Quincy Rail Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Quincy Rail Bridge carries rail lines across the Mississippi River
between West Quincy, Missouri
, and Quincy, Illinois
, USA. It was originally constructed for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, a predecessor of BNSF Railway
.
From the 1950s until 1971 it served the Kansas City Zephyr
and American Royal Zephyr
daily passenger trains between Chicago and Kansas City. It served Amtrak
's Illinois Zephyr
from Chicago to West Quincy, Missouri, from 1971 to 1993.
Since the Great Flood of 1993
the Amtrak
Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg
services terminate at the Quincy station
, although after the passengers have disembarked the trains do cross the bridge to the BNSF Railway yard
in West Quincy, where the equipment is oriented in the proper direction for the return trip on the wye
and is stored until the next departure. This Mississippi River crossing does serve as a backup route should the Fort Madison Toll Bridge crossing be unavailable.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
between West Quincy, Missouri
West Quincy, Missouri
West Quincy is a small commercial area in northeastern Marion County, Missouri, United States, on U.S. Route 24. It has no permanent residents.-History:...
, and Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
, USA. It was originally constructed for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, a predecessor of BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
.
From the 1950s until 1971 it served the Kansas City Zephyr
Kansas City Zephyr
The Kansas City Zephyr was a streamliner passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Kansas City.- Overview :...
and American Royal Zephyr
American Royal Zephyr
The American Royal Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Kansas City...
daily passenger trains between Chicago and Kansas City. It served Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Illinois Zephyr
Illinois Zephyr
The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation...
from Chicago to West Quincy, Missouri, from 1971 to 1993.
Since the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg (Amtrak)
The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of...
services terminate at the Quincy station
Quincy (Amtrak station)
The Quincy Amtrak station is a train station in Quincy, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is one of the namesake stations of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad , but today serves as the western terminus of Amtrak's Illinois...
, although after the passengers have disembarked the trains do cross the bridge to the BNSF Railway yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
in West Quincy, where the equipment is oriented in the proper direction for the return trip on the wye
Wye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
and is stored until the next departure. This Mississippi River crossing does serve as a backup route should the Fort Madison Toll Bridge crossing be unavailable.