Ancona station (Illinois)

Ancona station (also known as Ancona Junction) was an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway station in the unincorporated community of Ancona, Illinois. It a major junction station on the railway since it was point was where the Pekin Branch (also known as the Pekin District) split from the main line.[1] Ancona was the eastern point where the Santa Fe decided to build track west to existing track in Kansas City in 1889.[2] (It used former Chicago and St. Louis Railway trackage to reach Chicago)[2][3] Freight trains still pass on the double-tracked main line and the location provides a good location for railfans. The branch line to Pekin was abandoned in 1982[4] although the former right-of-way can still easily be seen.

Ancona
Former AT&SF passenger rail station
General information
LocationAncona, Illinois
Coordinates41°02′20″N 88°52′21″W / 41.038999°N 88.872421°W / 41.038999; -88.872421
Owned bytracks owned by BNSF Railway
Line(s)Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Main Line and Pekin Branch
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeat-grade
Former services
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Leeds Main Line Moon
toward Chicago
Dana
toward Pekin
Pekin Branch Terminus

References

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  1. ^ Existing Santa Fe stations in Illinois. Retrieved February 27, 2011
  2. ^ a b Solomon, Brian (2003). "Santa Fe History". Santa Fe Railway. Motorbooks International. p. 21. ISBN 0-7603-1072-6.
  3. ^ Marshall, James. Santa Fe, The Railway that Built an Empire. New York City: Random House, Inc. p. 208. ...buy the Chicago & St. Louis, from Chicago to Pekin, Illinois, and use about 100 miles of it, from Chicago to Ancona, as part of the new line.
  4. ^ abandoned rails.com. Retrieved February 17, 2011
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