The line would be extended to Pequot in 1876. By 1881, the railroad would become part of the Chicago, St. Louis and Western Railroad.
By 1885, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway would purchase the C&StL as part of a project to connect Kansas City to Chicago.
It would be merged into the subsidiary Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway.
The line would be extended to Chicago by 1885, using the B&O Depot.
In 1888, the line would be extended from Ancona to Fort Madison, Iowa. This also included a new crossing of the Mississippi River at Fort Madison; and crossing of the Illinois River at Chillicothe.
In 1900, the subsidiary was fully merged into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The ATSF system expanded to the west and southwest United States.
Between 1905 and 1911, the line would be double tracked from Chicago heading westward. The new line was important for freight heading from Iowa and Missouri to Chicago.
While the line provided a solid freight base, ATSF began to struggle. Through the era of mergers, there were a few attempted mergers.
Finally, the line merged with Burlington Northern Railway to form BNSF Railway in 1996. Today, this line is owned by BNSF and known as the Chillicothe Subdivision.
07/17/21
Located in the town of Lemont, this unique swing bridge crosses the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Stephen Street.
Built in 1898, this bridge features a massive pin connected Pratt Through Truss bobtail swing span. This swing span features a southern leaf of ten panels, and a northern leaf of five panels. The bridge rests on stone substructures.
Bobtail swing spans are rather rare. However, a few were built in the Chicago area. The Santa Fe considered the span to be a "balance draw span", meaning the shorter panel has to make up for the weight of the larger panel to operate correctly.
It is likely that a bobtail design was chosen for this location, due to the geometry of the crossing. It is clear that the swing span no longer operates.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with some minor deterioration.
The author has ranked the bridge as being highly significant, due to the unique design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | IHB Sanitary and Ship Canal Bridge |
| Downstream | Confluence with Des Plaines River |