The line was built at mainline standards to carry passanger traffic and freight from Janesville to Chicago.
The CM&StP became the Chicago, Milwaukee Saint Paul & Pacific Railway in 1912 when a looming Pacific Expansion added the name "Pacific" to the title.
The Milwaukee Road would never overcome the debts incurred during the construction of the Pacific Expansion, and would suffer until 1985, when it finally fell apart.
This line never saw those days under the Milwaukee Road. In 1980, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation teamed up with numerous parties to continue rail service on many dangered branch lines.
This line was purchased by WisDOT in 1980, and the first train of the Wisconsin & Calumet ran over this line in 1989.
Wisconsin & Calumet was first purchased by the Wisconsin & Southern in 1992, and formally merged into the system in 1997.
Today, WSOR continues to operate this line as their Fox Lake Subdivision, which serves as their only access point to Chicago, via trackage rights.
06/24/23
This bridge is a simple deck girder bridge, crossing State Line Road between Wisconsin and Illinois.
The bridge is a single deck girder resting on concrete abutments. The abutments were rehabilitated in 2012. The deck girder was originally built in 1901, and additional girders were installed in 1931 to create a twinned span. At this time, it is unknown where these girders came from, or how old they may be.
For some reason, Wisconsin & Southern has placed a sign warning of cameras at this bridge. It is possible this is because it is a state line crossing.
The author has ranked this bridge as locally significant, due to the state line crossing status. Other than this, it retains good historic integrity but does not have notable features.
The photo above is an overview.