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A fascinating perspective of the historic former Burlington Route elevated line. There are a thousand or so words that this picture speaks, but missing are those that detail the history of the line, the railroad and its impact on the city. Sometimes (often) the words (and discovery) are worth more than the photo itself. For instance; The elevated tracks and viaducts were built between1915-22 and run through the city center. They were built a few years after the Pennsylvania Railroad did the same along today's Northeast Corridor through PA and NJ. The Aurora City Council got tired of the carnage and the delays — more accidents, more horses killed and more people killed with their horses getting skittish around the railroad so they passed a city ordinance that the Burlington must elevate its tracks. The viaducts were constructed in an era of lighter train cars bu they were so well engineered that they support equipment three times heavier despite the elevated track supports 100+ age. Meanwhile, they tear apart I-95 in Philadelphia every 6 years it seems.
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