These bridges carry the BNSF/CB&Q mainline over the Fox River. An abandoned bridge for an industrial spur is just upstream from these bridges. And the Fox River bridge for the IR/CB&Q Streator Branch is downstream of these bridges.
A photo of the downstream side of the West Channel Bridge from a trail bridge.
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An "artsy" photo, but it is more useful as a memory aid photo to remind me that I shot it from the trail bridge.
I had a hard time finding a clear view of the bridges because there are trees along the shores of Hurds Island. This is the East Channel Bridge. Note some leaves of the trees are in the river. I made this field trip because the local rivers were running high.
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This is the West Channel Bridge. Note the river was almost on the trail. There were parts of Hurds Island that were under water. In fact, the drive to the parking lot on the island was closed during this trip.
HalstEd caught the river during a more normal flow. Note the extensions on the north side of the pier. They were covered in my July 25, 2017, photo because of the high river level. The extensions must be more than just ice breakers. I presume that they help the current in the river to use the east and center parts of the river rather than pile up against the west bank and cause erosion.
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| HalstEd Pazdzior posted RCHI476 over the Fox River. 7/7/22 [Not only did he catch a Blue Bonnet, the BNSF loco is H1.] |
Note that during the Apr 1, 2017, trip the river level was right at the top of the extensions. I was able to park on Hurds Island during this trip. (I don't know why the exposure is so dark. Did I catch a lot of glare off the river?)
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On the July 25, 2017, trip, I caught a train going across the East Channel
The train continued to roll across the bridge as I walked on Hurds Island from the east side to the west side. Note the water under the swings because the river was running high.
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| Jeff Wojciechowski posted [On the west side of Hurds Island on the downstream side.] |
Chuck Pfeiffer posted two photos with the comment: "Saw this parked on the Fox River bridge just south of downtown Aurora earlier this week. That's a horrible spot to park. The bridge has crumbling concrete."
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| 2 [This would be the downstream side of the West Channel. HistoricBridges-west points out that this bridge is skewed.] |
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| Dave Kuntz posted The massive BNSF concrete viaduct over Hurds Island and the Fox River in Aurora. Looks like it was triple tracked once? Also note the abandoned EJE bridge in the far background. Steven E Kakoczki: Yes.....at Hurds Island it had three tracks. Two of them went to Galesburg and one went west....known as the C&I Main. [Some comments indicate that the C&I Main is now called the Aurora Sub.] Harold J. Krewer: Employees also prefer to call Chicago-Aurora the "East End," NOT the "Racetrack." "Racetrack" is strictly a foamer term. On the radio today it's STILL the "East End Dispatcher" (along with Union Ave. Dispatcher on first and second trick). Three mains once extended all the way to where the C&I (Aurora Sub) and the Main Line (which becomes the Mendota Sub at Montgomery) split. When the dinkies were rerouted at West Eola down the hill to the new Transportation Center, the third main got pulled up west of there. Wonder if anyone in Fort Worth regrets that decision today. Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla: It’s actually two separate bridges. One over the east channel of the Fox River, one over the west. The west bridge has 3 tracks still, Main 1 & Main 2 westward towards Galesburg and the Aurora siding. The turnout to the C&I Main is over the River St Viaduct, the turnout out to the Sheepyard lead is off the C&I Main just west of River Street. The C&I Main goes west towards Sugar Grove, Rochelle and Savanna in IL on the Aurora Subdivision. The two Galesburg Mains are on the Chicago Subdivision. Davis Shroomberg: The triple track you refer to on the east bridge was the main lead into the former CB&Q Aurora station, which is also where Q/BN/Metra dinkies would lay over before being moved to the current Metra station at the Roundhouse circa 1988. Steven Holding: Constructed 1917-1932 with time out for WW! Three tracks to just past the bridge at top over the fox where split 2 to Galesburg middle to the Sheep Yard Now the industrial tracks along Ill. 31 and 1 to the C&I to Savanna with the start of the C&I Siding off to the right. OP Aurora Tower 6/73-12/31/73 Dispatcher Cicero till move to Galesburg then Ft. Worth. |
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| Larry Candilas commented on Dave's post Lots of tracks in 1967 - definitely three across the bridge |
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