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Chicago and Alton Railroad

From Alfawiki
Alton Railroad
Company typeSubsidiary (1931–1947)
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorChicago and Alton Railroad
Founded1931
Defunct1947
FateConsolidated into Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Headquarters
Bloomington, Illinois
,
United States
Area served
Illinois, Missouri
Key people
Jacob Bunn (early developer), Timothy Blackstone (president 1864–1899), Samuel Morse Felton, Jr. (president 1899–1908)
ProductsFreight and passenger rail services
Number of employees
2,000 (circa 1920s at Bloomington shops)

The Alton Railroad was the ultimate designation for a rail line connecting Chicago with Alton, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, known as the Chicago and Alton Railroad, came under the ownership of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 and remained so until 1942, when control was relinquished to judicial authorities. Subsequently, on May 31, 1947, the Alton Railroad was consolidated into the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. A prominent figure in its early development was businessman Jacob Bunn, who played a key role in reorganizing the Chicago & Alton during the 1860s.

The railroad’s principal routes included a main line from Chicago to St. Louis and a branch extending to Kansas City. Today, the Chicago-St. Louis corridor is integrated into the Union Pacific Railroad network, featuring commuter rail service north of Joliet operated by Metra on the Heritage Corridor. This segment is owned by Canadian National Railway but utilized by Union Pacific. Meanwhile, the Kansas City route is currently part of the CPKC system.

History

The earliest forerunner of the Alton Railroad was the Alton and Sangamon Railroad, established by charter in 1847 with the goal of linking Alton on the Mississippi River to Springfield, Illinois. Completion of this line occurred in 1852, marked by its inaugural locomotive journey on September 9. Service expansion continued as the Chicago and Mississippi Railroad extended tracks to Bloomington in 1854 and reached Joliet by 1855, initially operating trains over Chicago and Rock Island Railroad rails to access Chicago.

In 1855, the Joliet and Chicago Railroad was incorporated and opened a year later in 1856, creating a northward extension from Joliet into downtown Chicago. This line was leased to Chicago and Mississippi, enabling uninterrupted travel between Alton and Chicago. The company underwent reorganization in 1857 as the St. Louis, Alton and Chicago Railroad; a subsequent restructuring in 1862 resulted in the formation of the Chicago and Alton Railroad. By 1864, service extended to East St. Louis through acquisition of the Alton and St. Louis Railroad.

Bloomington became the central headquarters and principal maintenance facility from the mid-19th century onward. Initially housed in wooden structures that were destroyed by fire in 1867, these shops were rebuilt extensively in 1883 on a sprawling 40-acre site featuring stone buildings dedicated primarily to car repairs. Expansion continued through 1905 to include major locomotive overhaul capabilities; at their operational zenith during the 1920s, these facilities employed approximately 2,000 individuals.

Regarding operational statistics, by 1925 Chicago and Alton reported handling 2,143 million revenue ton-miles of freight along with 202 million revenue passenger-miles over a network comprising 1,056 miles of roadbed and 1,863 miles of track. By 1944, freight ton-miles had increased to 2,596 million and passenger-miles rose to 483 million despite reductions in track mileage due to operational adjustments. Diesel locomotives fully supplanted steam engines across the system by 1950.

Kansas City line

Springfield-Kansas City and Godfrey-Roodhouse

Chicago-St. Louis line

Origins of Alton

Distinguished Passenger Services

The very first sleeping car, crafted by George Pullman, a pioneer in railcar design, was constructed at the C&A's Bloomington workshops. It was introduced on September 1, 1859, servicing the Chicago to St. Louis corridor. Sleeping car amenities were provided on major routes linking Chicago, Peoria, Bloomington, St. Louis, and Kansas City. The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio successor continued offering sleeping car service between Chicago and St. Louis until December 31, 1969—marking the end of such service on this route.

Pullman also built the inaugural dining car, named Delmonico after the famous New York eatery, at the Aurora, Illinois shops of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. This dining car debuted on the C&A’s Chicago-St. Louis mainline. Additionally, two other Pullman diners—the Tremont and Southern—were leased to provide dining services on all three primary C&A trains operating between Chicago and St. Louis. Dining cars remained part of these train services until May 1, 1971, when Amtrak assumed control of passenger operations.

In a pioneering move in 1932, the Alton became the first railroad between Chicago and St. Louis to equip its passenger trains with air conditioning systems, significantly improving passenger comfort and demonstrating its commitment to modernizing services.

Prominent Named Passenger Trains

Chicago Terminal Stations

Initially, C&A passenger trains entered Chicago through the Chicago & Rock Island depot (which later became La Salle Street Station) before briefly using the Illinois Central depot. On December 28, 1863, an agreement was reached between the leased J&C and Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway allowing J&C access to the PFW&C terminal located at Madison Street. Subsequently, this terminal evolved into a tenant facility within Union Station following its inauguration in 1881. After completion of the new Union Station in 1924, C&A along with its successors consistently utilized this central hub until passenger services transitioned to Amtrak.

Company Leadership

The individuals who served as presidents of the Alton Railroad were:

External links

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