Portage, IL: Manly Junction Tower: CB&Q+CGW vs. IC

(Satellite)

Stephen N. Brannon posted
Engineer of an eastbound I.C. freight picks up orders from the operator at Portage Tower just west of Galena, Illinois on the Iowa Division where the CB&Q, and CGW using CB&Q rails, connects with the I.C. for a few miles up along the Mississippi River to East Cabin Interlocking where they separated.

Gregg Hodges: Hooping up orders to an eastbound and westbound train at the same time was fun.

Bill Burge: I missed orders a couple times from the caboose.

David Kelzenberg: Tracks Portage to East Cabin were IC, not Q or CGW.

Stephen N. Brannon posted
Another view of orders being hooped up by the operator at Portage Tower to an eastbound I.C. freight. The two tracks closest to the Tower are CB&Q which will join the I.C. track just beyond the Tower to form a double track joint line northward a few miles to East Cabin where I.C. and CB&Q will split and go their separate ways.
Richard Fiedler shared
Richard Fiedler shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's share
And CGW also shared the route between Portage and East Cabin. CGW was on the CB&Q at the Portage end and on the IC at the East Cabin end.
1968 Galena Quad @ 24,000

1946 Aerial Photo via ILHAP

Rik Anderson posted two photos with the comment: "In March of 1966, Don Wildman caught this eastward CB&Q passenger train led by 9986A at Portage, IL. Rik Anderson collection."

Joseph Obrien shared

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Wayne Ott commented on Rik's post
Nice photos, I never saw Portage like this. Here’s same place 1986. The north siding became the road to the operators shack, I never knew the 2 south tracks existed.