would also be given up.
