Macomb station

Not to be confused with McComb station.

Macomb, IL
Macomb station in May 2017.
General information
Location	120 East Calhoun Street Macomb, Illinois
Coordinates	40.4611°N 90.6724°W / 40.4611; -90.6724
Line(s)	BNSF Brookfield Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Go West Transit
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: MAC
History
Opened	November 1855
Rebuilt	June 1879 1913
Key dates
May 26, 1879	1866 station depot burned
Passengers
FY 2022	41,675 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Quincy Terminus Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg Galesburg toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Burlington Route Following station Colchester toward Kansas City Kansas City – Galesburg Bardolph toward Galesburg
Location

Macomb station (officially the Thomas C. Carper Amtrak Station) is an Amtrak intercity train station in Macomb, Illinois, United States. There is one daily morning train to Chicago. In the evening, the return train continues on to Quincy, Illinois. The station is a brick structure constructed around 1913 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad as designed by the railroad's architect Walter Theodore Krausch. The city of Macomb leases the station from BNSF Railway to prevent demolition and has done so since 1971.

In 2017, Amtrak and the city of Macomb agreed to be the first member of a pilot project in which the station platform would be upgraded. Amtrak visited the station in 2016 and railroad engineers drew up plans for a new platform. By doing so, it would also get the station interior a full remodel, making sure the doors and restrooms are all accessible with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. They speculated cost for the new project would be $100,000–$200,000. Amtrak rebuilt the platform at Macomb station in 2022, making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act at the cost of $2.7 million. The new platform, 300 feet (91 m) long, contained a new brick pattern surface with concrete, new hand and guard rails, and a snowmelt system built into the platform to make it easier for cleaning in the winter. The railroad and city officials unveiled the new platform to the public on August 24, 2022.

Amtrak and the city of Macomb dedicated the station on May 16, 2024 in honor of Tom Carper, Mayor of Macomb from 1991–2013 and Amtrak Board member from 2008–2024.

History

1862 slave incident

On December 31, 1862, an eastbound Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad train stopped at Macomb. Upon stopping, a citizen of McDonough County boarded the train and removed two African-American people from the train. The man who pulled the African-Americans from the train claimed that they were runaway slaves from their master and wanted to return them. In return for sending the two people back, the citizen thought he would get monetary compensation to keep a supply of whisky and tobacco. John Lane, the Macomb City Marshal, checked on the two riders, noting that they were traveling on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad train with a railroad pass from their master. Lane took the pass from the riders and stated that he would ensure their safety, bringing them to the Randolph Hotel. At the hotel, Lane ensured that they were kept safe from any parties looking to hurt them.

Despite Lane's actions, a party of people out to capture the slaves rode out to the Randolph Hotel while heavily intoxicated. The intoxicated party demanded William H. Randolph release the slaves to them. Randolph told the leader to get off the property and kicked him. The angry leader threatened revenge on Randolph but departed. Friends of Randolph held until midnight January 1, 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect. Afterwards, they were free and could leave on their own.

1879–1913

On December 22, 1909, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and the Macomb and Western Illinois Railway (M&WI) came to an agreement allowing the M&WI to move from their depot in the southern end of the city to the Burlington depot downtown. After years of failing to get a downtown depot of their own, including on three different attempts, the agreement ensured that passengers would have better access to the railroad. As part of the agreement, the Burlington would choose the times of trains operating on their property and no Macomb and Western Illinois Railroad tickets would be sold at the depot. All fares would instead be collected onboard trains. At the time of the agreement, the plans were only temporary, stating that patronage would determine if it continued, showing faith in the M&WI's loyal ridership.

Transit connections

Go West Transit operates bus services in the city of Macomb and maintains a transfer station on North Randolph Street, opened in November 2011. The transfer station provides access to buses from the Amtrak station and parking for Amtrak riders.

The following Routes service the City Center Bus Transfer Facility:

• 5 – Brown (City Center to Charles/Elting; City Center to Walgreens)
• 6 – Maroon (City Center to Walgreens; City Center to Aspen Court)
• 10 – Amtrak
• 15 – Brown West (City Center loop via Western Illinois University; East shared with 16)
• 16 – Maroon West (City Center loop via Western Illinois University; East shared with 15)
• 18 – South (City Center loop via McDonough Hospital)
• 18 – Central (City Center loop via Spoon River College)
• 19 – Weekday Shuttle (City Center loop via Macomb High School)

Bibliography

• Clarke, S.J. (1878). History of McDonough County, Illinois. Springfield, Illinois: D. W. Lusk, State Printer and Binder.

External links

Media related to Macomb (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons

• Macomb, IL – Amtrak
• Macomb, IL – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Macomb Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Official list of Go West Transit routes that stop at Macomb station