Canton depot & the CB&Q line it once served.

 I am compiling all of my photographs from the depot at Canton to towns along the line the CB&Q served. The line still in tact is no longer seeing active trains other than storeage as of 2020. In 2019 the Duck Creek Power plant that BN later BNSF had served since it opened in 1976 closed. In 2020 from Dunfermline down to Vermont, Illinois is now inactive however cars are currently stored in sections.

The CB&Q line was built in the 1860s in Fulton County, Illinois and I will cover Yates City to Ipava to which i have photographed or filmed. This line also had a section that went south to Rushville and a section from Elmwood north to Buda. The Rushville stub line was abandoned in 1980 and only  a small section of track at Vermont remains that BNSF sometimes shoves a railcar or two or track equipment on it. I may add pictures of that in this blog. The Buda section have yet to explore.

CB&Q completed a line through Canton in the 1860's and built a depot. The current depot is the second depot replacing the first having been built in 1914.  In the first decade of the lines history there was five passenger train. Three were in the day and two at night.  This line served farmers, coal mines and industry back in the day.  Later on it would served Coal mines in Norris, Brereton, Saint David and Bryant as well as the International Harverestor in Canton.  The mnes started shutting down and by 1984 there were no more. To make matters worse the International Harvestor closed it's plant about 1982 or 1983 althought another plant briefly served in some years in the mid to late 80's. As if that plant used rail I haven't a clue. By the 1990's from Yates City to Dunfermline trains were rare. Coal trains came off the TP&W line and used the line to haul coal to the power plant about 1992 & 1993. I witnessed a few as well as remember a minor derailment. I raced a locomotive on my bike as it headed south off the TP&W line in 1994. I was about thirteen and it is the last activity I saw on this section. I was told the last train was in 1999. BNSF would use sections for storeage from Norris to Yates City as late as 2002 and I remember Autoracks for the longest time in those areas. I never had the pleasure of seeing this line very active like in it's glory days but I do remember Dad referred to the line as the "Q" even after BN then BNSF merger stuff. To him it would always be the " Q". He was alive and lving in the area so I reckon he saw many passenger and freight trains. Lucky him.

Today the Canton depot is owned by the city and the politicians use it for town meetings. It was bought off the Burlington Northern in 1989. In 1993 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The tracks are now gone having been removed in 2017. At this depot a Whitcomb switcher built inthe 1930s sits on display and was donated to the City around 1997-1998. It once served the Buckheart Coal Mine south of Canton.

Pictures of the Canton depot and the Switcher on display:

Pictures of the former CB&Q & BN efore track removal from 2015 - 2017 in Canton, Illinois:

Tracks removal in 2017:

The now empty ROW 2017-2018 in Canton:

Tracks south of Canton that still remain in spots. Some is still there and some are not.

At one point another railroad wanted part of this line from Farmington to South of Canton to Hitchcocks Scrapyard but BNSF asked for too much money and I imagine conditions of the track squashed that. The KJRY serves Hitchcock off their main line on a siding in Canton Hitckcock loads gondolas with scrap metal.

 Now I will cover the other towns on this line besides Canton.

Yates City, Illinois:

Yates City is where the line came off of the Peoria Subdivision and trains entered or came off of. There is a depot here but it is not in the original location. A BN caboose is also on display here. Yates City came to be in the 1850's and by the 1860's railroads had been built. The town seen both passenger and freight trains and a depot was built. Passenger  trains ceased by 1961 like many towns on this line. As of 2020 a section of track remains but disconnected from the Peoria Subdivision main line.

Farmington, Illinois:

Farmington is a town situated ten miles north of Canton and was founded around 1827 and one of the older towns in Fulton County. Much like Canton it had the luxury of two railroads being built here the CB&Q in the 1860's and the Iowa Central later M&STL & CNW after the 1860's. The two lines crossed paths as the Iowa Central line passed under the CB&Q. Both lines are now gone including the Railroad trestle. The tracks for the CNW was abandoned by the UP in 2009 and tracks pulled in 2010. The CB&Q later BNSF tracks were removed in 2017 and the trestle removed about 2019. At one time Farmington had a depot and there also a track connecting the MSTL line with this one that ran by the city cemetery. Both lines had depots that were torn out ages ago.

Before and after track removal taken in Farmington:

Norris, Illinois:

Norris is a small town four miles north of Canton off Highway 78. It was along the CB&Q line and the railroad  had a small depot at one time and an elevator and a Coal Mine west of Norris was CB&Q as well as BN served after the 1970 merger. The depot is gone and so are the tracks now having been removed in 2017. BNSF used the tracks north of here for storeage as late as 2002.

Before and after pictures some in 2010, 2016 & 2017:

Norris Coal mine was within a mile west of Norris off the Norris Blacktop road that takes you to Fairview. This mine was served by the CB&Q and finally BN before the mine closed in 1980.

Pictures of the mine area and track still on an old enterance road.

Brereton, Illinois:

Brereton is a tiny village on the former CB&Q ROW between Canton and Norris. It sprang up around 1900 around a coal mine which the CB&Q served.

Here is a few pictures of befor and after track removal from 2015-2017:

Dunfermline, Illinois:

The village was named after a city by the name in Scotland. This town sits a half a mile off the former CB&Q now BNSF owned tracks. This is where the line split north to Canton while having a branch split east towards the Duck Creek Power Plant nearby. This line had coal trains weekly up until late 2019 when the power plant closed.

Between Dunfermline and Canton that section was used for storeage as late as 2015. Now the remaining line from here to Vermont, Illinois is inactived only used for car storeage. 

Here are pictures of Car storeage near Dunfermline in 2015 and a few trains caught over the years:

St. David, Illinois:

Like Dunfermline St.David was one of the later towns in Fulton County having been founded in 1885  compared to Canton or Lewistown who were around since the 1820's. This town had a depot, and several coal mines and the elevator still standing CB&Q may have served. There was a Little Sister Coal mine on the south end of town across the road off what is now Highway 100. Then there was a Coal mine at one time on the north end of town about 1915. Both mines had spurs off the CB&Q main line to the mines. The one on the south end operated for decades even as late as the 1960's.

Here are pictures of cars in spring 2020 stored on the old main line, as well as trains when the line was active. Pictures of trains from 2016-2018.

Information on Little Sister Coal Mine:

http://cantontornado36.blogspot.com/2017/04/little-sister-coal-mine-st-david.html?m=1

Bryant, Illinois:

Bryant is a small town off Highway 100 between St. David and Lewistown. Once it had a few area coal mines one I do know had a spur from the main line too.

Here are 2020 pictures of cars in storeage near the town as well as trains I have caught between 2016-2018 when the line was still active.

Lewistown, Illinois:

Lewistown is the County Seat of Fulton County and the oldest town in the County having been founded about 1822. This city lies on the former CB&Q Yates City subdivision. It has a depot still near the tracks. In another part of town is another depot of the long gone Fulton County Narrow Gauge Railway (1880-1905, CB&Q 1905-1935). After CB&Q took over and converted to standard gauge they connected the old FCNG line to the main line and had a Wye. This rerouted away from the FCNG depot. That depot is now a museum. After 1935 only a remainder of the former FCNG remained from Fairview to Lewistown to serve coal mines til BN abandoned the branch in 1977.

Here are pictures of the CB&Q main and siding north of town, an old BN flat car which was there for years but now gone and coal trains caught at Lewistown. Also included is the CB&Q depot.

The FCNG depot at Lewistown:

Ipava, Illinois:

Ipava is an older town having been founded by the 1830's.

I have caught a few trains here in 2016 & 2017.

Vermont, Illinois:

Vermont is another old town but I have never filmed a train off this sub here. I did however take pictures years back of the Rushville branch at Vermont.

Rushville branch:

Abandoned 1980 by BN.

This remaining section is used by BNSF for storeage but anything outside of this to Rushville is gone.

ICE Fulton County, Illinois Interurban

 At one time Fulton County in West Central Illinois was a lively place with multiple railroad mainlines as well as many spurs to area coal mines. Most would last far longer than the Railway I am about to cover even the narrow gaugue squeaked out a longer life span.

I am speaking of course about the Illinois Central Electric Railway ( ICE). It did manage to last about 25 years which is about the same as the Fulton County Narrow Gauge else where in the county. The narrow gauge however beats this because it was taken over by the CB&Q and under this lasted another 25 years converted to standard gauge. The ICE was incorporated in 1903 though the idea was talked about as early as 1892. The first track were laid in Canton in spring of 1906. The first cars were gasoline powered but the line was converted to electric in May of 1908.

Over the years between 1908-1912 expansions were made to Brereton, Norris, Farmington, Fairview, St.David, Bryant and finally Lewistown in 1912.  At one point discussion was had expanding to Liverpool but nothing became of it. The first cars arrived in July 1906. During layouts of the first track the T.P&W Railroad refused to let the ICE cross their rails but later gave in.

The line owned six cars. They were #9, #10, #12, #14, #17, & #18. Each car held from 30 to 35 people. This line had a heavier car which was # 12 added to serve coal miners living in several communities including Ghilchrist & Dunfermline. The railway also helped farmers in Fairview get fresh merchandise to their stores. In its history winter weather was a burden at times on the line and a few incidents occurred including an accident.

The year 1928 would be the ICE's final due to competition with other railroads and greatly done in by the automobile. It ran it's last train on September 28, 1928 then was abandoned. At one time there were depots in Farmington, Canton, Bryant and Lewistown and possibly Norris and St. David. Today an old beat up depot remains standing in Bryant with hopes and attempts of restoring.

Canton: 

Fairview 1911:

Bryant depot pictures I have taken myself in 2017 & 2018:

Some source of information came from an old newsletter my Dad had.  There was an article by Janet Sutton in the January 1984 issue of the Fulton County Historical and Genealogical Society newsletter.

Abandonment:

Canton post card and Fairview picture found on Google images. The maps are 1912 also of both towns showing the line.