Not much is known about this former Chigaco & North Western line. Today, the northern half of it serves as the Stone Bridge Rail-Trail.
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The section from Caledonia to Belvidere was connected with the South Wye @ Caledonia crossings. What is now known as Candlewick Lake served as the ROW for this section which was abandoned in 1939 as cited on page 126 of the book "The KD Line" from author Paul L. Behrens, a great read for those interested in this line and and the connecting lines in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Track still exists as I write this in July of 2010, in Beloit WI and South Beloit, IL, where trains pick up sand and grain from an Elevator, and take it East using the old CM&St Paul line connection in Beloit heading East to Clinton WI.
As usual, there are are areas where those with the knowledge of where to look, and what to look for, can find traces of the path between Caledonia and Belvidere if they look. Most of it traverses private land which makes exploring for traces difficult.
Mark Atkinson Poplar Grove, IL 7/4/2010
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Does anyone know what year the C&NW or UP abandoned the line between S. Beloit and Caledonia, then NE to Harvard? I am trying to pinpoint when trains began to route the sand trains and locals via the old MILW to Clinton, WI.
Thanks.
Dan Mitzel Oxford, MI 2/16/2011
The line from Harvard to Beloit appears on a 1979 CNW System map I have. It's not a particularly detailed map, though it does show that line as belonging to the Wisconsin Division. So at the very least it was intact up to the Milwaukee Bankruptcy.
Alex K. Palatine, IL 6/16/2011
Actually, I tried to purchase the segment from just west of Chemung to Rockton Rd. in 1990. In 1988, C&NW filed an exempt (expedited) abandonment of the line from the McHenry/Boone County line to MP 74 near Poplar Grove. Because it was an exemption, no formal notice was required and I didn't notice it. The Boone County Conservation District purchased ROW with the intention of converting it to a bike path. They eventually wanted to convert the whole thing into Winnebago County but couldn't until C&NW filed to abandon the remainder of the line. That took place October, 1991. Since C&NW was aware of my interest in the line, I was notified of the filing per ICC rules. A couple of other individuals were also interested in going in with me on this venture, but when it came time to put their money where their mouths were, they didn't follow through and financing didn't get approved. C&NW didn't begin removing the tracks until June 13, 1992. I had a lot of fun with this one. I went to the Belvidere Daily Republican and gave them several stories on this line, including when the ROW was deeded to the railroad. I showed the newspaper that most of the ROW was reversionary to the property owners. If they wished, they could file a legal claim to the ROW that abuts their property and take back the land. To my knowledge, nobody ever did this. The farmers were not happy about this bike path running through their cornfields. I sill have all the newspaper articles concerning my failed "North Boone Railroad".
Dan Egebrecht Belvidere, IL 7/5/2011
Mark,
Read further in that passage you cite from THE KD LINE. Permission to abandon was granted in 1939, but those Madison Div. tracks didn't get tore out until July & August of 1942, for war materials. The line south from Belvidere to Sycamore(GALENA DIV.) was taken up the same time, but with much more public outcry.A bad derailment east of Poplar Grove in Nov.1986 tore up the ROW to the point CNW didn't want to spend money needed to repair,so service to Beloit, WI and even Poplar Grove, went by way of X-MILW Rd.thru Clinton Jct.The gouge in the ROW that caused cessation is still there and noted on the bike trail.
Cedric Peterson Belvidere, IL 10/19/2011