Train History
Bushnell to Beardstown
For those of you who have done your train watching in the cities - small towns and open country will come as a pleasant surprise. Open spaces and country roads are ideal for watching and photographing trains. I will try and list some good locations in the areas around West Central Illinois and give as many information as possible. As time goes buy I will attempt to add photos from each location (both past and present). A warning to all, however. Times and places change and only you can know if a location is safe at any given time.

* Bushnell -
* This route is part of the Northern Cross route - later CB&Q, BN and now BNSF.
* There is a restaurant on the west side of the tracks where it is possible to eat and watch trains.
* Just south of town is the point where TP&W parallels the BN. There used to be an exchange track.
* South of Highway 9 are some yards and where the BNSF splits. The old Northern Cross route moves west towards Macomb and the old St. Louis, Rockford & Chicago heads towards Beardstown.
* If you search the north-west parts of Bushnell you can find evidence of the old Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis RR.

* Adair
* Few historical remains exist in Adair.

* Table Grove
* The old depot still exists on the north side of Highway 136. If you look you will find evidence of the spur track that once led to Camp Ellis. For three years in the 40s this was an extremely busy place.

* Vermont
* The site of the old depot exists on the southeast part of town. This is where the CB&Q tracks from Canton to Rushville crossed. The line to Rushville still exists as a siding and you will pass the old overpass (since removed) on your way south towards Route 24.
* Just south of Vermont you will find the point where the old main through Astoria was cut off and the new route through Sugar Creek begins. Evidence of the old main still exists if you follow the blacktop south towards Astoria

* Sugar Creek
* This cut was done to eliminate the grade from Browning to Astoria. Most locals said it was a "mule" job.

*Bader - The old CB&Q depot still stands with a semaphore

Frederick

* Beardstown

Wabash Railroad - In the 1850s the first of two railroads laid track through what is now Golden. The Toledo, Wabash and Western railroad was the first, completing their line between Clayton and Carthage, Illinois and Keokuk, Iowa. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad completed their line and depot between Quincy and Macomb, Illinois in 1863. The point where the two railroads crossed became a transfer point between the two railroads and became known as "Keokuk Junction."

Dates

Jan 31,1856 Northern Cross begins operations between Galesburg and Quincy

Nov 9 1868 - Quincy railroad bridge opens

1876 - Bader route 1826 Sugar Creek Route opened

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