The Midwestern state of Illinois, known as the Prairie State, is not known for its varied topography, but this mostly flat land was indeed very conducive to the construction of railroads. It is located at a place where east meets west as railroads interchange huge amounts of traffic at Chicago, the railroad capital of the nation. Because it hosts smaller industrial cities and huge agricultural areas in the northern and central parts of the state, combined with coal, petroleum and other natural resources in the south, it’s no surprise that today the ‘Land of Lincoln’ is criss-crossed by 7,151 miles of rail lines. Illinois is also at the centre of the nation’s rail network, and an incredible variety of railroad companies can be seen traversing the state.

Through a collection of incredible colour photos, Mike Danneman takes the reader on a tour of the railroads of Illinois – from Chicago to Chester, and from the tunnel at East Dubuque to the high bridge at Metropolis.