Monee, IL: IC had four tracks going north.

Photos of the depot in the cut also show the 4-track mainline.

Jim Arvites posted
Famous Illinois Central photo of IC flagship train "City of New Orleans" passing by two coal trains on four track mainline near Kankakee, Illinois on March 26, 1954.
(Hedrich Blessing Photo)
John Petit Was 4 tracks to Monee, 3 tracks south to Otto, then 2 tracks from there, this is the sb City of New Orleans
Denis Johnston https://alongtherails.wordpress.com/.../single-tracking.../
Bruce Rogers I believe that tracks 1&2 were the passenger mains and 3&4 the freight mains.
Joshua Bauer This was shot at Monee IL looking north in the morning. Route 50 is on the west side of the tracks as it crosses the line in Monee, behind the photographer. I forget what train that is, I believe it's the Panama, but it could have been the CoNO. Whichever that train is, there was supposed to be both the Panama Limited and the CoNO for the photo shoot. One of the trains hit a car at Stunkel Road in University Park and didn't make it so they took the photo with just the two locomotives.
Joshua Bauer Everything else is correct, 1954 sounds right given the power and the looks of things.
Mark Bilecki Sr. Looks like its near Monee Il. with old route US 54 now Il 50 along side.

Jim Arvites posted again
Pete Fileca This down to 1 track now ?
Dennis DeBruler It looks like just one: https://www.google.com/.../@41.4465081,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

There are lots of comments about the location of the above photo. My theory was that it is looking South from the Mill Street Crossing that existed in 1953. And we see the S. Governors Hwy Overpass in the background. But that theory contradicts Jim's comment that the "City of New Orleans" was southbound. Google Earth shows that overpass was removed between 1994 and 1999.

John Petit explains in a comment on a post: "This train is the City of New Orleans, this picture is taken north of Monee, Il., it is southbound and it is in the morning, how do i know this, i know the area and i know the schedule plus the shadow is a giveaway."

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

So the four track mainline was not real close to Kankakee. I'm surprised that some parts of the mainline still have four tracks. And it is still triple track part of the way to Otto, IL.

Update: Normally, I would skip a railfan photo. But the comments about the number of tacks are interesting.

Nick Hart posted
On a sunny morning, CN train M371 heads south through Monee, IL with BC Rail C40-8M 4626 leading the way to Champaign. Trailing is a former CSX C40-8W, now working for lease company GECX.
Matt McClure The single-tracked ex-IC. The Mainline of the Midwest is a shadow of its former self. Hard to believe this was the dominant railroad in Chicago, Illinois, and the old south for 150 years.
Lawrence Smith The B+O single tracked across Indiana and West Ohio then they doubled it again later - too much traffic for one track.
Denis Johnston Sort of an older article, but I found this interesting. https://alongtherails.wordpress.com/.../single-tracking.../ Just south of where I live (Olympia Fields) At one time, the mainline was 6 tracks across.

Bill Molony posted
Illinois Central 4-8-2 Mountain-type #2426, passing through Monee, Illinois with New York Central train #4, The James Whitcomb Riley.
This was the NYC's daily streamliner that operated between Chicago and Cincinnati via Kankakee and Indianapolis.

Bill Molony posted
Illinois Central 4-8-2 Mountain-type #2426 at track speed with the New York Central's James Whitcomb Riley at Monee, Illinois.
Undated, but circa 1950.Bill Molony The James Whitcomb Riley was the New York Central's daily streamliner operating between Central Station in Chicago and Union Terminal in Cincinnati, via Kankakee, Lafayette and Indianapolis. It was equipped with reclining seat coaches, a dining car and an observation lounge car.

Jurnior Hill posted
For a while the CN used a slug set of power to run the daily Markham-Kankakee local. Here they are highballing south through the big Monee Cut. At one time this cut held 5 tracks, now we have just one. 3/11/2008
Thomas Dyrek I remember seeing that slug sandwiched between two GEs the first time I ever went railfanning in Homewood, probably around the time you took this.
Junior Hill Thomas Dyrek Wow, between 2 toasters never woulda guessed..
Jonathon Leese I didn’t realize any of the GTW Geeps were set up to be Slug mothers.
Harvey Kahler CN doesn't seem particularly cooperative with Illinois or Amtrak to restore 2nd main or passing tracks for OT performance and add a Memphis RT.
[Matt McClure commented with the photo above that was also posted by Jim Arvites.]

Junior commented on his post

Bill Johnson's Flickr Photo shows that Monee still had two tracks in 1979.

Todd Novak Flickr of 1969 "Photo by Robert Malinoski, Novak Collection" The link was posted by Jim French with the comment: "This has to be one of the all time best photos of the IC's C636's."

Mark Kowalski posted the comment:

Those of a certain group would know this ( 50 + in age) what is now called the MONEE RESERVOIR was once owned by the IC RR as a lake they used to refill their steam engines.

Wayne Parker During that same time, the ICRR made a cut in Monee to help save money and energy on their steam locomotives. The tracks used to be level with the town (paralleling Oak and Chestnut Streets). They cut down about 25-30 feet for about a mile through the town and north and south. The pond, now part of Will County’s Forest Preserves was a major steam engine water replenishment point about 36 miles south of Chicago.