Once upon a time, the New York Central called itself “The Water Level Route” due to its following the Hudson River to the Big Apple.  In truth, many railroads could use the same slogan; after all, following a river often was the easiest way to construct a railroad with easy grades.

One such line operates down the east side of the Mississippi River valley through southern Illinois.  Originally built by the Missouri Pacific, today’s Chester Subdivision of the Union Pacific is a fast freight conduit linking eastern markets and the Midwest with the Gulf Coast, Texas and Mexico.  The mainline from Chicago joins the Chester Sub at Gorham, eighty miles south of East St. Louis.

The line passes through mostly rural farm country; much of it in the flood plain of Old Man River and still potentially vulnerable to extreme flooding events despite the series of levies devised to keep the Mississippi in check.  There have been some close calls where the line was nearly inundated in 1994 and 2019, but this water level route has proved to be a reliable and vital link to today’s transportation system.

South and east of the river town of Grand Tower, a southbound doublestack train passes and old barn nestled in a field of soybeans. Farmers in the region often alternate crops, growing beans one year and corn the next.

Traffic over the southern half of the Chester Sub includes a significant amount to and from eastern markets via CSX’s former Conrail connection at St. Elmo, Illinois, and Indianapolis.  As a result of such interchange traffic and run-through trains, foreign power is nearly as common as UP power on the route.

Southeast of Grand Tower, a southbound manifest from Indianapolis and points east passes with a rural farmhouse in the foreground.

 A scenic highlight of the Pine Hills region of southern Illinois is the rock outcropping of Inspiration Point.  A nature trail leads to the top of the formation, and many people take a tricky and less advisable trail out to the outcropping itself.

Inspiration Point also makes a good backdrop for trains on the Chester Subdivision, such as this northbound seen on Pearl Harbor Day, 2008.

 There are numerous ghost towns along the Chester Subdivision, including several that have left no trace beyond a mention in the history books.  One such location was once the town of John’s Spur.  Where a small town with a lumber mill once stood, nothing remains today.  A pond alongside the tracks and the crossing of a gravel road is all that marks the spot, but that is plenty scenic enough for a southbound stack train in on a spring morning in 2016.

 Just north of the tiny community of Ware, Illinois, recent rains have filled a ditch along the tracks, setting the stage for a reflection shot of a northbound auto rack train.

 The Chester Subdivision is a fast freight route; particularly when intermodal trains are involved.  This train was evidence.

 I knew there was a southbound lined up, but had no idea that Union Pacific’s Katy and MoPac heritage units were on the point when I set up for a long shot of the train rippling in the heat of a June morning near McClure, Illinois.  Getting this shot, I hopped in the car and took off for Thebes, hoping to catch the train again on the bridge over the Mississippi River.

            I didn’t make it.

 The end of the day is fast approaching as the sun sinks toward the horizon at Gorham, Illinois.  This train is just coming off the Mt. Vernon Subdivision; the southern portion of the Chicago mainline.  The head-end of the train is swinging through the curve south of town as the rear of the train is still trailing through the junction.

 In a few moments, the throttle will be wide open and the train will be accelerating down the water level route to Thebes and the Bootheel of Missouri.

Mary McPherson – Photographs and text Copyright 2023