My Present Past
A genealogical experience
Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, the
official name of the Burlington Route, started
from humble beginnings, February 12, 1849 in
Aurora, Illinois. The Aurora Branch Railroad was
laid with secondhand strap iron spiked to 12
miles of wooden rails. On September 2, 1850,
the first train chugged its uncertain way over
six miles from Batavia, Illinois, north to Turner
Junction, and then eastward to Chicago over
the tracks of the Galena and Chicago Union
Railroad. The locomotive and cars were
borrowed from the Galena line as their own
equipment had not yet arrived. This allowed the
Aurora Branch to be the second railroad
to serve Chicago.

Source: Burlington Route Historical Society
DT Nichols was hired by Colonel C. Y. Hammond to
be the first station agent for the "Q" system in
Wyanet, Illinois starting in 1854.
His first office was nothing more than a couple of tin
boxes he would carry around to conduct business.

Later an old boxcar was shipped to him until a
depot was built, the first two burning down, with the
present one being number three.

Mr Nichols besides being a faithful and zealous
official of the C B & Q railroad was an excellent,
kind hearted man ready at all times to assist
anyone in distress and was instrumental in
securing positions for many ambitious and
pushing young men who are today holding
prominent situations in the business world.

Source: Bureau County Republican May 19th 1904
EJ Engel was hired in 1872 by the C B & Q railroad
where he worked as a switch tender
and brakeman in Wyanet, Illinois.

In 1875 he went to the C B & Q, C R I & P Junction,
where he was the first agent, with his mother,    
Jacobina putting up boarders overnight at the station.
In 1878  he was the joint agent, of the
C R I & P - C B & Q, sharing duties
with his friend, Samuel Crossett

EJ left the Junction in 1881 to take a position
with the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe
railroad in Argentine, Kansas, retiring in 1928

Source: AT&SF Railroad News January 1920
Robert E Jacobs was hired by the C B & Q
railroad as a telegraph operator in 1945.

Most of his time was spent at the Birmingham,
Missouri depot but during his 9 year tenure
with the C B & Q railroad he also worked
at the following depots:

Callao, Macon, Shelbina, Monroe City,
Hunnewell, Hamilton, Chillicothe, Liberty, Block
222, Lathrop, Cameron Jct, Kearney, Carrollton
and Browning, Missouri.

Gene left the railroad in 1955, to take a position
with Trans World Airlines.
To access the Birmingham Depot page click on the card
To access the Argentine, Kansas Depot page click on the pass
To access
the Atchison
Topeka &
Santa Fe page
click on the
pass to the left