Kenosha and Rockford Railroad

Kenosha and Rockford Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1853
Fate	Absorbed by Chicago and North Western Railroad
Headquarters	Kenosha, Wisconsin , United States
Area served	Wisconsin, Illinois
Products	Freight and passenger rail services

The Kenosha and Rockford Railroad, commonly referred to as the KD Line, operated within Wisconsin from 1861 until 1939.

19th century

Founded by Kenosha entrepreneurs in 1853, the Kenosha, Rockford and Rock Island Railroad commenced service on July 21, 1861. Although originally intended to link Kenosha with Beloit, Wisconsin, the western endpoint was altered after Beloit declined involvement. Stretching 72 miles, the railroad encouraged growth along its corridor.

Passenger volumes remained modest, primarily catering to visitors traveling to resort areas in western Kenosha County.

20th century

By the early 1900s, the line operated as many as twelve trains daily, transporting freight such as milk and ice sourced from nearby dairies and lakes. After being renamed the Kenosha and Rockford Railroad, it was absorbed by the Chicago and North Western Railroad (CNW), becoming known as the Kenosha Division or KD Line.

The advent of electric refrigeration during the 1930s and a surge in trucking following World War II diminished the need for ice and dairy shipments by rail. By 1938, only two mixed trains remained in operation, with passenger service nearly discontinued.

CNW discontinued service on the main KD Line on May 31, 1939. The final journey included three paying passengers, among them rail historian Anton E. Klova and representatives from local historical organizations. On this trip, crew members dismantled stations along the route, causing an almost eight-hour delay before reaching Harvard, Illinois.

From an industrial standpoint, the KD Line served significant clients at both termini. Its largest customer was the American Motors Company (AMC) manufacturing plants in Kenosha—previously Nash—until Chrysler’s acquisition of AMC in 1987 led to their phased shutdown. In Loves Park, facilities such as Warner-Lambert (chewing gum production), Borg-Warner, and Barber-Colman were served. Although the Warner-Lambert facility continues operations under Perfetti Van Melle, it no longer relies on rail transportation.

Currently, three short sections of the KD Line remain operational. Union Pacific serves two customers in Loves Park, Illinois—Rock Valley Oil & Chemical and Cimco scrapyard—utilizing the KD northward from Rockford. The Rockford Park District operates a seasonal streetcar on this line during summer weekends when Union Pacific is inactive. Additionally, from Chemung to Harvard, Illinois, the Chicago-Chemung Railroad runs over approximately 3.5 miles of former KD track connecting a large grain elevator to Union Pacific’s Harvard Subdivision. In Wisconsin, Union Pacific manages the KD Line (also known as the Farm Line) from Bain Station into downtown Kenosha mainly to link its New Line with the Old Line or Kenosha Subdivision; it continues to serve one active customer—the Ocean Spray facility.

The CNW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad in April 1995.

21st century

Union Pacific currently owns and operates two segments of the KD Line: between Rockford and Loves Park in Illinois, and from Bain Station to Kenosha in Wisconsin. The DeLong Company oversees grain elevator operations at Chemung and runs the Chicago-Chemung Railroad. Moreover, during summer weekends, the Rockford Park District provides seasonal service with a self-propelled streetcar on portions of the KD Line.

References

• The KD Line by P. L. Behrens, 1986
• Brian K. Landis, co-author and regional historian, with works including the 2017 Northwest Quarterly Magazine and the 2020 publication Harlem Township in Winnebago County, which features coverage of the Kenosha & Rockford Railroad/KD Line.

Bibliography

• The KD Line authored by P. J. Behrens (182 pages), published in 1986
• 2020 publication Harlem Township in Winnebago County, co-authored by Brian Landis

External links

• Comprehensive history of the Kenosha Division spanning Kenosha, WI to Rockford, IL, featuring an interactive map and photographs.