Burlington Northern operated a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois. The branch utilizes 0.8 miles of trackage rights on Chicago & North Western’s Troy Grove line here to reach a connector track at Earlville curves eastbound onto the Chicago Division Second Sub main line running from Aurora to Galesburg.
In this view on June 10, 1984, the local has had to wait for the passage of a C&NW southbound train before it could head south at C&NW Junction. As the caboose of the local passes by, the brakeman of the BN local is already lining the switch to the BN. The BN local will enter C&NW trackage as soon as the C&NW Troy Grove train goes by.
BN operated this former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy branch from Sterling to Earlville, Illinois, and by this date, trackage of the branch was deteriorating, with traffic dwindling. Soon, the local would be discontinued on this 46.8-mile long line, and it would be torn up in 1985. BN GP40 No. 3030 is the former CB&Q No. 630.
