The Railroads of Will County
Chicago & Alton
The Chicago & Mississippi Railroad was completed between Bloomington and Joliet in 1854. On July 31st, 1854, the first train arrived in Joliet from Bloomington, traveling some eighty-five miles in two hours and thirty-five minutes.
In 1854, Joliet was the northern terminus of the Chicago & Mississippi. Arrangements were made with the Chicago & Rock Island to permit passenger trains from the south to run into and out of Chicago over Rock Island tracks without changing cars. For freight trains, however, no such arrangements were made. Instead, the railroad worked with warehousemen of Joliet and officials of the Illinois & Michigan Canal to cooperate in transferring freight from the C&M freight cars to canal boats to move goods from Joliet to Chicago. It was extended from Joliet to Lockport in November 1857, and the remainder of the line from Lockport to Chicago was completed in March 1858.
In 1854, Joliet was the northern terminus of the Chicago & Mississippi. Arrangements were made with the Chicago & Rock Island to permit passenger trains from the south to run into and out of Chicago over Rock Island tracks without changing cars. For freight trains, however, no such arrangements were made. Instead, the railroad worked with warehousemen of Joliet and officials of the Illinois & Michigan Canal to cooperate in transferring freight from the C&M freight cars to canal boats to move goods from Joliet to Chicago. It was extended from Joliet to Lockport in November 1857, and the remainder of the line from Lockport to Chicago was completed in March 1858.
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This railroad went through a series of name changes in its early years, becoming
On May 2nd and 3rd of 1865 the Lincoln Funeral Train, carrying the body of the slain president, passed through Joliet over the Chicago & Alton tracks and on to Springfield to be interred. |
The Chicago & Illinois River Railroad began operations in 1874 with a line from Joliet southwest to Coal City in Grundy County, and then south from Coal City to Mazonia, near Braceville, to connect with the Chicago & Alton. It was leased to the Chicago & Alton in 1875 and acquired by the Chicago and Alton in 1879.
The Chicago & Alton’s tracks through downtown Joliet were relocated and elevated in 1908-1910. The Chicago & Alton participated in the construction of Joliet Union Station in 1911-1912 and in the construction of Union Depot interlocking tower in 1912-1913.
The Chicago & Alton’s tracks through downtown Joliet were relocated and elevated in 1908-1910. The Chicago & Alton participated in the construction of Joliet Union Station in 1911-1912 and in the construction of Union Depot interlocking tower in 1912-1913.
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The Chicago & Alton went into receivership on August 31st, 1922 and was reorganized as the Alton Railroad on January 8th, 1931, under the direct control of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Alton Railroad went into bankruptcy on November 25th, 1942 and was acquired by the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad on May 31st, 1947.
The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, and its predecessor railroads, provided a wide variety of passenger train service between Chicago and St. Louis, with all trains stopping at Joliet. Trains such as the "Alton Limited," the "Prairie State Express," the "Abraham Lincoln" and the "Midnight Special" featured reclining seat coaches, cocktail lounge cars, dining cars, Pullman sleeping cars, and observation parlor cars. |
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Amtrak took over the intercity passenger train service between Chicago and St. Louis on this line on May 1st, 1971. The commuter train between Chicago and Joliet continued to be operated by the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, using a former intercity locomotive and three former intercity coaches. |
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The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad merged with the Illinois Central Railroad on August 10th, 1972 to form the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad tried to discontinue commuter train service between Joliet and Chicago in 1974, but was unsuccessful. |
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In 1978, after the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) was formed and began subsidizing commuter rail operations, modern EMD F40PH locomotive and bi-level coaches replaced the ICG’s vintage commuter train equipment between Chicago and Joliet, and a second train was added in 1979. In 1983, the RTA created its Commuter Rail Division and began using the name Metra. In 1987, Metra began operating the commuter service on the Illinois Central Gulf route between Joliet and Chicago, although the ICG retained ownership of the line itself. The line was named the "Heritage Corridor" to reflect its passage through the new Illinois & Michigan National Heritage Corridor.
On April 28th, 1987, the newly formed Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad Company purchased most of the former Chicago & Alton from the Illinois Central Gulf. The Chicago, Missouri & Western purchased the line from Jackson Street in Joliet south to East St. Louis and west to Kansas City.
The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad reverted back to the name Illinois Central on February 29th, 1988.
On April 1st, 1988, the bankrupt Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway filed for Chapter 11 reorganization under U.S. bankruptcy laws. In 1989, the Chicago, Missouri & Western sold its trackage from Jackson Street in Joliet south to St. Louis to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The Southern Pacific Railroad was purchased and merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.
On February 29th, 1998, the Canadian National Railway purchased the Illinois Central Railroad.
Today, Canadian National owns the tracks between 21st Street in Chicago and Jackson Street in Joliet, and Union Pacific owns the tracks between Jackson Street and East St. Louis. Metra operates seven Heritage Corridor commuter trains each weekday between Chicago and Joliet and Amtrak operates ten intercity passenger trains every day between Chicago and St. Louis. Union Pacific owns and operates the CenterPoint Intermodal Facility on the south side of Joliet.
On April 28th, 1987, the newly formed Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad Company purchased most of the former Chicago & Alton from the Illinois Central Gulf. The Chicago, Missouri & Western purchased the line from Jackson Street in Joliet south to East St. Louis and west to Kansas City.
The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad reverted back to the name Illinois Central on February 29th, 1988.
On April 1st, 1988, the bankrupt Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway filed for Chapter 11 reorganization under U.S. bankruptcy laws. In 1989, the Chicago, Missouri & Western sold its trackage from Jackson Street in Joliet south to St. Louis to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The Southern Pacific Railroad was purchased and merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.
On February 29th, 1998, the Canadian National Railway purchased the Illinois Central Railroad.
Today, Canadian National owns the tracks between 21st Street in Chicago and Jackson Street in Joliet, and Union Pacific owns the tracks between Jackson Street and East St. Louis. Metra operates seven Heritage Corridor commuter trains each weekday between Chicago and Joliet and Amtrak operates ten intercity passenger trains every day between Chicago and St. Louis. Union Pacific owns and operates the CenterPoint Intermodal Facility on the south side of Joliet.
Chicago & Illinois River
Typical of the great expansion of the railroads in the 19th century, some railroad building projects that ran out of money were picked up and added to larger systems.
The Chicago and Illinois River Railroad built a line from Joliet southwest through Coal City, Illinois, to the Mazon River.
The Illinois General Assembly chartered the Chicago and Illinois River Railroad on February 28, 1867 to build a railroad from Chicago through Lisbon and Ottawa (the latter on the Illinois River) to the Mississippi River opposite Keokuk, Iowa, with a branch in the vicinity of Streator. Construction began in 1873 on a route south of the Illinois River between Chicago and Streator, but in 1875 it ran out of money and leased the unfinished line to the Chicago and Alton Railroad. The grade southwest of the Mazon River crossing at Gorman was sold to the Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern Railroad that year, and the Alton opened the railroad between Joliet and the Mazon River on July 1.
The Alton bought the property at foreclosure sale on September 4, 1879, and in 1881 built a connecting line from Coal City south to its main line at Mazonia (near Braceville), giving it two tracks between Chicago and Odell. Beyond the Mazon River, the Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern completed the line to Pekin on May 21, 1876, and obtained trackage rights over the Chicago and Illinois River to Joliet. Successor Chicago and St. Louis Railway, however, opened a parallel line to Chicago on December 21, 1885, and the old Chicago and Illinois River line between Coal City and the Mazon River was subsequently abandoned. In 1905 the Alton and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) began operating these two parallel tracks as a joint double-track line between Joliet and Pequot, just northeast of Coal City.
Alton successor Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICG) sold the line between Plaines and Pequot to the Santa Fe for continued use as a second main track. When the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway (CM&W) bought most of the old Alton in 1987, it acquired only a short piece of the ex-Chicago and Illinois River between Joliet and Plaines, as well as Pequot-Coal City and the Coal City-Mazonia connection. Ownership is now split among the Union Pacific Railroad (from Joliet part of the way to Plaines, as the Plaines Industrial Lead[9]), CN (the rest of the way to Plaines, also known as the Plaines Industrial Lead), and BNSF Railway (Plaines to Pequot, as one track of the Chillicothe Subdivision), and the Union Pacific again (from Pequot to Mazonia, as the Pequot Subdivision).
The Chicago and Illinois River Railroad built a line from Joliet southwest through Coal City, Illinois, to the Mazon River.
The Illinois General Assembly chartered the Chicago and Illinois River Railroad on February 28, 1867 to build a railroad from Chicago through Lisbon and Ottawa (the latter on the Illinois River) to the Mississippi River opposite Keokuk, Iowa, with a branch in the vicinity of Streator. Construction began in 1873 on a route south of the Illinois River between Chicago and Streator, but in 1875 it ran out of money and leased the unfinished line to the Chicago and Alton Railroad. The grade southwest of the Mazon River crossing at Gorman was sold to the Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern Railroad that year, and the Alton opened the railroad between Joliet and the Mazon River on July 1.
The Alton bought the property at foreclosure sale on September 4, 1879, and in 1881 built a connecting line from Coal City south to its main line at Mazonia (near Braceville), giving it two tracks between Chicago and Odell. Beyond the Mazon River, the Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern completed the line to Pekin on May 21, 1876, and obtained trackage rights over the Chicago and Illinois River to Joliet. Successor Chicago and St. Louis Railway, however, opened a parallel line to Chicago on December 21, 1885, and the old Chicago and Illinois River line between Coal City and the Mazon River was subsequently abandoned. In 1905 the Alton and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) began operating these two parallel tracks as a joint double-track line between Joliet and Pequot, just northeast of Coal City.
Alton successor Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICG) sold the line between Plaines and Pequot to the Santa Fe for continued use as a second main track. When the Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway (CM&W) bought most of the old Alton in 1987, it acquired only a short piece of the ex-Chicago and Illinois River between Joliet and Plaines, as well as Pequot-Coal City and the Coal City-Mazonia connection. Ownership is now split among the Union Pacific Railroad (from Joliet part of the way to Plaines, as the Plaines Industrial Lead[9]), CN (the rest of the way to Plaines, also known as the Plaines Industrial Lead), and BNSF Railway (Plaines to Pequot, as one track of the Chillicothe Subdivision), and the Union Pacific again (from Pequot to Mazonia, as the Pequot Subdivision).