When in doubt, check with Dick Overton! Per "Burlington Route": In
1852 the IC obtained rights to build a spur from their lakefront line to the
Chicago River. John Murray Forbes whose Michigan Central came into Chicago
via the IC, appointed 3 of the Aurora Branch's top guns (Gale, Brooks & Van
Norwick) to look into const. of a lift bridge over the river to connect with
the Aurora Branch. However by 1855, neither the Galena & Chi. Union nor
the Aurora Branch yet had connections to RR's entering Chicago from the S or
E nor did the Aurora have its own terminal, other financial needs having
intervened in the interim. So when the IC announced construction of its
Randolph St. station (with hopes that the Galena & Aurora lines might join
them as was the M.C.), they, acting on behalf of the other 3 RR', bought the
necessary ROW and by May of 1856 had the line and lift bridge in place to
connect with the Galena & Aurora roads. The Aurora immediately moved its
terminal to Randolph (& remained there til 1881) and the connecting line was
named the St. Charles Air Line. As for attempts to built from the W bank
connection, Overton does not discuss as that was not part of the Q's future.
Gerald
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