Fox River Branch RR Line is Topic of Museum Meeting

A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy freight heads north past the Oswego depot on the Fox River Branch line in this September, 1965 photo. The depot stood on Jackson near South Adams Street. Submitted by the Little White School Museum.

The winter/spring 2015 program series at Oswego’s historic Little White School Museum in Oswego will kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 with “The Fox River Branch of the Burlington Railroad.”

The museum is located at 72 Polk St. (Polk at Jackson), just two blocks east of Oswego’s historic downtown business district.

The Fox River Branch rail line extends from Montgomery south along the banks of the Fox River through Oswego and Yorkville to Ottawa before continuing due south to its terminus at Streator. Leo Phillipp, a former employee who worked on the Fox River Branch rail line from Montgomery to Streator, will speak about the branch line’s history, train operations over the decades including its major and minor customers, the line’s passenger service, and major wrecks that happened along the line.

He will also offer an outline of operations along the line by the Burlington Northern and the short line rail operators that took over the line.

The program will be suitable for train enthusiasts age 14 and older. Admission donation is $5 per person. Proceeds will benefit the museum’s operations.

For more information on the program series, call the museum at 630-554-2999, check out their web site at www.littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org, or send an email to info@littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org.