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| Name | Great Western Trail - Sycamore Stone Arch Culvert Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #52.04 |
| Built By | Chicago Great Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | DeKalb County Forest Preserve District |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 6 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 5 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Stone Arch Culvert |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | c. 1900 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge Number | 52.04 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/24/2024 |
In 1887, the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad (M&NW) constructed 147 miles of new railroad, extending from Aiken to Forest Park, Illinois. At Aiken, the railroad began at the Illinois Central Railroad, which offered the railroad trackage rights into Dubuque. At Dubuque, the line connected to the rest of the M&NW system. At Forest Park, the line connected to the Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad (B&OCT), which continued to downtown Chicago via the St. Charles Airline. In 1894 the M&NW would be sold to the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW). The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota; connecting major cities in these states. The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to the game. As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area. This line served as the eastern portion of the CGW system, connecting Chicago with Kansas City, Omaha or the Twin Cities. The CGW would be acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1968. The C&NW already operated parallel, better constructed routes in Illinois and Wisconsin. As a result, traffic on this line dwindled to largely local movements, and conditions of the track deteriorated.
The line would be abandoned in several stages. The segment from Forest Park to Elmhurst was abandoned in 1970, followed by the segment from Aiken to Byron in 1972, the segment from Elmhurst to Villa Park in 1974 and the segment from St. Charles to Sycamore in 1977. The portion from Sycamore to Byron was abandoned in 1981, and a small spur was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad to access a power plant. Further abandonments came in 1985 between Villa Park and Carol Stream and in 1993, when a section around the DuPage Airport was realigned. The C&NW was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995. The segment from Kirk Road to St. Charles would be abandoned in 2011. Today, Union Pacific operates the remaining trackage around West Chicago, and CPKC operates the spur at Byron. Between St. Charles and Sycamore and West Chicago and Forest Park, the line is now part of the Great Western Trail.
Located east of Sycamore, this small stone arch culvert carries the Great Western Trail over an unnamed drainage ditch along Illinois Route 64. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was initially built. In approximately 1900, the original bridge would be replaced with the present structure. The structure consists of a single 6-foot by 6-foot stone arch culvert, set onto stone substructures. Railroad records indicate that the culvert is 20 feet wide. The culvert utilizes a standard CGW design, with a symmetrical arch and wing walls extending at a 45-degree angle from the structure. Stone for the structure was likely quarried at Mankato, Minnesota; and it is believed that a contractor constructed the culvert. Between 1897 and 1910, the CGW undertook a major project, filling and replacing timber bridges with stone and concrete culverts throughout the system. This culvert is one of dozens of similar structures constructed during that time. This design of structure was popular among railroads, as it provided a durable and easy to construct alternative to timber or steel bridges. Unlike many CGW arches, this structure does not appear to have severe deterioration to the stone. However, a number of joints have begun to separate throughout the structure, and without mortaring the joints, the culvert will eventually deteriorate further. The structure now carries the Great Western Trail. The author has ranked the structure as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |