BNSF Cedar Street Bridge (Quincy)

In 1871, the Quincy, Alton & St. Louis Railway Company (QA&StL) constructed a 43 mile railroad line, extending south from Quincy, Illinois to Pike, Illinois; at a point opposite of Louisiana, Missouri.  A 5 mile branch from Fall Creek to East Hannibal, Illinois was constructed in 1873.  The QA&StL was operated under lease by the CB&Q, which was beginning to acquire and construct a large number of lines throughout northern Illinois.  This route served as a branch line, extending along the east bank of the Mississippi River.  The QA&StL was formally merged into the CB&Q in 1899.  A portion of the line between Rockport and Pike was abandoned in 1937, followed by segments from Rockport to New Canton and Fall Creek to Hulls in 1951, and Hull to New Canton in 1957.  In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN).  A portion from Quincy to near Marble Head would be abandoned in the 1980s.  In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway.  The line would be sold to the Burlington Junction Railway in 2003, which currently operates the remaining portion of the line in Quincy.