In Freeport, the line connected to the existing Illinois Central line between Cairo and Iowa. Also in Freeport, the CM&N was building north towards Madison, Wisconsin.
The line was completed by 1890, and became an instant mainline for the Illinois Central. It shortened milage between Iowa and Chicago by nearly 200 miles.
The line also was the fourth into Rockford, which became an important stop for the railroad. In addition, the line bypassed Elgin, but still met with the critical lines heading into Elgin.
The line was double tracked in 1895 between Chicago and Broadview.
The railroad was operated by the Illinois Central, but became a part of it entirely in 1903.
The railroad has seen virtually no changes since it opened. The railroad continues to follow I-55 into Chicago, where it meets up on the south side of Chicago with the mainline towards Centralia.
In 1972, the Illinois Central was renamed the Illinois Central Gulf, after a merger with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad.
By 1988, the line was spun off to a subsidiary named Chicago, Central & Pacific. In 1998, the Illinois Central and subsidiaries were purchased by Canadian National Railway, who currently operates the railroad.
The line is operated as the Freeport Subdivision, which sees a fair amount of traffic.
07/17/21
This massive deck truss towers above the Fox River, alongside Stearns Road.
Built in 1921, this bridge was constructed to replace a lighter deck truss bridge.
Currently, the bridge features six massive riveted 5-panel Warren Deck Truss spans, set onto stone substructures.
The entire bridge is heavily built, with the stone piers and steel superstructure standing massively across the river.
It is unknown when the piers were built, but it seems likely that they would've been constructed around the 1880s.
The trusses appear to be in fair condition, and retain a high level of historical integrity. The bridge however is hard to access, although it can be accessed from the ball fields near the Trolly Museum.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Elgin Rail Bridge (South) |
| Downstream | AE&FRE Fox River Bridge |