NS Bridge #138.41

In 1874, the Chicago and Paducah Railroad (C&P) completed 97 miles of new railroad, extending from Fairbury, Illinois south to Altamont, Illinois.  In 1876, a branch line would be constructed from Shumway, Illinois to Effingham, Illinois.  In 1879, the Chicago and Strawn Railway (C&S) constructed an additional 91 miles, extending from Strawn to Chicago, Illinois.  In 1884, the original line between Fairbury and Strawn would be abandoned in favor of the new route.  At Chicago, the railroad entered near Forest Park, ending at Auburn Park Junction.  The two railroads were combined into the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway (WStL&P).  This railroad entered bankruptcy in 1886, and was partitioned and sold in 1889.  In Illinois, the assets of the WStL&P were reorganized into the Wabash Eastern Railway Company of Illinois (WEI), which was promptly consolidated into the Wabash Railroad Company the same year.  The Wabash Railroad was reorganized as the Wabash Railway in 1915.

The Wabash would become a respected railroad network in the Midwest, connecting Detroit with Kansas City.  This line provided the Wabash with a direct connection to Chicago from the mainline across Illinois.  By the 1930s, the southern portion of the line became unnecessary for the railroad.  In 1934, the Shumway to Altamont segment would be abandoned, followed by the Sullivan to Effingham segment in 1938.  The railroad would again be reorganized as the Wabash Railroad in 1941, and would be controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad.  In 1964, the railroad was leased to the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W), and would be entirely acquired in 1970.  In 1982, the N&W would merge with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Railway.  In 1977, the line between Bement and Sullivan would be abandoned.  In 1990, the portion of the line from Strawn to Gibson City would be sold to the Bloomer Line Connecting Railroad (BLOL), a short line.  The Wabash continued to exist on paper until 1991, when the railroad was formally merged into the Norfolk Southern.  In 1991, NS decided to abandon the segment from Strawn to Manhattan, and sold the Manhattan to Chicago segment to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) for use as a commuter line.  Today, Norfolk Southern continues to operate a portion of the Bloomington District between Bement and Gibson City, the BLOL continues to operate the Gibson City to Strawn segment, and Metra operates a commuter service between Manhattan and Chicago, known as the Southwest Service.  Parts of the line in Will County have become part of the Wauponsee Glacial Trail.