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  • B&E through Union

  • This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.
This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.

Moderator: Nicolai3985

 #10438  by BN7151
 
How much of the old Belvidere & Elgin is left through the Huntley-Union-Marengo-Rockford area? I understand the Illinois Railway Museum owns a few miles beyond a river.

 #13705  by MikeF
 
It's the other way around -- Elgin & Belvidere. The E&B right-of-way is very much intact between Huntley and Belvidere.

It's been built up somewhat in Huntley and isn't immediately apparent, but it's still visible. The Illinois Railway Museum owns the right-of-way between Coyne Station Road at the west edge of Huntley and the Kishwaukee River, but does not currently have track in this area. The museum operates track on the E&B right-of-way between the west bank of the Kishwaukee River and Jefferson Street in Union. (Note, however, that the track on which IRM operates is not original E&B track.)

Through Union the E&B ran on the street, but the right-of-way becomes visible again on the west side of town. Look for the pole line a bit south of the C&NW track. It gets a little hard to follow through Marengo, although there was some E&B track still in existence until recently. If I'm not mistaken, it was torn out not long ago.

The right-of-way becomes easily visible west of Marengo. In Garden Prairie it is easy to picture the E&B running down the street a block north of US 20. Between the west edge of Garden Prairie and the southerly curve in US 20 east of Logan Avenue, the right-of-way is exceptionally apparent along the north side of the highway. In Belvidere running was mostly on the streets, so there's not a lot to see.

 #144191  by MR77100
 
Isn't the bridge over the river still there inn Belvidere?

 #152818  by MikeF
 
Yes, the bridge still exists in Belvidere.