Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway

The Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway

by Stephen M. Scalzo

Headline image: C&JE car 250, one of two like it on the line, is seen at Lockport in 1933, less than a year before this line was abandoned. Photos are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum except where noted.

Part I. History

Part II. Trackage

Part III. Timetables

Part IV. Industry Coverage

Part V. Roster of Equipment

This C&JE history page was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks to Ray and Julie Piesciuk and to Richard Schauer for making available materials from the Stephen Scalzo Collection. I am also very grateful to Art Peterson of the Krambles-Peterson Archive for contributing an enormous amount of photos, paperwork, and historical information to this history.

We also thank Bruce Beveridge, local historian and archivist for the Summit - Willow Springs area, who has contributed a number of corrections and additions to the photo captions.  These are identified with his initials BB.

Part I - History

The Chicago & Joliet Electric (C&JE) was one of the earliest interurbans in Illinois. The company began as three short lines. Even though the company lacked a high-speed entry into Chicago, it served a populated area between Chicago and Joliet along the Des Plaines River, and hence lasted a decade longer than most other interurbans.

Horsecar 2 is thought to have been one of the earliest cars delivered to Joliet. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Horsecar 3, of a slightly simpler design than the car pictured above it, is in front of the Joliet State Penitentiary on the north side of the city.

The Joliet Street Railway (JSR) was organized in June of 1873, and received a franchise for four lines on July 31, 1873. However, construction was delayed by the 1873 depression. On July 4, 1874, the company began operating a two-mile line with four horsecars. In 1877 the company was sold to Jacob Henry for $33,000. For the next several years, earnings often failed to match expenses. By 1886, the company was operating 12.5 miles of trackage, nine horsecars, and 20 mules. The original three lines were Cass Street to the cemetery, Collins Street to the penitentiary, and the west side route crossing the Des Plaines River and extending to the top of the Jefferson Street hill. The car barn was located on Second Street.

Horsecars 15 and 16 are seen in front of the Second Street car barn.

It's 1889 and horsecar 2 (not the same as the car of the same number pictured earlier, but apparently of the same type as number 3 shown above) has been converted into an overhead line car to facilitate the installation of the electric wires that have doomed it.

Rivals formed the Joliet City Railway in December of 1885 with $25,000 capital, but that company failed to construct anything. The Joliet Electric Street Railway was incorporated in January 1889, and after obtaining a franchise to operate electric streetcars in July of 1889, was merged into the JSR. A contract was given to the Thomson-Houston Company to electrify a four-mile long line using Pullman Palace streetcars. The first streetcars operated on February 1, 1890. Regular service, scheduled to begin on February 3 with eight streetcars, was delayed until February 6 when the Chicago & Alton Railroad obtained an injunction to force the company to raise its overhead wires. A 14-streetcar capacity car barn and workshop was constructed on the north side of Second Street. By October, construction was progressing on the Lockport extension. In the spring of 1891, plans were announced to construct the South Chicago Street, Fourth Avenue, and Hickory Street lines, which were later built. On July 3, the Lockport line was opened. By 1892 the company had 16 streetcars. In 1894, the company had 16 miles of track, 16 streetcars, and 14 trailers.

Joliet car 22, one of four cars built by Pullman in 1890, was part of the system's original batch of electric cars.

Three of the early Joliet electric cars: closed cars 25 and 27, both built by Pullman in 1890, and open car 30, builder and year uncertain.

On July 6, 1896, the McKinley Syndicate purchased the JSR and formed the Joliet Railway, which was incorporated on July 10, 1896. Plans were announced to enlarge the powerhouse, purchase new streetcars, and build extensions, with construction of the Rockdale line beginning late in 1898. The company was then sold to the Joliet Railroad Company (JR), which was chartered on April 12, 1898, and took over the operations in July. On August 18, 1899, the Joliet-Rockdale line was opened. The Ingalls Park line was constructed in 1900 to serve a horse race track; the County Club line was also constructed in 1900.

Unusual convertible car 107, signed for Second Avenue line service to Ingalls Park, was built by Barney & Smith around 1895.

Like most Illinois electric lines, Joliet needed snow sweepers. Joliet Railway (later C&JE) 100 was an early McGuire-Cummings product built with open platforms.

The Des Plaines Valley Electric railway (DVE) was organized on May 5, 1897, and received a franchise to build a 12-mile line alongside Archer Avenue between Summit and Lemont. The Chicago & Des Plaines Valley Electric Railway (C&DV) was organized on November 1, 1897, and received a franchise to build a 3.7-mile line between Lyons and Summit. Those two companies were consolidated into the Chicago & Des Plaines Valley Electric Railway, which was organized on November 1, 1899.

The Chicago & Joliet Rapid Transit Company (C&JRT) was chartered on September 13, 1898, and received a franchise from Cook County to build a line along each side of Archer Avenue from Lemont to Lockport. Construction began on the line in early 1900 by the DuPage Construction Company, and Joliet-Lemont service began operating on September 19, 1900. By 1900, Joliet had a population of 29,353.

Handsome single-truck car 131 was built by Pullman in 1898. Left, conductor John Onberton; right, motorman Dave Cheney. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Open car 134 was outshopped by Brill in 1899 and is shown here at the C&JE powerhouse when new. Joliet disposed of its open cars by about 1920. 

On January 1, 1900, the American Railway Company assumed control of the JR, and in March purchased the franchises of the C&JRT, C&DV, and DVE. The Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway (C&JE) was incorporated on January 15, 1901, being the consolidation of the JR and the C&JRT. On May 16, 1901, the C&JE and C&DV entered into an operating and maintenance agreement in which the C&JE would operate the entire property of both companies for a term of 40 years. In return, the C&JE agreed to distribute revenue collected between the two companies on the basis of 60 percent to the company on whose line transportation originated and 40 percent to the other company. The C&JE also agreed to pay interest on the $1,000,000 mortgage of the C&DV, an amount not to exceed $50,000 annually.

The C&JE owned and operated 44.75 miles of trackage in Will County, which included the seven local streetcar lines in Joliet totaling 20 miles and the double-track interurban line from Joliet northeast to the county line near Lemont. The C&DV owned 41.76 miles of trackage, beginning at the connection with the C&JE trackage at the Cook County line and proceeding northeast to the intersection of Archer and Cicero Avenues in Chicago, with a 2.1-mile long branch from Summit to Lyons.

The C&JE ordered eight interurban cars from Brill for the new Chicago to Joliet service, four coaches and four combines identical to 255 shown here. Interurban cars on the C&JE were smaller than those on most Midwestern lines and were more reminiscent of northeastern U.S. interurban lines. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Interurban car 208, one of four built by Jackson & Sharp with that company's signature five-window end, leads the procession on the first day of service to Chicago in September 1901. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Interurban service using standard deck-roof interurbans from Lemont to Chicago began operating on September 25, 1901. At Archer and Cicero Avenues a handsome wooden terminal building was constructed and shared with the Chicago City Railway's Archer Avenue streetcar line, and soon 18 daily trips were operating on hourly headways, which took 90 minutes to operate to Joliet. Through service into downtown Chicago was often considered, and although it was said to have been attempted in the very early days, that arrangement was never fulfilled. There were 32 scheduled stops along the interurban. At Argo, connection was made with the Chicago City Railway's 63rd-Argo streetcars. The terminal in Joliet for the interurban line was the terminal building at Ottawa and Clinton Streets. During the period 1901 to 1903, the company purchased 16 interurbans plus suburban streetcars for the shorter branches. The Joliet-Lockport section, originally single-tracked, was reconstructed and double-tracked in 1901, and by 1904 that permitted half-hour service to be inaugurated.

Dellwood Park, north of Joliet, is shown in 1908 in its heyday. The park is still there, and most of the dam used to create the pond still exists, but the boathouse and pond are gone.

Car 265 (later renumbered 261) was one of five coaches built by Brill in 1903 that were nearly identical to the 1901 coaches. It's shown at the eastern terminus of the C&JE at Archer and Cicero in Chicago. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The Chicago Division consisted of 15.5 miles of single and 16.5 miles of double track, and the Joliet Division consisted of 20.5 miles of single and 0.5 miles of double track. Most of the trackage was 70-pound T-rail laid on cedar and oak ties with limestone ballast. Most of the interurban was laid on private right-of-way, with side-of-the-road trackage north of Summit and street trackage located in Summit, Argo, Lockport, and Joliet. Cedar poles supported bracket arms for the overhead trolley wire on single trackage and span wires along double trackage, except for the 8,000-foot Sag Shortcut where cedar poles were centered between the double tracks to support bracket arms. There were high-tension transmission power and telephone lines also located on the poles along the entire line. A power plant was located along the Des Plaines River near Joliet, where 750 kW General Electric alternators furnished 2,300-volt DC electricity, which was conveyed by the transmission lines to the motor generators at the Joliet, Lemont, and Summit substations. The brick and steel-framed car barn and shops was located at St. Louis and Marion Streets in Joliet, with an adjacent substation, store room, and paint shop.

Single-truck car 130, one of the 1898 Pullman-built cars, is shown westbound on Jefferson Street just after passing underneath the Santa Fe. This may be around the time Joliet Union Station, just out of frame on the left, was constructed.

The C&JE generated its own power in the early years, as did most electric railways, using a coal-powered steam generating station.

In 1902, the C&JE earned $222,783 and carried 4,432,692 passengers. The Summit-Lyons branch was constructed in 1903, connecting with the Ogden Avenue streetcar line of the Chicago Union Traction Company (what later became the Chicago & West Towns Railway). In 1905, the company had 57 motor cars. In February of 1907, the Joliet city council granted the company a 20-year franchise to improve trackage and build some new lines. In 1907, the company built Dellwood Park four miles north of Joliet for $250,000, which became a major tourist site with all the usual amusement park attractions and a Chautauqua. In 1908, the company attempted to operate one-man streetcars in Joliet, but those efforts were blocked by local politicians. In December 1909, plans were announced to build a car barn at the southwest corner of Archer Avenue and Center Street in Summit.* By 1910, the company added two new interurbans and three used New York elevated cars.

*BB: This did not happen, and there was never a car barn at that location. Those wishing to transfer to the Lawndale Av. ‘Summit – Lyons’ car had to buy the ticket at Maloy’s Groceries, and wait for whenever the car came, which didn’t necessarily coincide with the C&JE schedule.  The people would sometimes wait in that wooden building to right seen in the photo on your web page. I bet you will believe me  if I tell you they sold alcohol in that little building.

The branch to Lyons, where a connection with the Chicago & West Towns was made, was served by city cars like 143, a single-truck Brill product built in 1901.

Twin interurban cars 270 and 271, shown here, were delivered by Brill in 1910 and were some of the earliest interurban cars in the country with arched roofs. Although they had the appearance of large streetcars, they were fitted with MCB trucks and MU control. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Ridership declined during the severe winter of 1910. In 1911, the company was among the first to use simple arch-roof interurbans, resulting in simplicity of construction and economy in maintenance. Two multiple-unit interurbans were ordered with the simplified roof in 1911, with some of the original deck roof interurbans being rebuilt with arch roofs. Starting in early 1911 and continuing into 1913, 12 new double-truck arch roof pay-as-you-enter streetcars were placed into service on the Joliet city lines. The 1914 recession hit the Joliet region hard, but the company carried 8,172,352 passengers that year. In June of 1915, work began on the extension from Smith Street east to Broadway, then north on Broadway to Theler Park in Joliet. On November 1, 1915, the company was acquired by the Central Illinois Public Service Company (CIPSCO), acting for the Middle West Utilities Company (Insull) by the American Electric Power Company of Philadelphia. In July 1916, plans were announced for spending $20,000 for rebuilding the North Collins Street line. A one-mile extension to the Joliet local Hickory Street line was constructed in 1916.

City service on heavily used lines in Joliet was held down in the 1900s and 1910s by double-truck deck-roof cars like 215, a Laconia product according to contemporary records (though this hasn't been verified independently).

In 1913, Joliet took delivery of ten modern "turtleback" roof city cars numbered 220-229. This unusual design was a hallmark of Stone & Webster properties, which Joliet wasn't, as it was owned by American Railway Company. The last extant C&JE passenger car, a body which lasted until at least 2000 in a junkyard in Joliet, was car 228 of this series. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

By 1917, Joliet had a population of 37,000, and the adjacent area had 52,000. In 1917, one-way interurban tickets were increased from 40 to 55 cents. In June of 1917, the company announced plans to construct a new $35,000 office building in Joliet to replace the building destroyed by fire in January. Ice storms in early 1918 created major problems. In June of 1918, the company petitioned the Public Service Commission to increase fares from five to seven cents on all city lines plus a 0.5 cents per mile increase on the interurban. In July of 1919, the company announced plans to double-track the West Jefferson Street line between Center Street and Wilcox Street in Joliet. A strike by employees from August 5 to 13, 1919, led to a 10-cent fare on all the Joliet lines. During 1919, the company installed a new 1500 kW substation in Joliet, a 300 kW automatic substation at Dellwood Park, and installed 6,000 feet of underground cable between the Joliet substation and the Public Service Company's substation at Jackson and Ottawa Streets in order to obtain electricity from the new Joliet steam plant.

The Joliet interurban terminal and office building, shown here c1920s with an imposing sign reading "Chicago & Joliet" at the top, "Railway" at the bottom, and "Electric" vertically, still stands today at the northwest corner of Clinton and Ottawa. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The carbarn and powerhouse at Summit far outlasted the interurban. It's shown here, likely around 1930, with McGuire-Cummings double-truck sprinkler-turned-plow 96 and single-truck homebuilt snow sweeper 99 parked alongside. The steeplecab-like 99 is today the only surviving piece of equipment from the C&JE. Krambles-Peterson Archive. BB: Taken on Archer Rd, just north of Roberts Rd. looking southwest. 

By 1920, the company had carried 100 million passengers, but with a total loss of $3 million. Following the repeal of the Joliet two-man local streetcars ordinance in November of 1920, all Joliet streetcar lines were converted to one-man operation as an economy move. In 1921, the Des Plaines Bus Company began operating alongside the C&JE. Earnings peaked in 1921 at $952,999 with 2,813,979 passengers. Passenger traffic for the first six months of 1921 was about 11 percent less than for the same period the year before, and as a result the company reduced wages of its employees in July 1921 by five cents for those who worked on an hourly basis and 12 dollars a month for those who worked on a monthly basis.

In March of 1922, after receiving a 20-year franchise from Joliet, plans were made to rebuild trackage on Second and Boulder Avenues. On July 13, 1922, the company was authorized to abandon the Country Club line along Manhattan Road southeast of Richards Street. To prevent further bus competition, the company organized the Chicago & Joliet Transportation Company on October 18, 1922, and through motor bus service into Chicago began operating on a paralleling route on the west side of the Des Plaines River. However, the increased use of the private automobile and paved highways was beginning to be felt.

"Turtleback" roof car 226 is shown westbound on Jefferson at Chicago in downtown Joliet. It's signed for the Hickory Street line, which served northwest Joliet and Crest Hill.

Cars 230-239 were built in 1924 by Kuhlman and were intended for use on the through-routed Joliet suburban lines serving Rockdale to the southwest and Lockport to the northeast. In practice, they also tended to be used regularly in through service to Chicago. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

By 1924, the company had 31 streetcars operating in Joliet on 10- to 20-minute headways. Falling traffic and rising costs soon brought forward modernization plans. In 1924, 10 new one-man pay-as-you-leave double-truck streetcars were ordered for the 6.5-mile Lockport-Rockdale line. That same year, all local interurban runs were changed to one-man operation as a cost reduction plan.

Attractive lightweight interurban car 240 is shown at the Cummings Car & Coach plant in Paris, Illinois in 1926. These cars bore many similarities to Gary Railways 19, preserved at IRM, which was built in the same plant a year later. These include McGuire MCB trucks, sliding doors, and window screens attached to the bottom of the window sash, among other features.

Much of the C&JE trackage along Archer Avenue was double-track flanking the road. Here, lightweight car 242 is...  BB: ...southbound on Archer from Roberts Road after having just left Argo, signed for Justice. It had just passed the car barn seen previously. Next stop would be Resurrection Cemetery. The C&JE had special cars that were used to assist in burials, and would deliver the caskets to cemeteries such as Resurrection and Bethania which had sidings constructed to switch the cars off the main line. Robert V. Mehlenbeck photo.

In August of 1926, the company placed into service 10 new lightweight one-man interurbans in the hope of increasing business. Of the order, six interurbans were single-ended for the Joliet-Chicago service and four were double-ended for local service out of Chicago. The splendid color scheme was comprised of a tan roof, scarlet from the roof to belt rail, light grey below the belt rail, and black underbody. Ten 25-year-old interurbans were scrapped upon delivery of the new interurbans, leaving the company with 22 one-man interurbans. Substantial cost reductions estimated to be $30,000 per year were gained from the new equipment, which helped to maintain a good rate of profit in the late 1920s. Eighteen round trips were run daily between Joliet and Chicago, with an average of $1.55 for a round trip. Joint service was begun in 1927 with the Illinois Traction System's Illinois Valley interurbans, and starting on July 15, special trains operated from Chicago to Starved Rock in five hours. However that service was very short-lived.

By the late 1920s, the terminal at Archer and Cicero in Chicago had been festooned with advertisements for through or connecting service to Ottawa and Starved Rock. Here, a Chicago Surface Lines Archer Avenue car meets C&JE 249, one of the single-ended 1926 lightweights. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

C&JE 251 was one of two lightweights purchased from the abandoned Mattoon system in 1928. Krambles-Peterson Archive. BB: It's shown here in the early 1930s alongside the Times Square Building at the SW corner of 63rd St. and Archer in (Argo) Summit, where the C&JE ticket office was located. It is stopped at the Belt Railway of Chicago tracks while a flagman strides out to guard the crossing. In 1938 this railroad crossing grade would be given an underpass, a road feature that the local village and residents pleaded to get for decades!

In 1928, the company announced plans to spend $160,000 for new equipment and to reconstruct trackage on Morgan and Hickory Streets in Joliet. Two specially designed lightweight streetcars, in an early attempt to make a radical break from the conventional style (a sort of pre-PCC development), were placed into service on the local lines in Joliet. One was a single-trucker and the other was a double-trucker, both being single-ended with deluxe interior accommodations. Three secondhand four-wheel Birney streetcars from CIPSCO's Mattoon system were reconditioned and also placed into Joliet local service. Two secondhand lightweight interurbans from CIPSCO's abandoned Mattoon-Charleston line were reconditioned and placed into interurban service. Those streetcars attracted new riders for a short period. In 1929, the Tri-State Bus Company became another transportation rival. On August 1, 1929, the C&JE was authorized to abandon the South Richards line from Clinton and Jefferson to Manhattan Road.

This experimental car built in 1928 by Cummings for the C&JE, car 200 - christened the "Louis Joliet" - was a remarkably innovative car to have been designed by such a small system. It worked well enough that it appears to have been kept in regular use on the Wilcox line, the only Joliet line with a turning loop at the end, until the end of streetcar service. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The second C&JE test car was this single-truck car built in 1930. It was even stranger looking than car 200, but is suspected to have been less successful, as it doesn't seem to have entered revenue service or even been given a fleet number. It was known as the Blackhall Rail Coach after its designer, the C&JE's vice president, J.R. Blackhall. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The C&JE was hit very hard by the Depression, and combined with the effects of the automobile and concrete highways, lost half of its revenue between 1929 and 1932. There was a 20 percent drop in local Joliet ridership. By 1932, the company was operating at a loss, and the cutbacks began. In 1932, the number of interurban round trips was cut to 12. On October 9, 1932, the company was authorized to abandon the Lyons to Summit branch, and the last streetcar operated there on November 9, 1932. The Joliet local Country Club line was abandoned in 1932 as well. By 1933, earnings were down to $255,170 and the Argo-Lockport segment halted service on September 30, 1933, due to concrete construction work on Archer Avenue. The Argo local streetcars stopped on January 17, 1934. On February 15, 1934, authority was granted to abandon the major Cass-Wilcox streetcar line in Joliet and the Rockdale-Lockport interurban line, and on March 1, those lines were converted to bus operation. On April 12, 1934, authority was given to abandon the remaining trackage and remove rail in Joliet effective May 15. In July 1934, the company sold its remaining local streetcar lines to the Joliet city Lines, and the last streetcar operated on July 31, 1934.

The Hyman-Michaels wreck train, on this day consisting of a small Plymouth gas locomotive and a flatcar lettered HMA 102, is in downtown Summit at 63rd and Archer during scrapping operations. This photo is thought to have been taken in late 1933, while local cars between Chicago and Argo were still running. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Two of the attractive 1926 double-end lightweights, with a 230-series car behind them, have evidently ended their days in local service to Argo and are seen stored out-of-service at the Summit carbarn on Archer at Robert’s Road.

The two double-end lightweight interurbans from the Mattoon-Charleston line were sold to the Jamestown (New York) Street Railway. The remaining equipment and trackage was torn up and scrapped. The interurban routes were taken over by the Bluebird Bus Line.

Part II - Trackage and Route Information

Click here for a Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway route map

List of Interurban Stops

0.0 - Joliet

3.9 - Dellwood Park

5.0 - Lockport

5.9 - Fiddyment

6.4 - Prior

7.1 - Strong

7.6 - Daley

8.3 - McCoy

8.7 - Romeoville

9.2 - Garden

11.0 - County Line

12.0 - Aluminum Works

12.5 - Lemont

13.4 - Illinois Stone

14.0 - Hastings

15.3 - Murphy

16.3 - Lambert (Sag)

17.6 - Kock

18.7 - Maple Hill

19.6 - Fairmount Cemetery

20.5 - Willow Springs

20.9 - Mount Forest

22.0 - Leafy Grove

22.5 - Cork Avenue

23.2 - Resurrection Cemetery

24.2 - Substation #3

24.9 - Argo

26.0 - Summit

28.1 - Lyons

26.3 - Chicago Limits (72nd)

29.5 - Chicago (Cicero Avenue)

This Sanborn fire insurance map from 1924 shows the C&JE shop complex on the east side of St. Louis between Marion and Osgood in Joliet (left is north). A small portion of the south end of the structure stood until 2021. Much of the building was built out of stone, shown on Sanborn maps as blue, with the northern portion shown in red built of brick.

The Summit barn is depicted in this 1927 Sanborn map drawing. North is up, and the angled lines in the bottom right outline Archer Avenue.

PHOTOS ALONG THE CHICAGO & JOLIET ELECTRIC

The heart of the C&JE was the Joliet downtown loop comprised of trackage on Jefferson, Chicago, Clinton, and Ottawa Streets. In this view, looking north from about Chicago and Washington, "turtleback" car 220 (to the right of the monument) is on the south side of the downtown loop while Birney 153 is approaching the loop northbound on Chicago Street.

One block west of the previous photo, and looking west instead of north, a single-truck C&JE car trundles east on Jefferson Street at Ottawa in 1907.

On the south side of Jefferson just east of the downtown loop was Joliet Union Station, built in 1912. The city car in this postcard view is on Jefferson Street.

Even in the depths of the Depression, downtown Joliet was a busy place. Here, car 219 navigates the bustling streets on Valentine's Day 1934. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The two main east-west car routes through downtown Joliet were along Cass and Jefferson. "Turtleback" car 222 is seen westbound on Jefferson passing the courthouse. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Electric car lines crossed the Des Plaines River at four spots in Joliet, but just two of them - on Cass and Jefferson - were the C&JE. This 1905 view shows a C&JE single-truck car just east of the Jefferson Street bridge. The Aurora Plainfield & Joliet interurban line crossed the river further north at Ruby Street, while the Chicago Ottawa & Peoria crossed further south at McDonough.

North of Joliet, the C&JE ran alongside State Street to Lockport. In this view, the 220-series car in the distance is just south of the Dellwood Park stop, visible to the right. The light-colored hump in the ground isn't a safety island, it's the roof of the pedestrian underpass linking the C&JE platform with the park. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Interurban car 250 is stopped on the tree-lined streets of Lockport in this Ed Frank photo. The C&JE ran suburban service from Lockport through Joliet and out the other side to Rockdale using double-truck city and interurban cars. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The location of this photo, taken somewhere along the C&JE interurban line, isn't certain but it's thought that it may be Willow Springs. The C&JE was a true "side of the road" interurban line and alternated between in-street trackage, side-of-the-road, and double tracks flanking the road. Krambles-Peterson Archive BB: That most definitely is Willow Springs. That house to the left is still there. That white building in background to right is Abbot’s store. I have never seen the intersection of Willow Springs Road and Archer like that unforested – before WWII. Image taken on Archer looking NB at approx. 8800 S. looking towards the intersection of Willow Springs Rd. and Archer.  

This photo, marked Argo-Summit, shows C&JE 240 just south of Argo crossing... BB: ...the bridge over the Michigan Central tracks at about 5900 S. Archer Rd.  It divided Summit from Argo. The car is traveling SB out of Summit into Argo.

Car 251 in front of the Times Square Building at the Belt Railway of Chicago crossing near 63rd and Archer in Summit. BB: This image is approximately the same date as the one prior (early 1930s) of a car heading southbound about to cross the Belt tracks. The Times Square building at 63rd and Archer is in background.

Argo was where the C&JE met Chicago Surface Lines cars on its Argo line that connected to the busy 63rd Street line. Here, eastbound C&JE 241 meets a CSL Brill at the southeast corner of 63rd and Archer. The aged wooden CSL car will outlast its far more modern C&JE counterpart by some 15 years. Krambles-Peterson Archive. BB: The CSL was at 63rd Pl, and was specially extended westward by agreement with the Clearing Industrial people. The Surface Lines tracks which extended to Argo were constructed on private property and not on a municipal easement (part of the agreement).  The CSL was extended for the benefit of employees of Corn Products (which is part of the Clearing Industrial District). The CSL and the C&JE did not connect. I see a siding in this image coming off the CJ&E tracks but am unsure where it goes, if anywhere - perhaps a pull-off. The CJ&E tracks narrowed close to there for the travel through Argo/Summit.  The CSL car is sitting literally at the end of the line. 

We're looking northeast at Archer and 59th, between Argo and Summit, with the C&JE tracks running down the center of Archer. This scene doesn't look like this today. Krambles-Peterson Archive. BB: The church is Zion Lutheran in Summit. That image was taken just north (if not on it) of the steel overpass of the MC RR Tracks mentioned earlier. 

Car 258 is westbound at Summit in 1908. BB: That building with the cupola on the corner of Archer Ave and Hunt Ave was Maloy’s Dry goods, and ticket agent for the Summit-Lyons car (or the C&JE depending on which way you were going).

Car 240 is eastbound at Archer and Central, near the east end of the line, with the interurban flanking Archer on either side.

Double-end lightweight car 242 is turning on the loop at Archer and Cicero at the east end of the C&JE, before this area was built up. Robert V. Mehlenbeck photo.

Part III - Timetables

The interurban timetable shown above is dated September 16, 1926, about the time the new 240-series Cummings lightweight cars were introduced. Local service to Argo is included as a separate table, while service to Lyons is included in the main timetable. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

This is the C&JE Joliet area timetable dated May 3, 1927, showing the impressive levels of service provided on the Joliet streetcar network. Several of the lines were through-routed, including the Rockdale-Lockport suburban line, the Wilcox and Cass car lines, and the Second Avenue and Hickory Street car lines.

Part IV - Industry Coverage

While the C&JE may have seemed like a "second-class citizen" among Chicago area lines like the Chicago Aurora & Elgin and North Shore that ran high-speed service with long trains of MU cars, or even compared with lines like the Joliet & Southern or Elgin & Belvidere that ran heavyweight interurban cars, in fact it was viewed as a rather forward-thinking outfit for most of its existence. And with its mixture of city and suburban service, its operations were probably also comparable - and the lessons it learned more applicable - to a larger number of other systems than the CA&E or North Shore. As such, especially in its later years when it was one of relatively few smaller systems innovating instead of simply contracting, it garnered a fair amount of press coverage.

Thanks to Art Peterson of the Krambles-Peterson Archive for scanning these articles.

The January 4, 1902, issue of Street Railway Journal included a brief notice about the 250-series interurban cars the C&JE had ordered from Brill:

A week later, the January 11, 1902, issue of Street Railway Journal included a feature article of no less than 10 pages outlining all of the facets of the newly completed C&JE interurban line:

The September 1926 issue of Electric Traction included this article about the success of the new McGuire-Cummings 240-series lightweight cars:

The September 17, 1927, issue of Electric Railway Journal had a glowing report of the economies realized through upgrading to the new lightweight cars. The author was J.R. Blackhall, vice president of the C&JE.

A month later, the October 22, 1927, issue of Electric Railway Journal included an article about the Illinois Traction System's Illinois Valley through service to Chicago over the C&JE. The cars used in this operation were, of course, the St. Louis-built lightweight cars that included IRM's own car 415 - at the time still numbered 64 and set up for single-ended, long-distance operation.

In the December 17, 1927, issue of Electric Railway Journal, J.R. Blackhall - still C&JE vice president, but by now also the new General Manager of the North Shore Line - authored an article about the new all-aluminum experimental car that the C&JE had ordered from Cummings. For more photos and information of C&JE 200, the "Louis Joliet," see the Roster section.

In February 1931, Electric Railway Journal ran an article about the second C&JE experimental car, the single-truck Blackhall Rail Coach. This car, which was even more unorthodox than car 200, does not seem to have been as successful and is not thought to have entered revenue service in Joliet. That the C&JE was putting significant resources into innovation this late in the game is a testament to the dedication and intrepidity of men like J.R. Blackhall.

Part V - Roster of Equipment

REVENUE EQUIPMENT

Most information on the C&JE fleet comes from a valuation report roster dating to around 1918 which includes mechanical information and builders but, oddly, not when the cars were built. To this has been added information from builders' order books and manufacturers' records.

Cars 21-24

Single-truck, deck-roof, double-end, open-platform, closed city cars - built by Pullman in 1890 (lot #628) - fleet numbers of the four cars not certain, may also have been renumbered later; car 22 is shown in a builder's photo

Pullman builder's photo of the interior of car 22, built for Joliet in 1890 (see History section for an exterior builder's photo of this car). Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Cars 25-28

Single-truck, deck-roof, double-end, open-platform, closed city cars - built by Pullman in 1890 (lot #648) - fleet numbers of the four cars not certain, may also have been renumbered later; interior of car 27 is shown in a builder's photo

Pullman builder's photo of the interior of car 27, built in 1890, likely to the same plans as the earlier cars built on lot #628 (see History section for an exterior in-service photo of this car). Krambles-Peterson Archive.

107

Single-truck, deck-roof, double-end, convertible city car - built by Barney & Smith c1895 - it's not known how many cars were built to this design, as the only information about them comes from two extant photos and an 1895 B&S advertisement referencing the sale of this type to Joliet.

Car 107 is shown post-1900, judging by the C&JE lettering on its side. It appears to be fitted with a Peckham 7D truck, a type favored by the Joliet system. See History section for an additional photo of this car.

118-119

Single-truck double-end closed cars - built by Brill in 1897 (order #8173) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x WH 49 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes - no photos on hand

120-125

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof open cars - built by Pullman in 1898 (lot #902) - this number series is not absolutely certain, as these cars are not listed on the c1918 roster at all, but photos and information from Pullman records suggest strongly that these six cars were numbered 120-125. It's also likely that these cars were renumbered into the low 300-series at some point prior to retirement (work car 54, classified on the c1918 roster as a rebuilt Pullman open car, may have been from this series).

This 1898 builder's photo shows Joliet car 121 as it appeared leaving Pullman, with its shades down and likely with a Peckham 7D truck. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

126-131

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof closed cars - built by Pullman in 1898 (lot #910) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x WH 49 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes - this number series is not absolutely certain, as the c1918 roster only includes cars 126-127 from this series, indicating that the others had already been retired. However photos and information from Pullman records suggest strongly that the six cars built for Joliet on lot #910 were numbered in this series.

Car 127 is shown in this 1898 builder's photo; note that it has full ends but no side doors (see History section for in-service photos of cars 130 and 131). Krambles-Peterson Archive.

132-133

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof, 10-bench open cars - built by Brill in 1899 (order #9040) - later renumbered 309-310

C&JE 310, built as JR 133, is pictured at an unknown date and location in service on the South Chicago Street line. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

134-135

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof, 12-bench open cars - built by Brill in 1899 (order #9042) - later renumbered 400-401, resold to St. Petersburg Municipal Railway in Florida, year unknown - see History section for in-service photo of car 134

136-137

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof closed cars - built by Pullman in 1898 (lot #910) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes

The 136-137 series was built by Pullman shortly after the 126-131 series and looks to have been largely identical except for a slightly more elaborate paint scheme. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

138-139

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof closed cars - built by Brill in 1900 (order #10688) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes - this was the first of three orders for single-truck cars that Joliet ordered from Brill between 1900 and 1903, according to the (generally reliable) Brill order book; the c1918 C&JE roster lumps these three groups together, implying that they may have all been of similar or identical construction (no photos of cars 138-139 on hand).

140-143

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof closed cars - built by Brill in 1901 (order #11300) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x WH 49 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes - see note under the 138-139 series; by the time of the c1918 roster, car 141 was no longer on hand, suggesting it had been wrecked or sold

Car 143 from the 1901 Brill order and car 144 from the 1903 order. See History section for a photo of car 143 in operation on the Lyons branch. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

144-145

Single-truck, double-end, deck-roof closed cars - built by Brill in 1903 (order #12569) - Peckham 7D truck, 2 x WH 49 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes - see note under the 138-139 series

146-149

Single-truck, double-end, arch-roof closed cars - built by Kuhlman in 1910 (order #457) - 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control, WH #10 pump - these cars are listed in Kuhlman records as having been numbered 143-146, while in the c1918 C&JE roster they're noted as having a Brill Radiax E1 truck even though the builder's photo of car 146 clearly shows a normal Brill 21E; the reason for this disparity is unknown.

The 146-149 series were relatively austere city cars and were early examples of arch-roof design. Note the prominent levers for swinging the sliding doors open.

The bowling-alley seating in these cars was more reminiscent of 1890s practice than 1910. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

150-153

Single-truck, double-end, arch-roof Birney safety cars - built by Cincinnati in 1919 (order #2395) - purchased in 1928 from Central Illinois Public Service, likely from the Mattoon-Charleston system, former numbers 128, 132, and two others - Cincinnati 139 truck, GE motors - see Track and Route section for an in-service photo of car 153

Birney 151 is shown at the Joliet carbarn. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

200

Double-truck, single-end, arch-roof experimental car - built by Cummings Car & Coach in 1927 - Timken inside-bearing trucks, all-aluminum construction, air/dynamic brakes, length 41'0", weight 23,722 lbs., 50 seats - this experimental test car was dubbed the "Louis Joliet" and remained in regular city service in Joliet, probably on the Wilcox line because it had a turning loop at its end, at least until 1933 - see Industry Coverage section for more information and photos concerning this car - see History section for builder's photo

This broadside view of car 200 shows off its unorthodox lines and downright weird trucks, which were designed in consultation with Timken and featured motors driving the axles via worm gears.

Virtually everything about car 200 was unusual, even its steps. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The car's interior featured green leather bucket seats and tile flooring. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The cabinet over the motorman's left shoulder contained electrical contactors and switches. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Car 200 was used for several years in service in Joliet, quite possibly until the end of streetcar service. Here it's signed for the Wilcox Street line, which had a turning loop at the end. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

201-202

Double-truck, double-end closed cars - built by St. Louis (?) - Brill 27B trucks, 4 x WH 12A motors, K-10 control, Christiansen D1-F pump - these cars are a mystery because the c1918 C&JE roster includes them and says they were built by St. Louis, but they do not show up in that company's order lists and no photos of them have been found

205-208

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof suburban cars - built by Jackson & Sharp in 1900 (builder #1837, 1838, 2092, 2093) - Brill 27G trucks, 4 x GE 80 motors, K-28B control, Christiansen D1-F pump - cars 205-206 were originally (albeit briefly) numbered 141-142 and 207-208 were intended to be numbered 143-144 but by the time they were delivered the C&JE had evidently adopted its latter-day numbering practice (single-truck closed cars in the 100-series, double-truck closed cars in the 200-series, single-truck open cars in the 300-series, and double-truck open cars in the 400-series) - see History section for in-service photo of car 208

209

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof city car - built by Stephenson - Brill 39E trucks, 2 x GE 201 motors, K-6 control, Christiansen D1-F pump - no photo of this car has been found but it is presumed to be of the same design as car 210-214

210-214

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof city cars - built by Stephenson - Brill 39E trucks, 2 x GE 201 motors (two cars) or 2 x GE 201 motors (three cars), K-28B control, Christiansen D1-F pump, weight 36,250 lbs. - no Stephenson order lists exist that could corroborate the builder or year of these cars. Industry journals claim five cars were built by Brill in 1906 for the C&JE and a further four were built in 1907 by Stephenson; as Stephenson was owned by Brill at this point, it's possible these cars are included in those totals, though the quantities don't precisely match up. Cars 210-214 also bear a strong resemblance to Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's 650-series, built by Stephenson in 1902.

C&JE car 210 in service in Joliet, location uncertain. Ed Frank photo.

C&JE car 212 in service in downtown Joliet. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

215-219

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof city cars - built by Laconia - Brill 39E trucks, 2 x GE 80 motors, K-6 control, Christiansen D1-F pump - these cars are a bit mysterious because the c1918 roster says they were built by Laconia, but they do not show up in that company's order lists. One contemporary reference claims they were bought secondhand from Philadelphia, but Laconia never built any cars for Philadelphia either. Laconia built relatively few deck-roof, double-truck cars. These cars do bear a striking resemblance to six cars built in 1903 for the Blue Hill Street Railway in Massachusetts except for the platforms and trucks. The BHSR sold its 1903 Laconia cars in 1909; it's possible, but purely conjecture, that C&JE 215-219 were rebuilt from the BHSR cars. See History section for in-service photo of car 215.

An earlier photo of car 215 clearly shows it with Brill 39E trucks, as the roster indicates, but by the early 1930s car 219 had acquired these very unusual Baldwin Maximum Traction trucks. The window arrangement, including the clerestory arrangement with only the two windows nearest each end fitted with double panes, matches the 1903 BHSR cars built by Laconia precisely. Ed Frank photo.

220-229

Double-truck, double-end, turtleback-roof city/suburban cars - built by St. Louis in 1913 (order #978) - Brill 39E trucks, 2 x GE 201 motors, K-36 control, D2-EG pump - the body of car 228 survived in a junkyard in Joliet until at least 2001 (photos here) - see History section for in-service photos of cars 226 and 227

An unidentified 220-series car is shown in Lockport; cars in this series seem to have seen regular use on the Rockdale to Lockport suburban service. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Another unidentified 220-series car is in operation, this time in Joliet, festooned with slightly perplexing slogans - the car end says "Keep it up!" and the side says "Paint up." Krambles-Peterson Archive.

230-239

Double-truck, double-end, arch-roof suburban cars - built by Brill in 1923 (order #21762) - Brill 39E1 trucks, 45 seats - car 235 was fitted with experimental Timken trucks c1928 that were later placed under experimental car 200 - see History section for builder's photo of car 236

Though purchased for Lockport to Rockdale service out of Joliet, the 230-series were fixtures at the east end of the line, used in local service to Argo and likely also used in through interurban service. In this classic shot, car 230 is eastbound on Archer at Central with a boy standing on the rear coupler, hitching a free ride.

Car 230 rounds the loop at the east end of the C&JE at Archer and Cicero. In the background is the terminal building with its rooftop ad for Ottawa and Starved Rock and a CSL Archer Avenue car peeking out from behind it. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Car 230 is show in Summit, signed for Argo local service. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

This photo of car 239 shows it in Lockport, signed for Rockdale, the service these cars were ostensibly purchased for. The small sign under the front window reads "Front entrance / pay as you leave."

In the summer of 1927, car 235 was briefly fitted with these unusual trucks developed by Timken. They later saw use under experimental car 200, the "Louis Joliet," which see. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

240-243

Double-truck, double-end, arch-roof interurban coaches - built by Cummings Car & Coach in 1926 - McGuire #62 MCB trucks, 48 seats, weight 39,000 lbs. - these cars were ordered at the same time as 244-249 but unlike those cars were double-ended and were fitted with walkover seats, intended for Chicago-Argo local service - see History section for photos of 240 and 242

Cars 243 and 241 are shown early in their careers, before they were fitted with visors over the end windows, near the east end of the line at Archer and Cicero. Car 243 is signed for Argo, the typical assignment for these cars. Robert V. Mehlenbeck photo.

The interior of double-end interurban cars 240-243 was modern and comfortable. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Car 241 loads passengers at Archer and Cicero on July 23, 1933. The "chicken wire" window guards on these cars were affixed to the bottom of the window sash, so that when the windows were opened, the window guards lifted up out of pockets in the side of the car. Robert V. Mehlenbeck photo.

244-249

Double-truck, single-end, arch-roof interurban coaches - built by Cummings Car & Coach in 1926 - McGuire #62 MCB trucks, 52 seats, weight 39,000 lbs. - these cars were ordered at the same time as 240-243 but unlike those cars were single-ended, with doors on one side only, and were fitted with plush bucket seats, intended for Chicago-Joliet interurban service

Car 247, with a small sign reading "Express" hung under its front window, loads passengers in Joliet early in its career. This is the left, or blind, side of the car. Even though these cars were designed for single-ended operation, they did have poles at both ends.

The interior of the 244-249 series interurbans differed considerably from the 240-243 suburban cars, including the use of bucket seats and apparently a separate smoking compartment. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

The date is July 16, 1933, and C&JE interurban car 245 is headed out of downtown Joliet with its destination set as Chicago.

250-253

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof interurban coaches - built by Brill in 1901 (order #10968) - Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x GE 210 motors, M-C71C control, D2-EG pump - these cars were built for through service from Chicago to Joliet along with similar combines 254-258

The 1901 Brill interurbans were attractive cars. The bulkhead between car 250's smoking and main compartments is plainly visible in this builder's photo. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Brill interurban coach 252 in operation on the C&JE, location unknown.

250-251 (II)

Double-truck, double-end, arch-roof interurban coaches - built by St. Louis in 1923 (order #1300) - these cars, which were not too dissimilar from Fox River Electric 306 at IRM, were built as Central Illinois Public Service 231-232 and were used on the Mattoon-Charleston (Illinois) interurban line until it was abandoned in 1928. At that time they were acquired by the C&JE and numbered 250-251, replacing the 1901 Brill cars by those numbers which had already been scrapped. After the C&JE quit the two cars were resold again to the Jamestown Street Railway in New York, where they became JSR 87-88. Both cars were retired in 1938 and their bodies were sold as sheds in 1941. See headline image and History section for additional photos of cars 250-251.

Car 250 changes ends at Argo on August 6, 1928, not long after entering service on the C&JE. The ex-CIPSCO interurbans seemed to spend much of their time in Argo local service. William C. Janssen photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive. BB: That is at 63rd and Archer in Argo – the building in the background is the glazier’s union building which is still there.

This interior photo of car 250 or 251 shows the relatively plain, though not uncomfortable, interiors of these cars. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Car 251 sits in front of the carbarn at Summit with its destination sign set to Willow Springs. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

254-257

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof interurban combines - built by Brill in 1901 (order #10970) - Brill 27 trucks, 4 x GE 67 motors (two cars) or 4 x GE 80 motors (two cars), K-6 control, Christiansen D1-F pump - these cars were built for through service from Chicago to Joliet along with similar combines 254-258, but were not modernized with MU control - see History section for builder's photo of car 255

Interurban combine 257 poses in the yard when still fairly new. The car in the background may be one of the Barney & Smith single-truck convertibles. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Combine 256 is at the east end of the line, at the Archer and Cicero station. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

258-260

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof interurban coaches - built by Jewett in 1902 (order #88) - Brill 27GG trucks, 4 x GE 210 motors, M-C71C control, D2-EG pump - these cars appear to be near-duplicates of the 250-253 series Brill cars. Jewett records indicate that four cars were built, and the renumbering of one of the 261-264 series cars (which see) suggests that quite possibly there were originally four cars in this series numbered 258-261 but that car 261 was lost or disposed of relatively early.

Ed Frank photographed car 260 after it was out of service, probably in the yard in Joliet in the early 1930s. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

This interior shot of a 260-series car was quite possibly taken at the same time, given that the car certainly looks to be out of service. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

261-264

Double-truck, double-end, deck-roof interurban coaches - built by Brill in 1903 (order #12567) - Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x GE 67 motors, K-6 control, Christiansen D1-F pump - car 261 was originally numbered 265, and may have been renumbered in place of a Jewett 258-series car - see History section for an in-service photo of car 265 before it was renumbered

A forlorn-looking car 262 is shown out of service at Joliet. The similar design of this series compared with the earlier interurban cars is apparent. Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

265-269

Double-truck, double-end, arch roof interurban coaches - Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x GE 210 motors and M-C71C control or 4 x GE 240B motors and M-C36J control, D2-EG pump, weight 59,000 lbs. - industry publications claim the C&JE purchased five "semi-steel" interurban cars in 1914, which are likely these cars, but unfortunately do not indicate the builder

No clear photos of the 265-269 series have been found, but it's likely that this photo - taken of an unknown car numbered "2x5" - shows car 265.

270-271

Double-truck, double-end, arch roof interurban coaches - built by Brill in 1910 (order #17253) - Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x GE 210 motors, M-C71C control, D2-EG pump - see History section for an in-service photo of car 270

The two Brill arch-roof interurban cars, 270 and 271, were regularly assigned to through service between Chicago and Joliet. Here, car 271 is stopped at the Archer and Cicero station. These cars were likely retired around 1926-1928 when the lightweights arrived; a 1931 photo of the single-truck "Rail Coach" shows car 270 stored derelict in the background.

Blackhall Rail Coach

Single-truck, single-end, arch roof experimental streetcar - built by Cummings Car & Coach in 1930 - experimental all-aluminum car, unique Blackhall truck developed with Timken; not sure whether it received a fleet number or ever entered revenue service; 2 x WH 1426 motors, brakes dynamic over hydraulic (disc brakes), master controller with 11 acceleration and eight braking points, 40 seats, weight 17500 lbs., length 36'0", width 8'6" - see History section for an additional photo of this car

The unusual Blackhall Rail Coach is seen at the Cummings Car & Coach plant in Paris, Illinois, before its livery of light grey with green trim was applied. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

It's not clear whether the Rail Coach ever entered regular service, but it did run in Joliet. Here it's seen at the C&JE shop complex. In the storage yard to the left are two out-of-service interurban cars, a 265-269 series car and Brill-built car 270. This location today. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Other Revenue Equipment

According to Pullman order books, two horsecars were built for Joliet in 1888 on lot #550. The interior photo below, showing a car numbered 18, is from this order. Other than this, and photographic evidence of a few horsecars in service (see History section), no horsecar roster information is available.

Interior of horsecar 18. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

In addition, four electric cars were evidently ordered from the Robinson & Moan Car Company of Waterloo, Iowa in 1890. This company shortly thereafter relocated to Minneapolis. Whether the cars were delivered, and what their numbers may have been, is not known.

NON-REVENUE EQUIPMENT

50

Double-truck, double-end freight motor, rebuilt as snow sweeper - built by Jewett - Brill 27E trucks, 6 x GE 57 motors (two for brooms), K-14 control (K-10 control for brooms), 2 x D3-EG pumps - Jewett order books show one work car built for the C&JE in 1903 on order #119, but whether that refers to car 50 or 51 (and what the background is of the second of these two) is unknown

51

Double-truck, double-end freight motor - built by Jewett - Brill 27E trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control, D3-EG pump - see note on car 50

52

Double-truck, single-end dump motor - built by C&JE - Brill arch bar trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control, D2-EG pump - photographic evidence suggests that this car was later rebuilt as a derrick with St. Louis MCB trucks

Work car 52 shows up in the c1918 roster as a single-end dump car, but by the time this photo was taken it had apparently been rebuilt as a derrick and acquired MCB-style trucks. Behind it appears to be one of the 60-series ballast cars.

54

Single-truck, double-end, open work car - built by Pullman - Peckham 7D truck, de-motorized, hand brakes - this car is noted as having been rebuilt from open car 304, and was likely built in 1898 as part of the 120-125 series

55

Single-truck, double-end line car - built by Stephenson - Peckham 7D truck, de-motorized, hand brakes - an earlier photo shows this car motorized

C&JE line car 55 earlier in its career when it was still motorized

56

Double-truck, double-end line car - built by C&JE - Brill 27G trucks, 4 x GE 67 motors, K-6 control, Christiansen D1-F pump

C&JE line car 56 - Ed Frank photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive.

60-65

Double-truck ballast cars - built by Rodgers - Rodgers MCB trucks, not motorized - see earlier photo of car 52

70-71

Double-truck flat cars - built by American Car & Foundry - Iron Car Co. MCB trucks, not motorized

96

Double-truck, double-end sprinkler - McGuire MCB trucks, 4 x GE 210 motors, K-14 control, D2-EG pump, weight 60,000 lbs. - in later years, at least, this car was fitted with large snow plows, though it's thought that these were removed during the summer so that it could be used as a locomotive or general work car - see History section for additional in-service photo

Photos suggest that car 96, and sweeper 99 behind it, were usually stationed at the Summit carbarn. Here, 96 is set up for use as a work car and has had its plow removed. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

97

Single-truck, double-end snow sweeper - built by McGuire-Cummings - McGuire truck, 3 x GE 67 motors (one for brooms), K-10 control (third K-10 controller for brooms), hand brakes, weight 30,000 lbs. - no photos have been found but this is thought to be a typical McGuire sweeper

99

Originally a single-truck "Boston share" type box snow plow built by Taunton c1902 with a Taunton truck, 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control - this car is a bit of a mystery. The only surviving piece of C&JE equipment, the single-truck steeplecab-style snow sweeper that was sold by the C&JE to Scranton Transit (another American Railway Compan property) c1934 and is today preserved at the Rockhill Trolley Museum, is ex-C&JE 99. But it seems like very little must remain of the Taunton plow listed as C&JE 99 in the c1918 roster. The steeplecab sweeper - C&JE photo here - today has a Peckham truck, GE 80 motors, and K-10 control. Presumably it was heavily rebuilt by the C&JE, but the "built date" cited by Rockhill both postdates a Taunton reference to its construction and seems to predate its conversion into a sweeper.

This photo of Scranton Transit 107, ex-C&JE snow sweeper 99, shows its appearance in the later years on the C&JE and during its time in Scranton. It survives today in operating condition in Orbisonia, Pennsylvania. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

100

Single-truck, double-end snow sweeper - built by McGuire-Cummings c1898 - McGuire truck, 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control, hand brakes, weight 30,000 lbs. - originally built with open platforms, possibly later enclosed - see History section for builder's photo

This photo was taken in October 1942 and shows the C&JE herald on the side of car 247, which was apparently still in existence at that time. Location is unknown. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

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