CB&Q Carthage Branch

Today if you drive through Carthage, Illinois Railroads would not cross your mind unless you were a local residing here for decades or in the area. At one time Carthage had the luxury of two railroads which were the CB&Q/ BN and the Wabash/N&W. Infact they crossed each others lines here at Carthage.  The Q ran from Quincy to East Burlington, Illinois where the Wabash ran from. the southeast up to Carthage then onwards to Keokuk, Iowa.

The Q branch started out being built by the Carthage & Burlington Railroad Company which started construction in 1867 and completed in January 1870. The CB&Q leased this line from the completion date until they were deeded the road in 1899. It is to be noted the Wabash was the first railroad to reach the Hancock County Seat of Carthage. In 1870 Carthage had a depot, 2 stall engiene house and I was surprised to read a turntable.

 Thanks to flooding from the Mississippi River in 1965 the line was shortened and abandonment started not long after. The track from Colusa to Burlington was removed in 1967. The section between Illinois Junction and Dallas City was abandoned  in 1965 by the CB&Q.  In or  after 1974 BN abandoned the section between Colusa and Mendon. The final section between Mendon and Quincy was abandoned about 1981.

This branch served many communities and farmers for about a century. The depot at Carthage was torn down in 2019 or or early 2020. An elevator it once served still remains nearby.

Carthage:

The blue line indicates the Q line and the purple the Wabash road.

Iowa Junction ( near Lomax, Illinois):

Intersection where three railroads met: ATSF, CB&Q & TP&W. The Q went through Lomax then turned north towards Burlington crossing the other lines tracks. Only a tree line exists today of the Carthage Branch. The TP&W track is now owned by KJRY and the ATSF isnow the BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision.

Yellow line is the Q's Carthage branch:

Carman, Illinois:

Burlington, Iowa:

The  railroad bridge the Carthage Branch came onto near Gulfort remains.

Gulfport, Illinois:

Aka East Burlington. This is where the branch meets with the now BNSF Ottumwa Subdivision and bridge to cross  the Mississippi River.

Dallas City, Illinois:

The branch ran along side the ATSF from Lomax to Dallas City pretty much. Then the branch weaved its way towards the south.

Colusa, Illinois:

Adrian, Illinois;

Ferris, Illinois:

At the town of Ferris the CB&Q/BN crossed the TP&W line the headed south. Only the TP&W now owned by KJRY remains. The elevator here may have been BN served.

Basco, Illinois:

West Point, Illinois:

Mendon, Illinois:

Ursa, Illinois:

Quincy, Illinois:

At Quincy the trains either departed or arrived from the railyard not far from the pictures of the Carthage Branch bed I took back in 2017.

Quincy yard: