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Alton Railroad

From Alfawiki
Alton Railroad
Company typeRailroad
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorChicago and Alton Railroad
Founded1931
Defunct1947-05-31
FateConsolidated into Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Headquarters
Bloomington, Illinois
,
United States
Area served
Illinois, Missouri
Key people
Jacob Bunn (early development), Timothy Blackstone (president 1864–1899), Samuel Morse Felton, Jr. (president 1899–1908)
ProductsPassenger and freight rail services

The Alton Railroad was the last designation for a railroad that linked Chicago with Alton, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri. Its antecedent, known as the Chicago and Alton Railroad, came under the ownership of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 and remained under its control until 1942, when judicial intervention returned it to independent status. On May 31, 1947, the Alton Railroad was consolidated into the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. A notable figure in its early development during the 1860s was Jacob Bunn, who played a key role in reorganizing the company.

The primary corridors consisted of a route from Chicago to St. Louis, with an additional branch extending to Kansas City. Today, the Chicago-St. Louis segment belongs to the Union Pacific Railroad, featuring Metra Heritage Corridor commuter operations north of Joliet, Illinois. Meanwhile, the Kansas City branch is integrated into the CPKC network.

History

The origins of the Alton Railroad can be traced back to the Alton and Sangamon Railroad, chartered in 1847 with the purpose of linking Alton, Illinois to Springfield. The railroad completed its initial track by 1852, marked by its inaugural locomotive journey. The line expanded to reach Bloomington in 1854 and Joliet by 1855, initially connecting to Chicago through the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad.

In 1856, direct service into downtown Chicago was established via the Joliet and Chicago Railroad. Following corporate restructurings in 1857 and again in 1862, the Chicago and Alton Railroad was formed. By 1864, through its subsidiary—the Alton and St. Louis Railroad—the company extended operations to East St. Louis.

Bloomington functioned as both the headquarters and main maintenance center starting in the 1850s. After a significant fire in 1867, repair facilities were extensively reconstructed; by 1883, these shops spanned 40 acres and included 15 stone structures dedicated primarily to car repairs. Further expansion occurred in 1905 to accommodate locomotive overhauls. During their peak in the 1920s, these facilities employed as many as 2,000 personnel.

In 1925, freight revenue ton-miles reached 2,143 million while passenger revenue miles totaled 202 million across a network of 1,056 miles. By 1944, freight ton-miles had risen to 2,596 million and passenger miles increased to 483 million despite a reduction in track length. The transition from steam to diesel locomotives on Alton lines was completed by 1950.

Kansas City line

Springfield-Kansas City and Godfrey-Roodhouse

Chicago-St. Louis line

Early years of Alton

Noteworthy Passenger Services

George Pullman’s inaugural sleeping car was constructed at the C&A’s Bloomington facility and launched on September 1, 1859, servicing the Chicago to St. Louis corridor. These sleeping cars operated on major routes connecting Chicago, Peoria, Bloomington, St. Louis, and Kansas City. The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, as its successor, continued to offer sleeping car service between Chicago and St. Louis until December 31, 1969, marking the final railroad to provide such service along this route.

The first dining car, named Delmonico after the famous New York establishment, was produced by Pullman at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad’s Aurora shops and introduced on the C&A’s mainline between Chicago and St. Louis. Additionally, two other Pullman dining cars—Tremont and Southern—were leased to supply meal services across all three primary C&A trains operating on the Chicago-St. Louis line. Dining cars remained a fixture on this route until May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over passenger operations.

In 1932, the Alton Railroad became the pioneer among Chicago-St. Louis railroads by equipping its passenger trains with air conditioning, significantly improving traveler comfort.

Prominent Named Passenger Trains

Chicago Stations

Initially, C&A passenger trains arrived in Chicago through the Chicago & Rock Island depot before briefly relocating to the Illinois Central depot. On December 28, 1863, an agreement was reached between the leased J&C and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway allowing J&C access to PFW&C’s terminal located on Madison Street. Eventually, this arrangement led to tenancy at Union Station upon its opening in 1881. Following completion of the new Union Station between Adams and Jackson streets in 1924, C&A and its successors operated there continuously until Amtrak assumed control of passenger services.

Corporate Leadership

Individuals who served as presidents of the Alton Railroad included:

External Links

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