Posted October 21, 2012, by Gary Sprandel (jaidite [at] aol [dot] com)
The entire Fox Valley was totally spider webbed with rail lines both interurban and steam road through the 20th century so tracking what right of way was what can be a bit difficult.
That bridge is actually part of the C&NW's Aurora branch from Geneva to Aurora.
If you follow the ROW south into Aurora(difficult due to development over the years)you'll see an old abandoned bridge over the Fox River on the south end of the city and that was where the C&NW interchanged freight with the CB&Q.
If you follow it north from the bridge you posted the ROW goes up through Batavia and you can follow a treeline across Rt 31 at Fabian Parkway through the subdivisions to Geneva.
You'll notice streets that curve and wind for no apparent reason and a curving treeline just west of the current Geneva Metra depot that was where the branch joined up with the C&NW's west main.
If you look on the north side of the tracks you'll also see a similar ROW for the branch that ran north along 31 to St.Charles.
The entire Fox Valley was totally spider webbed with rail lines both interurban and steam road through the 20th century so tracking what right of way was what can be a bit difficult.
That bridge is actually part of the C&NW's Aurora branch from Geneva to Aurora.
If you follow the ROW south into Aurora(difficult due to development over the years)you'll see an old abandoned bridge over the Fox River on the south end of the city and that was where the C&NW interchanged freight with the CB&Q.
If you follow it north from the bridge you posted the ROW goes up through Batavia and you can follow a treeline across Rt 31 at Fabian Parkway through the subdivisions to Geneva.
You'll notice streets that curve and wind for no apparent reason and a curving treeline just west of the current Geneva Metra depot that was where the branch joined up with the C&NW's west main.
If you look on the north side of the tracks you'll also see a similar ROW for the branch that ran north along 31 to St.Charles.
Both branches were pulled up in the mid 1980's.