Burlington (Iowa)
BNSF's ex-CB&Q main line meets the Mississippi at Burlington
Burlington (Iowa)
BNSF Railway — Ottumwa Subdivision (former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy main line), milepost 204.6; junction with the Hannibal Subdivision (K Line) · Burlington, Iowa, United States
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Virtual Railfan's camera at Burlington, Iowa, sits at the city's Memorial Auditorium on the riverfront and looks out over BNSF's Ottumwa Subdivision — the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy main line — where it crosses the Mississippi at milepost 204.6, alongside a BNSF yard and the junction with the Hannibal Subdivision.
About this cam
The line under the camera is BNSF's **Ottumwa Subdivision**, the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy main line across Iowa, at the point where it crosses the Mississippi River at **milepost 204.6**. The city gave the railroad its name, and the railroad gave the city its skyline: the bridge, the yard and the junction are all in one frame. Two other routes meet here. The **Hannibal Subdivision** — the K Line — runs south to St. Louis by way of Fort Madison and Keokuk. The **Burlington Junction Railway**, a short line, works what remains of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. Between them and the mid-sized BNSF yard, switching is close to constant. Amtrak's **California Zephyr** stops at Burlington once in each direction every day, on its run between Chicago and Emeryville, California. The camera is hosted by the City of Burlington at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium, and has been streaming since 20 October 2023.
What to watch for
Three operators in one view: BNSF road freights on the Ottumwa Subdivision, BNSF yard work, and the Burlington Junction Railway short line on the ex-Rock Island remnant — plus Amtrak's **California Zephyr** calling once each way daily. The Mississippi River crossing is the shot to wait for, and the Hannibal Subdivision junction means southbound K Line traffic peels off toward St. Louis. Virtual Railfan links a Broadcastify feed of the local radio traffic; the published channels include 160.650 MHz (AAR 36) for the Ottumwa Sub road, 160.160 MHz (AAR 04) for the Hannibal Sub, and 160.445 / 160.950 MHz for the Burlington Junction Railway.