The Scalzo History Collection

The Stephen Scalzo History Collection

Stephen M. Scalzo was a traction historian with a particular interest in Illinois electric railways. After his death in 2016, his wife Kimberly donated his collection of historic files and photographs to IRM. Also included were a number of unpublished manuscripts, short histories of many of the state's electric railways.

Some of the below articles were written using primary materials and notes from the Scalzo Collection; most were written by Stephen M. Scalzo and have been published here for the first time, together with photos, rosters, and route maps from his files.

If you are interested in donating historic photographs, records, or artifacts to IRM, click here.

Electric Railways Of Illinois

• The Alton Streetcar Story by Stephen Scalzo
• The Alton Jacksonville & Peoria by Stephen Scalzo
• Anna-Jonesboro: Fruit Growers Refrigeration & Power by Stephen Scalzo
• Aurora Plainfield & Joliet / Joliet & Eastern by Stephen Scalzo
• Bloomington and Normal Streetcars by Stephen Scalzo
• Bloomington Pontiac & Joliet by Stephen Scalzo
• Cairo Railway & Light by Stephen Scalzo
• Central Illinois Traction    (Mattoon to Charleston)
• Centralia and Central City Streetcars by Stephen Scalzo
• Champaign-Urbana Streetcars by Stephen Scalzo
• Chicago & Interurban Traction by Stephen Scalzo (Chicago to Kankakee)
• Chicago & Joliet Electric by Stephen Scalzo
• Chicago Aurora & DeKalb by Stephen Scalzo
• Chicago Harvard & Geneva Lake (Harvard to Fontana, WI)
• Chicago Heights Street Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Chicago Ottawa & Peoria Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Chillicothe - People's Street Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Coal Belt Electric Railway by Stephen Scalzo (Marion to Carterville)
• Danville Street Railway & Light by Stephen Scalzo
• Decatur Railway & Light by Stephen Scalzo
• DeKalb Sycamore & Interurban Traction by Stephen Scalzo
• Du Quoin Street Railroad by Stephen Scalzo
• East St. Louis & Suburban Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• East St. Louis Columbia & Waterloo by Stephen Scalzo
• Elgin & Belvidere by Stephen Scalzo
• Fox & Illinois Union by Stephen Scalzo (Yorkville to Morris)
• Freeport Railway & Light by Stephen Scalzo
• The Galesburg Streetcar Story by Stephen Scalzo'
• Harvey Transit by Stephen Scalzo
• Hillsboro Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Illinois Central Electric Railway by Stephen Scalzo (Farmington, Canton, and Lewistown)
• Jacksonville Railway & Light by Stephen Scalzo
• Kankakee and Urbana Traction   (Urbana to Paxton)
• Kankakee Street Railways by Stephen Scalzo
• Kewanee & Galva by Stephen Scalzo
• Lee County Central Electric Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Lincoln Municipal Street Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Mt. Vernon - City Railway Company by Stephen Scalzo
• Murphysboro & Southern Illinois by Stephen Scalzo
• Ottawa Streetcars by Stephen Scalzo
• Paris Traction by Stephen Scalzo
• Pekin Municipal Street Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Peoria Railway Company by Stephen Scalzo
• Peoria Railway Terminal by Stephen Scalzo
• Quincy Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Rock Island Southern    (Rock Island to Monmouth to Galesburg)
• Rockford Public Service by Stephen Scalzo
• Southern Illinois Railway & Power by Stephen Scalzo (Harrisburg)
• Springfield Clear Lake & Rochester by Stephen Scalzo
• Springfield Consolidated Railway by Stephen Scalzo
• Sterling Dixon & Eastern by Stephen Scalzo
• Streator Streetcars by Stephen Scalzo
• Taylorville Railway Light Heat & Power by Stephen Scalzo
• Tri-City Railway Company    (Rock Island, Moline, and Bettendorf)
• Woodstock & Sycamore by Stephen Scalzo

Click here for a Google map of electric railways in Illinois created from the above articles

Click here for a catalog of 4x6s and small prints included in the Scalzo Photo Collection

Click here for a catalog of 5x7 prints included in the Scalzo Photo Collection

Click here for a catalog of 8x10 prints included in the Scalzo Photo Collection

To find slides from the Scalzo Collection that have been scanned by Ray and Julie Piesciuk, visit www.irm-cta.org