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68-702: In 1854, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) arrived in the town of Galesburg, Illinois , nine miles northeast of Cameron, followed by the Santa Fe Railway in the second half of the 1880s. The two railroads had two separate stations in Galesburg, with the Burlington station, which serviced trains such as the Nebraska Zephyr , Denver Zephyr and California Zephyr , being located on Seminary St. and

136-549: A central role in bringing air brakes to freight service. The railroad had one of the first hump classification yards at its Cicero Avenue Yard in Chicago, allowing an operator in a tower to line switches remotely and allowing around-the-clock classification. The company also tested the twin cylinder car . Fort Worth and Denver Railway The Fort Worth and Denver Railway ( reporting mark FWD ), nicknamed "the Denver Road,"

204-579: A final freight train on the Leadville-Climax branch in Colorado. On July 1, 1965, Harry Murphy retired from his position as president of the CB&;Q (he remained on the railroad as a director until October), and former Frisco Railway president Louis W. Menk took over as president and CEO. During his presidency, Louis Menk explored ways to reduce costs for the CB&Q's passenger operations and to reshape

272-630: A financial interest. In 1899, the FW&;DC was acquired by the Colorado and Southern Railway , successor to the D&;NO. The C&S itself was bought by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1908, but the three companies continued to operate as separate legal entities. In part, this separation was due to Texas law, which required all railroads operating in the state to have their headquarters in Texas. This had

340-460: A light, powerful diesel engine that could stand the rigors of continuous, unattended daily service. The experiences of developing these engines can be summed up shortly by General Motors Research vice-president Charles Kettering : "I do not recall any trouble with the dip stick." Ralph Budd, accused of gambling on diesel power, chirped that "I knew that the GM people were going to see the program through to

408-466: A massive 6,000-pound flywheel), and it had issues with overheating (even with the best metals of the day, its cylinder heads and liners would warp and melt in a matter of minutes), so it was therefore deemed impractical. Diesel engines of that era were obese, stationary monsters and were best suited for low-speed, continuous operation. It was not reliable for a railroad locomotive; there was no diesel engine suitable for that purpose then. Always innovating,

476-710: A subsequent public outcry and protest over the program's cancellation, the No. 4960 locomotive pulled the railroad's final excursion train on July 17. The railroad operated a number of streamlined passenger trains known as the Zephyrs which were one of the most famous and largest fleets of streamliners in the United States. The Burlington Zephyr , the first American diesel -electric powered streamlined passenger train, made its noted "dawn-to-dusk" run from Denver, Colorado , to Chicago, Illinois , on May 26, 1934. On November 11, 1934,

544-771: The Gulf Coast Special (train #7, Denver and Dallas), the Colorado Special (train #8, Dallas and Denver), and the Sam Houston Zephyr (trains #3 and 4 -Ft. Worth - Dallas - Teague - Houston), Twin Star Rocket (trains #507 and 508) as well as motorcars over the South Plains line between Childress and Lubbock and over the Wichita Valley between Wichita Falls and Abilene. At the railroad's peak in 1944, during

612-844: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad , the Great Northern Railway , and the Northern Pacific Railroad merged themselves into a single railroad, the Burlington Northern Railroad , but their subsidiaries in Colorado and Texas continued to have a separate legal existence until the Burlington Northern acquired the Fort Worth and Denver Railway by virtue of the merger between BN and the Colorado and Southern Railroad on December 31, 1981. The Fort Worth and Denver Railway's corporate existence came to an end when it

680-616: The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad would bypass their towns in favor of West Chicago on its route; at the time, that was the only line running west from Chicago. The Aurora Branch was built from Aurora, through Batavia, to Turner Junction in what is now West Chicago. The line was built with old strap rail and minimal, if any, grading. Using a leased locomotive and cars, the Aurora Branch ran passenger and freight trains from Aurora to Chicago via its own line from Aurora to Turner Junction and one of

748-828: The Mississippi River at both Burlington and Quincy, giving the railroad through connections with the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (B&MR) in Iowa and the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (H&StJ) in Missouri. In 1860 the H&;SJ carried the mail to the Pony Express upon reaching the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Missouri . In 1862 The first Railway Post Office was inaugurated on

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816-629: The Santa Fe station , which serviced trains including the Super Chief and El Capitan , being located a few blocks northwest on North Broad Street. Continuing west, the two tracks intersected at Cameron, with the Santa Fe, heading southwest, crossing over the Burlington route, which headed directly west. In 1996, the Burlington Northern Railroad, which was itself the product of a 1970 merger of

884-619: The Trailways Transportation System , and still provides intercity service to this day as Burlington Trailways . 1940 was the final year the CB&Q added steam locomotives to their roster, having completed construction on their O-5A class locomotives at the West Burlington, Iowa shops. With their freight traffic weighing 31 million tons that year, the CB&Q saw no further necessity for any more steam or diesel locomotives to be added to their roster. In 1942, following

952-588: The Twin Cities , the Burlington Route formed a natural connection between Hill's home town (and headquarters) of St. Paul, Minnesota , and the railroad hub of Chicago. Moreover, Hill was willing to meet Perkins' $ 200-a-share asking price for the Burlington's stock. By 1900, Hill's Great Northern, in conjunction with the Northern Pacific Railway , held nearly 100 percent of Burlington's stock. By 1899,

1020-420: The U.S. Supreme Court . The only major strike in the line's history came in 1888, the Burlington railway strike of 1888 . Unlike most strikes, which were based on unskilled workers, this one was based on the highly skilled well-paid engineers and firemen, a challenge to management prerogatives. A settlement would have been much cheaper, but President Perkins was determined to assert ownership rights and destroy

1088-532: The World War II economic boom, the Texas Railroad Commission reported that the FW&DC earned $ 12,132,515 in freight revenue, $ 5,839,399 in passenger revenue, and $ 1,488,095 in other revenue. However, by 1972, in the face of competition from interstate highway traffic and airlines, the Fort Worth and Denver owned 20 locomotives and 1,520 freight cars, but operated at a loss of $ 1,743,551. In 1970,

1156-502: The BNSF's Southern Transcon Route . Work began in 1995 and was completed on May 29, 1996. Both ends of the connector, which cuts through farmland, have wyes along with signals that regulate the flow of train traffic that passes through the connector. Trains traveling on the former ATSF tracks enter the wye at a southwest-northeast angle. At the south end of the northern wye, the two tracks converge to one track, briefly traveling southeast, before

1224-640: The Burlington Railroad must be included into a powerful transcontinental system. Though the railroad stretched as far west as Denver and Billings, Montana , it had failed to reach the Pacific Coast during the 1880s and 1890s, when construction was less expensive. Though approached by E. H. Harriman of the Union Pacific Railroad , Perkins felt his railroad was a more natural fit with James J. Hill 's Great Northern Railway . With its river line to

1292-624: The Burlington Route was able to enter the trade markets in 1862. From that year to date, the railroad and its successors have paid dividends continuously, and never run into debt or defaulted on a loan—the only Class I U.S. railroad for which this is true. After extensive trackwork was planned, the Aurora Branch changed its name to the Chicago and Aurora Railroad in June 1852, and to Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad in 1856, and shortly reached its two other namesake cities, Burlington, Iowa , and Quincy, Illinois . In 1868 CB&Q completed bridges over

1360-615: The Burlington by GN and NP, expansion continued. In 1908, the CB&Q purchased both the Colorado and Southern Railway and the Fort Worth and Denver Railway , giving it access south to Dallas and the Gulf of Mexico ports in Houston and Galveston . It also extended its reach south in the Mississippi Valley region by opening up a new line from Concord, Illinois , south to Paducah, Kentucky . It

1428-661: The Burlington included: The California Zephyr is still operated daily by Amtrak as trains Five (westbound) and Six (eastbound). Another Amtrak train, the Illinois Zephyr , is a modern descendant of the Kansas City Zephyr and the American Royal Zephyr services. Multiple locomotives from the Burlington have been preserved, including two Zephyr power units, thirty-five steam locomotives , and thirty-four diesel locomotives . Originally, 5632 (O-5B 4-8-4)

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1496-544: The CB&Q created a subsidiary, the Burlington Transportation Company , to operate intercity buses in tandem with its railway network. On January 1, 1932, the CB&Q received a new president; former Great Northern Railroad president Ralph Budd . By which time, the CB&Q was facing a decline in passenger ridership from the Depression, and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was exploring ways to help

1564-679: The CB&Q merged with the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle (SP&S) railroads on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN), with Louis Menk serving as the company's first president and CEO (twenty-six years later, the BN and Santa Fe Railroads merged to become the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF)). Most passenger operations would be assumed in 1971 by Amtrak . Beginning in

1632-741: The CB&Q's commercial passenger operations was completed on September 26, 1952, when the last of the 4-6-2 locomotives that operated for the Chicago-Aurora suburban service were retired; the remaining steam locomotives on the CB&Q were primarily reassigned as freight haulers and yard switchers. The first division on the CB&Q to be fully dieselized was the Casper Division in Wyoming, where EMD GP7 road switchers were delivered in 1951. In 1955, regular performance on class 3 overhauls on steam locomotives were discontinued, and Harry C. Murphy opted for

1700-408: The CB&Q's new steam excursion program, only two of which remained operational by 1961: 2-8-2 No. 4960 and 4-8-4 No. 5632. In 1962, the CB&Q's passenger department began sponsoring the excursion runs by offering ticket discounts to paying customers, and the Burlington began to host several school trains for school students. In 1964, steam excursion operations on the railroad had dwindled, in

1768-595: The CB&Q, Great Northern , Northern Pacific and Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railways, merged with the Santa Fe to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, later renamed the BNSF Railway. With the anticipated Burlington Northern and Santa Fe merger, it became necessary to connect the BN's Ottumwa Subdivision to the Santa Fe's Chillicothe Subdivision, the latter of which became part of

1836-505: The CB&Q, completed in 1922. Burlington's rapid expansion after the American Civil War was based upon sound financial management, dominated by John Murray Forbes of Boston and assisted by Charles Elliott Perkins . Perkins was a powerful administrator who eventually forged a system out of previously loosely held affiliates, virtually tripling Burlington's size during his presidency from 1881 to 1901. Ultimately, Perkins believed

1904-584: The Chillicothe Subdivision to Galesburg, via Joliet, Streator and Chillicothe. The building of the connector enabled the Southwest Chief to be rerouted onto the BNSF's Mendota Subdivision, used by the California Zephyr and a couple of short-distance inter-city Amtrak trains via Naperville , Mendota and Princeton . Southwest Chief service to Streator and Chillicothe was dropped as part of

1972-580: The FW&D ended all passenger service in 1967, before the creation of Amtrak in 1971. In 1989, BN abandoned the former Fort Worth and Denver South Plains track between Estelline and Lubbock. In 1993, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired 64 mi (103 km) of the abandoned right-of-way between Estelline and the town of South Plains to create the Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway 's hike and bike trail . A unique feature

2040-704: The FW&DC at Wichita Falls, including the Wichita Valley Railway (Wichita Falls to Seymour), the Wichita Valley Railroad (Seymour to Stamford), the Abilene and Northern (Stamford to Abilene, Texas ), the Stamford & Northwestern (Stamford to Spur), and the Wichita Falls and Oklahoma Railway (Wichita Falls to Byers and Waurika, Oklahoma ). In 1952, the Wichita Valley and its subsidiaries were merged into

2108-551: The Fort Worth and Denver Northern (completed in 1932, 110 mi (180 km) from Childress to Pampa ); and the Fort Worth and Denver Terminal (providing access to railyards and terminals in Fort Worth). In reality, all three lines were projects of the parent company from the outset. Several feeder lines operated by the Wichita Valley Railway Company (another subsidiary of the Colorado and Southern) connected with

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2176-665: The Fort Worth and Denver Railway. In 1925, the FW&DC had extended service from Fort Worth to Dallas by acquiring trackage rights over the Rock Island Railroad between those cities. At Dallas, FW&DC trains connected with the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad for through service to Houston . The premier passenger train of the FW&DC was the streamlined Texas Zephyr (trains #1 and 2), which operated between Dallas and Denver from August 22, 1940, to September 11, 1967. Other passenger trains included

2244-475: The G&;CU's two tracks east from there to Chicago. The G&CU required the Aurora Branch to turn over 70 percent of their revenue per ton-mile handled on that railroad; as a result, in the mid-1850s, surveys were ordered to determine the best route for a railroad line to Chicago. The line from Aurora to Chicago was built through the fledgling towns of Naperville , Lisle , Downers Grove , Hinsdale , Berwyn , and

2312-457: The H&StJ to sort mail on the trains way across Missouri. The B&MR continued building west into Nebraska as a separate company, the Burlington & Missouri River Rail Road , founded in 1869. During the summer of 1870 it reached Lincoln , the newly designated capital of Nebraska and by 1872 it reached Kearney, Nebraska . That same year the B&;MR across Iowa was absorbed by the CB&Q. By

2380-525: The New Mexico border. Continuing into the New Mexico Territory, the FW&DC finally linked with the D&NO where the railheads met at Union Park, near present-day Folsom, New Mexico , 528 mi (850 km) from Fort Worth, on March 14, 1888. Service between Fort Worth and Denver began on April 1, 1888. In 1895, Dodge became president of the company, one of several railroads in which he held

2448-495: The Texas and Colorado Railway Improvement Company in 1881 to build and equip the FW&DC in return for $ 20,000 in stock and $ 20,000 in bonds for each mile of track laid. In the same year, the FW&DC and the Denver and New Orleans Railroad Company , organized in Colorado , agreed to connect their systems at the Texas - New Mexico border. The FW&DC received no state subsidy other than

2516-461: The United States' entrance into World War II , the railroad's freight traffic increased to 49 million tons, with Ralph Budd (now named President Roosevelt's federal transportation commissioner) poised to ensure his company would help the war effort. In 1943, the War Production Board authorized EMC (now reincorporated as EMD) to construct sixteen FT locomotives for delivery to the CB&Q

2584-615: The company had rostered 1,205 locomotives, 936 passenger cars and 40,720 freight cars. In 1901, a rebuffed Harriman tried to gain an indirect influence over the Burlington by launching a stock raid on the Northern Pacific. Though Hill managed to fend off this attack on his nascent system, it led to the creation of the Northern Securities Company , and later, the Northern Securities Co. v. United States ruling by

2652-571: The effect of requiring all operating railroads in Texas to be wholly owned, even if independent companies of the regional or national roads. The FW&DC was the first rail line to penetrate the northwest part of Texas, which contributed greatly to the growth of Texas cities such as Wichita Falls, Childress, Amarillo, and Dalhart . In addition, the railroad actively promoted settlement of the rural areas it served, providing free seeds, trees, and tree seedlings to farmers and ranchers to promote cotton- and wheat-growing, as well as erosion prevention. In

2720-507: The first four decades of the 20th century, the FW&DC built or acquired a number of feeder lines in its territory, so that by 1940, the Burlington-owned system operated 1,031 mi (1,659 km) of main track in Texas in addition to the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad . The Fort Worth and Denver City leased the Fort Worth and Denver South Plains (completed in 1928, 206 mi (332 km) from Estelline to Plainview and Lubbock;

2788-455: The following year, by which time, the road's freight traffic peaked 57 million tons. After World War II ended, the CB&Q began ordering additional diesel locomotives from EMD, as part of a $ 140-million program to dieselize their roster. August 31, 1949, was Ralph Budd's final day as president of the railroad before he would retire during that year's Chicago Railroad Fair , and Harry C. Murphy succeeded him in September. Dieselisation of

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2856-448: The former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad ). In 1970, it merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form the Burlington Northern Railroad . The earliest predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Aurora Branch Railroad , was chartered by act of the Illinois General Assembly on October 2, 1848. The charter was obtained by citizens of Aurora and Batavia, Illinois , who were concerned that

2924-423: The former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad .) In 1980, operated mileage had dropped to 1181, but freight was 7732 million ton-miles. The Panic of 1873 delayed the start of construction until 1881, when Grenville M. Dodge became interested in the project. As chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad , Dodge had played a large part in the construction of the first transcontinental railroad . Dodge organized

2992-483: The last commercial steam assignment for the railroad at Herrin Junction on January 27, 1959 (the only major U.S. railroads to operate revenue steam after this date were Union Pacific, Illinois Central , Nickel Plate Road , Norfolk and Western , Grand Trunk Western , Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range , and Lake Superior and Ishpeming ). CB&Q subsidiary Colorado and Southern eventually ended their commercial steam operations on October 11, 1962, when 2-8-0 No. 641 pulled

3060-476: The midwest and mountain states, the railroad used the advertising slogans "Everywhere West", "Way of the Zephyrs ", and "The Way West". In 1967, it reported 19,565 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 723 million passenger miles; corresponding totals for C&S were 1,100 and 10 and for FW&D were 1,466 and 13. At the end of the year, CB&Q operated 8,538 route-miles, C&S operated 708, and FW&D operated 1,362 (these totals may or may not include

3128-416: The rail industry improve. Ralph Budd subsequently asked for a streamlined stainless-steel train to be built, and this resulted in the railroad introducing the famous Zephyrs . As early as 1897, the railroad invested in alternatives to steam power, namely, internal-combustion engines. The railroad's shops in Aurora had built a three-horsepower distillate motor in that year, but it was not reliable (requiring

3196-433: The railroad purchased "doodlebug" gas-electric combine cars from Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC) and built their own, sending them out to do the jobs of a steam locomotive and a single car. After the positive results the doodlebug cars created, and after having purchased and used three General Electric steeple-cab switchers powered by distillate engines, Ralph Budd requested the Winton Engine Company to design and construct

3264-490: The railroad ran from Fort Worth through Wichita Falls , Childress , Amarillo , and Dalhart , to Texline , where it connected with the rails of parent company Colorado and Southern Railway , both of which became subsidiaries of the Burlington Route in 1908. At the end of 1970, FW&D operated 1,201 mi (1,933 km) of road on 1,577 mi (2,538 km) of track; that year it reported 1493 million ton-miles of revenue freight. (Those totals may or may not include

3332-444: The railroad's remaining steam fleet to use up their previously-restored mileage throughout the next year. By which time, the majority of the Burlington's steam fleet were relegated to operate east of Lincoln, Nebraska, with only two steam locomotives held for back-up service west of Lincoln. The final division on the CB&Q to be fully dieselized was the Beardstown Division in Southern Illinois, where 2-8-2 locomotive No. 4997 worked

3400-575: The realignment, although Joliet continues to see Amtrak service from other trains. The Chief rerouting through the Connector to the Mendota Sub tracks caused Amtrak to concentrate all of its Galesburg operations in the present station , and the station building along the former Santa Fe line was closed and later demolished. 40°53′43″N 90°29′25″W  /  40.895262°N 90.490192°W  / 40.895262; -90.490192 Chicago, Burlington %26 Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ( reporting mark CBQ )

3468-409: The right-of-way easements to cross state-owned lands totaling 2,162 acres (8.75 km ). Construction began at Hodge Junction, just north of Fort Worth, on November 27, 1881, and by September 1882, Dodge had completed 110 mi (180 km) of track to Wichita Falls, Texas. By 1885, the line reached Harrold ; by 1886, Chillicothe ; by 1887, Clarendon and Amarillo ; and by 1888, Texline on

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3536-407: The road's freight operations. Passenger service was markedly reduced, as people had shifted to using private automobiles for transportation. In late 1966, Louis Menk became president of the Northern Pacific, leaving William John Quinn in charge of the CB&Q. As the financial situation of American railroading continued to decline throughout the 1960s, forcing restructuring across the country,

3604-425: The summer of 1955, the CB&Q hosted a series of occasional steam excursion trains per request of railfan clubs, such as the Illinois Railroad Club. Harry C. Murphy was a steam fan who recognized the popularity in steam locomotives, and he authorized additional steam excursion trains to take place on the railroad throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s. Twenty-one steam locomotives of varying classes took part in

3672-433: The system grew. By the early 1900s, the shops at Aurora served the Chicago Division, the shops in Galesburg, Illinois served the Galesburg Division, the shops in Hannibal, Missouri served the St. Louis Division, the shops in West Burlington, Iowa and in Creston, Iowa served the Iowa Division, and the shops in Denver, Colorado served the McCook and Red Cloud Divisions. The latter were the final steam era shops built for

3740-584: The time the Missouri River bridge at Plattsmouth, Nebraska , was completed the B&MR in Nebraska was well on its way to Denver . That same year, the Nebraska B&MR was purchased by the CB&Q, which completed the line to Denver by 1882. Early repair shops for rolling stock were built by the Aurora Branch Railroad in Chicago, but the first true shop site was established at Aurora, Illinois in 1855. These were capable of repairing and building locomotives, freight cars, and passenger cars. Other shop sites were established or inherited from predecessor lines as

3808-486: The train was put into regularly scheduled service between Lincoln, Nebraska , and Kansas City, Missouri . Although the distinctive, articulated stainless steel trains were well known, and the railroad adopted the "Way of the Zephyrs " advertising slogan, they did not attract passengers back to the rails en masse , and the last one was retired from revenue service with the advent of Amtrak . The Zephyr fleet included: Other named passenger trains which operated on

3876-410: The two tracks diverge to form the northern part of the southern wye, through which trains enter the former Burlington tracks, which travel directly east-west. The connector has resulted in a direct connection between the BNSF rail yard in Galesburg to the Southern Transcon. The line has also had a significant impact for Amtrak. Prior to the building of the connector, the Southwest Chief operated on

3944-404: The union threat. The fight dragged on 10 months before the financially and emotionally exhausted strikers finally gave up, and Perkins declared a total victory. However, he had spent heavily on strikebreakers, lawsuits, and police protection, hurting the balance sheets and putting the railroad in a poor position to face the nationwide depression of the Panic of 1893 . Following the purchase of

4012-421: The very end. Actually, I wasn't taking a gamble at all." The manifestation of this gamble was the eight-cylinder Winton 8-201A engine that powered the Burlington Zephyr (built 1934) on its record-breaking run, and it opened the door for developing the long line of diesel engines that has powered Electro-Motive locomotives for the next seventy years. In 1936, the CB&Q would become one of the founding members of

4080-421: The wake of rising operation and maintenance costs and a loss of experienced steam locomotive mechanics; the only factors that kept the CB&Q's steam program going were public demand and Harry Murphy's passion for steam. In the process of reducing operating costs for the railroad, Harry Murphy's successor, Louis Menk, ordered for the CB&Q's steam excursion program to be shut down by August 1, 1966. Despite

4148-438: The west side of Chicago. It was opened in 1864, and passenger and freight service began. Regular commuter train service started in 1864 and remains operational to this day, making it the oldest surviving regular passenger service in Chicago. Both the original Chicago line, and to a much lesser extent, the old Aurora Branch right of way, are still in regular use today by the Burlington's present successor BNSF Railway . The company

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4216-445: Was a class I American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influence on the early settlement and economic development of the region. The Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company (FW&DC) was chartered by the Texas Legislature on May 26, 1873. On August 7, 1951, the company changed its name to the Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company (FW&D). The main line of

4284-585: Was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States . Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route , the Burlington , CB&Q , or as the Q , it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado , Illinois , Iowa , Missouri , Nebraska , Wisconsin , Wyoming , and also in Texas through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway , Fort Worth and Denver Railway , and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad . Its primary connections included Chicago , Minneapolis–Saint Paul , St. Louis , Kansas City , and Denver . Because of this extensive trackage in

4352-434: Was during this period that the Burlington was at its largest, exceeding just over 12,000 route miles in 14 states by the 1920s. With the First World War having the same effect on the railroad as on all other railroads, during the 1920s, the Burlington Route had an increasingly heavy amount of equipment flooding the yards. With the advent of the Great Depression , the CB&Q held a good portion of this for scrap. In 1929,

4420-515: Was formally merged into Burlington Northern Railroad on December 31, 1982. The FW&D's former main line through the Texas Panhandle and North Texas is now a heavily used route of BN's successor, the BNSF Railway , primarily for coal and intermodal trains between Fort Worth and the western United States. Additionally, the Union Pacific Railroad has track rights on this line from Fort Worth to Dalhart. No passenger trains have operated in scheduled revenue service on this route, though, since

4488-427: Was never acted upon, and was repealed by an act of February 14, 1855, which instead reorganized the line as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The new railroad was formed by the consolidation of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, the Central Military Tract, the west end of the Peoria & Oquawka, and the Northern Cross Railroad companies. With a steady acquisition of locomotives, cars, equipment, and trackage,

4556-423: Was preserved, but later scrapped. The Burlington was a leader in innovation; among its firsts were use of the printing telegraph (1910), train radio communications (1915), streamlined passenger diesel power (1934) and vista-dome coaches (1945). In 1927, the railroad was one of the first to use Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and by the end of 1957 had equipped 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of its line. It played

4624-406: Was renamed Chicago and Aurora Railroad on June 22, 1852, and given expanded powers to extend from Aurora to a point north of LaSalle ; this extension, to Mendota, was completed on October 20, 1853. Another amendment, passed February 28, 1854, authorized the company to build east from Aurora to Chicago via Naperville , and changed its name to Chicago and Southwestern Railroad. The latter provision

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