Springfield Consolidated Railway

Springfield Consolidated Railway

by Stephen M. Scalzo

Ed. note: An extensive history of the Springfield streetcar system, written mostly from documents in the Stephen Scalzo Collection, was printed in three parts in Rail & Wire magazine issues 266, 268, and 270. The article printed here is a more concise account written by Stephen himself and is presented along with Scalzo Collection images that were omitted from the magazine article due to space constraints.

Headline image: Double-truck car 202 is pictured in downtown Springfield, most likely in the early 1930s. All photos are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum except where noted.

The Capital City Horse Railway Company was chartered on February 1, 1861, to provide the first public transportation in the city of Springfield, Illinois. However, actual construction did not begin until after the company was organized on August 12, 1865, with $18,000 of capital (later increased to $28,000). Construction began in November of 1865 on the trackage that would run on Monroe Street west from Sixth Street to Walnut Street, south on Walnut to Governor Street, and west on Governor to Illinois Street. Regular horsecar service began on January 19, 1866, from Fourth Street to the city limits, with a 10-cent fare. A heavy snow on January 20 closed down operations until January 27. In March, construction began on the trackage on Monroe Street from Sixth Street east to the Toledo Wabash & Western Railway depot. Horsecar service began operating on that extension on March 21. Total construction costs were about $27,000.

By an act of the general assembly on February 25, 1867, the former transactions of the Capital Railway Company were legalized and the capital stock was fixed at $50,000. Construction began in May on building the Fifth Street trackage from Madison to Oak Ridge Cemetery, and horsecar operations began on July 1. In 1867, an extension west on Monroe Street one-third of a mile to the city limits was constructed, and the same distance was removed at the east end of the line from Tenth to Seventh Streets in 1870. An eight-acre park at Walnut Street and Capitol Avenue was developed at the western end of the line, and it was rented out for summer picnics and winter skating parties. However, by 1871 the company developed financial difficulties.

An open horsecar is pictured in downtown Springfield, date and location unknown.

The Springfield Street Railroad Company was chartered by a special act of the state legislature on February 16, 1861, with $50,000 of capital, but the Civil War made it difficult to secure capital for construction. It was decided to make no effort at active construction until peace was restored. On March 3, 1866, the company was organized and trackage construction began in May of 1866. On July 1, the company began operating a horsecar line to the Oak Ridge Cemetery on North Fifth Street, running from Monroe Street to Enterprise Street with a 10-cent fare. It cost $42,000 to build and equip the line. A steam dummy extension of the Fifth Street horsecar line ran northeast from near Fifth and Enterprise Streets north and east to the rolling mills located in Ridgely. In the spring of 1867, trackage was extended on South Fifth Street to South Grand Avenue at a cost of $13,000, and on July 4, 1867, horsecar service began operating. The company developed a 12-acre park at the northern limit of the Fifth Street line adjoining Oak Ridge Cemetery on the east. A turntable was installed at the Oak Ridge Park on which the horsecars were turned around for the trip back downtown. On October 28, 1871, the Capital Railway's Monroe Street line was purchased and consolidated with the Springfield Street Railroad to form the Springfield City Railway.

For years Springfield was probably as famous for its dirt streets as it was for the seat of state government. In 1876, the year that the city's first sewer was laid on South Fifth Street, streetcar plows in the spring would pile mud beside the tracks in 18-inch mounds. In 1879, "Beware of Danger" and "No Bottom Here" signs were posted along streets that had deep holes, and planks had to be laid between the tracks for the horses.

On November 26, 1889, the Springfield City Railway was sold to Van Ginkle and Bayes of Des Moines, Iowa. After the city council passed an ordinance granting electric operations, the Springfield City Railway contracted the Thomson-Houston Company in March 1890 to electrify two miles of trackage and to provide six electric streetcars. The first electric streetcar in Springfield operated on Fifth Street on June 4, 1890, from a carbarn erected at Fourth and Monroe Streets. On August 1, the Rolling Mill steam dummy line was abandoned because of poor trackage and the lack of passengers, with a new line being built in November to run through more populous areas on Fifth Street to the Rolling Mill and to the Fairgrounds. The old carbarn at Fourth and Monroe Streets was closed and a new barn constructed at Ninth and Monroe Streets in 1892.

On March 5, 1879, the Citizens' Street Railway and Improvement Company was organized, and on April 1 the city council granted the company a franchise. On July 19, the company was granted a charter, and two horsecar lines were constructed by October 1880. The first line ran west on North Grand Avenue from Eleventh Street to Ninth Street, south on Ninth to Washington Street, west on Washington to Sixth Street, south on Sixth to Capitol Avenue, west on Capitol to Second Street, and south on Second to Allen Street. The second line ran north on Eleventh Street from South Grand Avenue to Washington Street, west on Washington to Second Street, north on Second to Carpenter Street, west on Carpenter to Rutledge Street, and north on Rutledge to the Oak Ridge Cemetery. On November 14, the Eleventh Street line was extended and horsecars operated from South Grand Avenue to the Lincoln Memorial. Planking with strap rails was employed. The system cost about $75,000 for eight miles of trackage, 18 horsecars, and 76 mules and horses.

The Sangamon Railway was incorporated on March 9, 1869, with $50,000 of capital, and promised to build tracks on all streets not granted to previous companies. The Springfield Belt Railway was organized in 1886. However, those companies never built anything.

The People's Gas Motor & Horse Company was organized on November 29, 1889, and shortly thereafter purchased the Citizens Street Railway. The company began construction of two horsecar lines; the first line ran west on Allen Street from Second Street to Walnut Street, and the second line ran north on Eleventh Street from North Grand Avenue to the Fairgrounds. Trackage rights were obtained over the Citizens Street Railway to enable the operation of horsecars between those two outlying segments. On January 17, 1889, the city council passed an ordinance granting the company the right to use electric power. During 1890 Washington Park was developed. The company was struggling against the new electric streetcars of the Springfield City Railway. On September 3, 1890, the Citizens Street Railway and the People's Electric Gas Motor & Horse Railway were reorganized as the People's Electric Street Railway Company, with $200,000 of capital. Electric streetcars began operating on November 4. Horsecars were initially used as trackage segments were completed on Second and Allen Streets until electric streetcars took over the operations to South Grand on November 28. Streetcar service began on the Fairgrounds line on November 29. The company later became the Union Rapid Transit Company in 1890 with $10,000 of capital, the Citizens Electric Railway in 1894 with $60,000 of capital, and the Capital Electric Railway in October of 1894 with $60,000 of capital.

Open car 119 is pictured with its crew.

This attractive waiting shelter was built by the streetcar company in Washington Park and still stands today, the only extant structure from the Springfield streetcar system.

Both companies proceeded to convert their horsecar lines to electric operations as quickly as possible during 1890 and 1891, which resulted in the replacement of the lighter horsecar rail with heavier rail. Soon, each company was attempting to extend their service in competition with each other, and physical violence resulted. There occurred a series of comic opera scenes that saw a near war between competing companies, private citizens laying track in the dead of night, and spectacular charges before the city council that electric trolley wires would turn city streets into "infernal valleys of death." Both political and traction leaders agreed that the only solution was a full merger of all companies. On April 22, 1893, the Springfield Consolidated Railway was organized with $750,000 of capital to purchase the Springfield City Railway and the Peoples Electric Railway. A further reorganization created the Springfield Railway & Light Company, which was incorporated on March 10, 1903, with $1,000,000 of capital. The new company then acquired the capital stock of the Springfield Consolidated Railway, the Springfield Gas and Light Company, the Springfield Electric Light and Power Company, the People's Hot Water Heating and Electric Company, and the Capital Electric Company. The new company was controlled by Hodenpyl, Hardy and Company of New York and E.W. Clark and Company of Philadelphia. By that time the 24-mile system was operating 50 streetcars.

By 1900, Springfield had a population of 34,159. On May 30, 1900, the East Carpenter Street line was placed into service; on July 4, 1904, the South Eleventh Street line was placed into service to Mildred Park; and during the summer of 1906 the East Capitol Avenue line was extended to Reich's Park and an extension from Washington Park to the Country Club was opened. With new extensions built in the early 1900s, the system eventually reached the maximum of about 40 miles, providing streetcar service within easy walking distance for every resident. A number of new double-truck streetcars were purchased. Electric streetcar operations reached their heyday prior to the advent of automobiles.

It's December 17, 1924, and one of Springfield's numerous deck-roof single-truck cars is on Walnut at Monroe, picking its way through the aftermath of an ice storm.

Car 202, one of the double-truck deck-roof cars acquired in 1912, is westbound e on Washington in this 1915 view looking north on Eighth.

Streetcar parties were gala events at the turn of the century, with open streetcars coupled together for a breezy ride to one of the city's many parks in the summer. During state fair week, streetcars were the principal means of transportation and were responsible for transporting nearly all of the vast number of fair visitors. During the state fair, streetcars would operate in a loop from the downtown area north on the Ninth Street line to the fairgrounds and return on the Seventh Street line.

On June 29, 1906, the first streetcar operated over the Smelter line. Later that summer an extension was built from South Grand to the Country Club. In June 1907, the company awarded a contract to Mullville Brothers of Alton to extend the North Eighth Street streetcar line 1.5 miles to the Zoo Park at a cost of $25,000. Trackage on several other lines was re-laid with 73-pound rail. In the fall of 1907, 15 acres of land were purchased on the south side of the city at Ash and Sixth Streets with plans announced to use the land for a modern steel and concrete carbarn, repair shop, and offices to replace the old horsecar barn located on the southeast corner of Fourth and Monroe Streets. In September of 1907, the company was granted permission to extend the Tenth Street line through Harvard Park and east on South Grand Avenue. During January of 1909, the company enlarged the power station that supplied electricity for the overhead by installing a 1500 kV unit. In March, the company started construction of the Eight Avenue half-mile extension to Harvard Park.

This view, dating to sometime in the 1920s, shows the overhead crane located behind the carbarn at Ash and Sixth. Out-of-service single-truck cars are visible in the background.

Car 108 was one of two unsuccessful convertible cars delivered in 1903. It was put into work service after a few years, but by the time this photo was taken in the 1920s, it had been retired and was sitting on a shop truck before being scrapped.

By 1910, Springfield had a population of 51,678. In May of 1913, the company awarded a $5,800 contract to the Clinton Bridge Works to construct a new carbarn on the land previously purchased at Sixth and Ash Streets. Union organizing of motormen, conductors, and repairmen led to a strike on September 3, 1917. Besides union recognition, the strikers were demanding an increase from 21 to 23 cents per hour as a minimum pay and an increase from 30 to 35 cents per hour as a maximum. A full scale riot developed and state troops had to be called out to restore order after numerous shootings and bombings. In May of 1918, the company filed a petition with the Public Utilities Commission to increase fares from five cents to six cents, with authority granted in October for a one-year period. In March of 1919, new pay-as-you-enter streetcars with Johnson fareboxes for coins and metal tokens were placed into service. In May, the company granted trainmen a pay increase from 36 to 39 cents an hour. Fares were increased to seven cents on January 15, 1920. Seventeen four-wheel Birney streetcars were placed into service starting in December of 1920, with the hope of improving service. On December 5, the North Seventh and South Second Street lines were merged, and the Carpenter line became a separate line; six Birney streetcars were assigned to serve those lines.

On January 1, 1922, the Springfield Gas and Electric Company (which shortly afterward changed its name to Illinois Power Company) purchased the Springfield Railway & Light Company. The system was operating 41.3 miles of trackage using 35 streetcars. A short time later, the first motor bus was placed into service.

Birney 255, pictured on October 11, 1936, by which time it had been relegated to annual service to the State Fair, was one of the Birney cars acquired in 1920.

Seven of these single-end, arch-roof cars were delivered in 1917, built to what was called the Hodenpyl-Hardy standard design. Built as rear-entrance pay-as-you-enter cars, the entire series was rebuilt in the 1920s for one-man operation. Car 232 is pictured in service in 1935.

The coming of the age of the automobile and the construction of highways in the area hurt the streetcar system. Passenger revenue declined from $713,008 in 1922 to $684,432 in 1924, while operating expenses grew from $533,143 to $563,990. Operating revenue became insufficient to ensure either a satisfactory schedule on the streetcar lines or their logical extension into newer sections of the city. During most of the 1920s, streets all over the city were being widened to take care of the growing traffic demands of the motor age.

The city council approved a 20-year extension of the company's franchise in the spring of 1924, but voters rejected the proposal in April by a small majority. On November 4, 1924, an extension of the company's franchise finally was obtained when the citizens of Springfield voted in favor of the proposal. During 1924, as a result of the new franchise, the company started bus service in the southeastern and northwestern sections of the city where there was no streetcar service, and converted double-truck streetcars to one-man operation. During October 1925, the company asked the Illinois Commerce Commission for permission to increase fares from the current 10 cents, because it was estimated that one million fewer passengers were being carried than the year before. By 1926, the company was making less than 3.5% on its investment, and the year before earnings fell $96,719 short of the 7% return as allowed by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Earnings for the end of 1926 were $720,727 compared to $708,984 the previous year, with 107,909 fewer revenue passengers than in 1925. The company increased the cost of two tickets to 15 cents and eight tickets to 50 cents in 1927. In the fall of 1927, the company asked permission to abandon the Seventh Street line and to double-track the Ninth Street line from Grand to Washington. The double trackage was constructed during the late summer, and placed into service on November 5. On January 11, 1928, streetcar service was authorized abandoned on the North Seventh Street line that operate don Jefferson, Seventh, and North Grand to Ninth Street, and the last streetcar operated on January 15. On September 1, 1928, the ICC granted fare increases from two tokens for 15 cents and eight tickets for 50 cents to three tickets for 25 cents.

Double-truck car 205 is in the yard on July 2, 1935, in this Paul Stringham photo. The 200s were heavily rebuilt in the 1920s, with their deck roofs removed, converted to one-man operation, and turned end for end. They spent their careers on the Lawrence-North Ninth Street line.

Most of Springfield's Birneys were rebuilt and modernized, acquiring features like inside step wells, skirting, and dash illumination. The rather unbalanced-looking result is shown off by car 265, one of the cars built new for Springfield in 1920. It's signed for Lawrence-North Ninth, normally the domain of double-truck 200-series cars, suggesting it was assigned to State Fair duty.

The Depression severely hurt streetcar operations. On June 17, 1930, the company was authorized to abandon service on the isolated 2.35-mile Zinc Works Smelter line, and service was discontinued on June 30. While that line was owned by the Illinois Terminal Railroad, the company operated the one double-truck streetcar for the United Zinc and Chemical Company; patronage had declined from 34,090 in 1925 to 8,300 in 1929.

On January 24, 1933, the Commonwealth and Southern Company purchased the Springfield operations of the Illinois Power Company, and under the name of Illinois Electric Power incorporated the Springfield Transportation Company. On April 23, 1933, the company was split, with the Springfield Transportation Company taking over the streetcar and bus operations, and the Central Illinois Light Company taking over the electric power service in Springfield. The new company did little more than realize that streetcar operations were not profitable. Gradually the streetcar lines were converted to buses. On April 24, authority was received to abandon the Rutledge Street and Country Club lines, and the last streetcar operated on the Country Club line on July 8 while the last streetcar operated on Rutledge on July 28. On July 1, the company filed a petition to abandon the Spring Street, South Grand, South Eleventh, and Capitol Street lines. The last streetcar operated on Spring on July 28, and the last streetcar operated on the South Grand and Capitol lines on October 7.

The at-grade crossing on South Grand was replaced with this underpass in 1931. Just two years later, this streetcar line was abandoned.

Hodenpyl-Hardy car 229 is at the north end of the Fifth Street line at Oak Ridge Cemetery on May 19, 1935. The signs taped in the windows read "No parking worries here - ride on dollar weekly passes."

On October 30, 1935, permission was given to abandon the Governor, South Eighth, West Washington, and East Carpenter lines, and the last streetcars operated on December 31, 1935. On July 28, 1937, permission was given to abandon the North Ninth and Lawrence Avenue lines, and the last streetcars operated on August 31. After receiving authority on December 21, streetcar number 227 operated on the final run in Springfield from the square on the Fifth Street line at 11:30 PM on December 31, 1937.

After the abandonment of service, 28 streetcars were sold to Abel Company of New York City, with five immediately being resold to South America [sic] and four to Marion, Indiana. On January 7, 1938, 19 streetcars remained at the carbarn. After all efforts to resell those streetcars failed, they were scrapped locally. The Illinois Terminal's interurbans continued to use certain streetcar tracks in Springfield to reach their downtown station for a while until they built a new station along their Belt Line around Springfield. Track removal began on May 22, 1939, and proceeded on an irregular basis, with most of the rail being removed during World War II for the war effort.

This article was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks to Ray and Julie Piesciuk and to Richard Schauer for making available the materials from the Stephen Scalzo Collection that were used to publish this history.

Roster of Equipment

A more complete roster of equipment can be found in Rail & Wire issue 270

11-61, various numbers - early DE ST DR cars built between 1890 and 1900, including both closed and open cars

71-75 - DE ST AR open cars, American c1900

76-79 - DE ST DR closed cars, St. Louis 1901 (order #402)

80-81 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1902 (order #427)

90-95 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1904-1905 (orders #554, 584, and 617)

100-107 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1903 (order #486)

108-109 - DE ST DR convertibles, American 1903 (order #487)

110-119 - DE ST DR 11-bench open cars, American 1904 (order #535)

120-124 - DE ST DR 11-bench open cars, St. Louis 1905 (order #604A)

125-129 - DE ST DR 11-bench open cars, American 1906 (order #704)

130-134 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1906 (order #662)

135-139 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1907 (order #750)

140-144 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, American 1909 (order #825)

145-149 - DE ST DR semi-convertibles, Kuhlman 1910 (order #464)

200 - DE DT AR closed car, American 1912 (order #974)

201-207 - SE DT DR semi-convertibles, American 1912 (order #949)

226-232 - SE DT AR closed cars, St. Louis 1917 (order #1124)

251-267 - DE ST AR Birney safety cars, St. Louis 1920 (order #1234)

268-279 - DE ST AR Birney safety cars, St. Louis 1921 (order #1258) - purchased 1928 from Detroit Department of Street Railways

Non-Revenue Equipment

1-2 - DE ST AR snow sweepers, McGuire-Cummings

3-4 - DE ST cab-on-flat locomotives, homebuilt

5-6 - DE ST sprinklers, McGuire-Cummings

7 - DE DT cab-on-flat utility car, homebuilt

21-30 - ST wooden gondolas, homebuilt

50-51 - work cars

52 - ST tower car, homebuilt

54 and 69 - ST DR salt/cement cars, rebuilt from streetcars

"Work Car" - DE DT AR steeplecab, homebuilt, rebuilt from car 200

Car 130 was a typical single-trucker. It's shown at the end of its service life, in storage in the yard at Ash and Sixth. Ed Frank photo.

It's June 6, 1937, and car 201 is at the north end of the Lawrence-North Ninth Street line at the State Fairgrounds. This line has less than three months left before abandonment.

On the same day, June 6, 1937, car 227 is in the yard at Ash and Sixth. The roll sign was presumably set to the Washington Street line, which had already been abandoned, by the photographer.

Birney 268 is in the yard in 1937 with the 1913-built open-sided shed in the background. This car is one of the cars purchased secondhand from Detroit; these cars were modernized in a different manner than the lower-numbered cars built for Springfield.

Sprinkler 5 shown with its crew, location and date unknown.

Work car 22 was one of several similar single-truck gondolas. It rides on a DuPont truck, which was either salvaged from an early streetcar that had been scrapped, or perhaps indicates that the gondola itself is a cut-down streetcar.

Route Map

A history of each SCR route can be found in Rail & Wire issue 268

Click here for a route map of the Springfield Consolidated Railway

Click here to return to the Scalzo History Collection index page

Busy Tuesday

Tuesday was another busy day at the Museum.  I should mention that work is continuing on replacing about a mile of track on the main line east of Seemann, but I never drive that way, and it's mostly over the hill and invisible from the road.  The contractors and our own track members are always at it.  But I can only report on things happening on the campus, and not even all of those.

By 7:30 when I arrived, Dave was already well into the project of removing the metal line pole at the southwest corner of Barn 4, single-handed.  Does this guy ever go home?

After that, it was obviously time for us slackers to get to work.  I started working on the roof of the 460, of course.  Three of the 1808 group were there.  However, it appears that when Tim isn't watching, some guys are just lying down on the job.

This is actually Mike using a heat gun to strip parts of the truck, and it's best done by lying on a nice comfortable mat.

Meanwhile, Frank K. is needle-chipping the wooden floor of the car.  I would never have thought of needle-chipping wood, but with the right tools and talent it works quite well.

And Tim continued making all the new window frames that will be needed.

On the 306, John is carefully checking and adjusting each of the wooden parts that attach to the body posts.

Jim was cleaning up and polishing brass window latches.  Notice how many there are to do.

In the morning, I started by installing the drip rails at the west end of the 460.  The corresponding parts on the wood cars have four screws each, but these require 28.  So it takes a while.

And here you can barely see the drip rail over the train door.

And then the rope guard was cleaned up and attached.

While we're up here, notice that Jim is now painting the drip rails on the 306.

And if you look real close, it appears that structural repairs have also been made to the roof of the 1808.

After lunch, it had warmed up enough for canvas painting, so I finished painting all of the canvas at the east end.

And then, since that job is finished apart from some possible touch-ups, I started removing the plastic covers along the side of the car.  It looks pretty nice, if I may say so myself.

Back outside, the line pole has been excavated as shown here.

And let's check out the status in back of Barn 4.   These rails into space remind me of a toy train layout under construction.

And here is the new and greatly improved Track 42 under construction.  Our Track Dept. are doing a great job on their end of this project.

And another view of the site of Yard 4 East.  Big changes are coming.

Sunday Report

Frank writes...

Sunday was the last day of a very successful first weekend for Happy Holiday Railway, as my father described. I wasn't in train service Sunday, but when I arrived there was work being done on a different urgent project: the extension of Barn 4.

Here we see Joel, in the bucket of the hi-rail line truck, using the winch to lower the bracket arm down from the line pole nearest the northeast corner of Barn 4 while Matt, on the ground, prepares to guide it to a soft landing. This pole, and the next one to the east, will have to come down to make way for the eastward extension of Barn 4. We aren't sure exactly when work on the building will commence, but it could be fairly soon, so we need to be prepared.

Until recently, there were four containers at this location, but now there are two and soon there will be none. The "box," the longtime streetcar workshop, has already been emptied and removed, while these containers hold spare windows and glass. The barn extension will also extend the lean-to along the south edge, permitting additional storage space indoors.

And here Joel is heading east with the line truck toward the second line pole. Matt and I helped him get this bracket down, too, and we also coiled up the trolley wire and feeder wire from the pit lead that had previously been lowered to the ground. Soon, the equipment on track 40 (behind the line truck) will be moved out, with the caboose and boxcar ending up about 75' to the east of where they are now.

After that, it was time for some railfanning! That big grin sticking out the cab window of the 229 is Zach, who has been working for the last month or two in his spare time to get our MD car running again. It was retired some years back due to deteriorated roof boards, but he has made all of the necessary repairs and the 229 motored itself back and forth a bit in Barn 8. Greg, Good Nick, Mikey, and Nathan all helped with this project as well.

Here's a photo Zach took of the "flop-over" style trolley base at the east end of the 229. The base sits on wooden blocks which are bolted to a pair of crosswise steel straps; these, in turn, are screwed to the trolley boards. The plan is to operate the 229 on January 21st along with our other operational North Shore cars. Yes, you read that right - for the first time in (I believe) 30 years, IRM will be open in January. We'll be commemorating the 60th anniversary of the abandonment of the North Shore, both for its own sake and as part of our own 70th anniversary celebration, so you won't want to miss it. It will be a unique opportunity to see and ride a variety of equipment (likely including the Electroliner) in a wintertime setting. Mark your calendars!

Before dinner, with Zach's help I climbed up on the roof of the 18 and blew the dust off of the roof boards and ventilators using air from CTA 4412 over on track 72. Zach snapped this photo of me up there. The next time I'm out when there's at least a modicum of warmth and natural light, I hope to paint everything on the roof that isn't canvas with Rustoleum primer.

And finally, after dinner I removed one of the extra-wide rear end windows from the 18 and brought it into the shop for paint. Two of these are original, but this one is an "egg crate wood" replacement probably made at Trolleyville. But it's serviceable for the time being, so it got a quick sanding and a coat of primer.

Happy Holiday

 Happy Holiday Railway has started, and I'm told tickets are going fast.  So this report may already be too late if you haven't decided to buy tickets yet.  Don't delay!

On Saturday I was part of the streetcar crew.  Once the event started, we were constantly busy, but at least we get to wear real uniforms and not Santa hats or jingling bells.  From L to R:  Chris Buck and I were on the 4391, and Jeff Obarek on the 3142:

Near the Depot St. stop, my old buddy Roger Kramer was selling his fund-raising cookies again.

Like everything else, once they're gone you're out of luck.

And there are lots of nice decorations throughout the barns and grounds.

I didn't have time to take many pictures of all the festivities, but there are plenty of good pictures on the IRM website linked above.  And we can certainly say that a good time was had by all!

And I would like to thank all the volunteers who have put in so much work to make this event possible.  Their efforts make the campus a magical place, especially after dark.  You know who you are, even if I don't.  Thanks!!!  

Fun fact: we've gotten inquiries as to whether the event would be cancelled if the rail unions go on strike.  Well, I don't want to get involved in somebody else's labor dispute, but we're all volunteers, and we have our own railroad.  And we can promise the show will go on!

Chicago Ottawa & Peoria - The Illinois Valley Railway

Chicago Ottawa & Peoria:

The Illinois Valley Railway

by Stephen M. Scalzo

Headline image: This photo from the early years of the CO&P was taken at Bureau, looking east on Chicago at Nebraska. Stephenson-built car 62 was acquired secondhand in 1904 but didn't last long in passenger service; it was rebuilt into a line car and later destroyed by fire in 1913. All photos are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum except where noted.

The Chicago Ottawa & Peoria Railway was but one of the many electric interurban companies throughout the United States that developed after the turn of the century. The interurban, appearing during the days of poor roads and undependable automobiles, held a bright promise of frequent, fast passenger service, and nearly every city or town looked hopefully for a connection with a proposed line. The well-established steam railroads usually fought the development of the electric interurban; however, the public welcomed the interurban because of the frequent service offered that was free of cinders and dirt and because for short trips, the interurban was a good transportation alternative to the horse and buggy. The Chicago Ottawa & Peoria Railway (CO&P), built piecemeal through several corporate names, operated from Joliet west down the Illinois River Valley to Princeton, with branches to Ladd and Streator. The ultimate dream of the company was to be linked in a Chicago-Peoria-St. Louis system, but this dream was never realized.

The first move in the establishment of the system was the purchase and uniting in 1900 of the local street railway lines and the gas and electric lighting plants in LaSalle under the name of Citizen's Lighting Company (which was later allied with the Illinois Valley Railroad Company). The earliest predecessor of the CO&P was incorporated on December 27, 1901, as the Illinois Valley Traction Company, which was the nucleus and one of the most important parts of the later, larger system. During 1902, the company built the first 24.48-mile segment of trackage from Ottawa to Ladd. On October 17, 1902, passenger service began on the Peru to Spring Valley line, and on December 20, 1902, the first car operated into Ladd from LaSalle.

LaSalle city car 1, pictured on Main near Hennepin, was built in 1890 and destroyed in a carbarn fire in 1902.

Double-truck car 52 was one of the Illinois Valley line's earliest interurban cars, though in reality it was more of a suburban car. It is shown on Main Street in Ladd around 1904.

On July 1, 1904, the line was deeded to a new company, the Illinois Valley Railway Company (incorporated on June 27, 1904), more commonly known as the "Ivy Way." The Illinois Valley Railway Company (IVR) then purchased the Ottawa Marseilles & Morris River Railway Company (incorporated on December 29, 1902), which consisted of seven miles of trackage from East Ottawa to Marseilles. In order to help fund an extension from DePue into Princeton, the citizens of Princeton subscribed to over $100,000 in bonds. The company then constructed 15.77 additional miles of trackage between Marquette and Princeton and 5.6 miles of trackage between Marseilles and Seneca during 1905 and 1906. On February 15, 1907, the first interurban car was operated into Princeton with much ceremony. On June 15, 1907, the company purchased 4.31 miles of right-of-way and partly completed trackage between Spring Valley and Marquette from the receiver of the Marquette Spring Valley & Northwestern Railroad Company (incorporated on June 17, 1901). Construction of that line was completed in June.

On June 1, the 57.27 miles of trackage of the IVR from Princeton to Seneca, and the Spring Valley to Ladd trackage, was leased to the CO&P (incorporated on April 19, 1907), which purchased the property on April 15, 1908. On September 20, 1907, the CO&P purchased the property of the Peoria Streator & Ottawa Railway Company (incorporated on March 1, 1906) for a line from Peoria through Streator to Ottawa. The property purchased consisted of 1.2 miles of right-of-way and a portion of the material needed to construct the line from Ottawa to Streator. During 1909-1910, the CO&P completed that trackage, then constructed 10.8 miles of trackage from Seneca to Morris. During 1911-1912, another 22.1 miles of track was built between Morris and Joliet, giving the entire system a total of 107.37 miles of electric interurban operation.

City car 10 was one of two acquired secondhand in 1908 for local service in Princeton. It is shown working in that capacity, probably around the time it was purchased.

This awe-inspiring fill was located east of Minooka. Car 43 is eastbound toward Joliet on July 25,1912.

Electricity for the interurban was generated from the Marseilles power plant, which had a capacity of 4,500 horsepower, and could be generated by either water or steam. The original power plant was located at LaSalle, and it was used until the Marseilles plant was completed in 1912. The company owned and maintained a three-phase 33,000-volt wood pole transmission line which extended the length of the system. The electric current was sent along the high tension wires from the power plant to 10 rotary converter substations located about 10 miles apart along the tracks, at which points the current was reduced to 600 volts direct current and fed into the overhead trolley wire. The overhead trolley wire was single-suspension from 30-foot cedar poles from Seneca to Princeton and from Spring Valley to Ladd, while catenary suspension was used from Seneca to Joliet and from Ottawa to Streator.

Initially, speed was unimportant to the interurban system because the largest transportation competition at the turn of the century was the horse and buggy. An old timetable shows that a 33-mile trip took 2.25 hours, or an average of 15 miles per hour. The surface of the country over which the trackage of the CO&P was built was broken, and in places was very irregular, requiring several bridges, sharp curves, and heavy grades. Thus, high-speed operation was not possible. Between Joliet and Split Rock (58 miles) trackage had good curvature and grades; the minimum curve, except through cities, was six degrees, and the maximum grade was about 1%. The maximum grade for the entire line was at the Illinois Central Hill in LaSalle, which was 8%. Except where it ran on city streets, the trackage was located on private right-of-way which varied in widths of 75 to 100 feet, with several short distances of 25-foot width.

Car 41, shown boarding passengers at Utica, was a deck-roof suburban car of modest size and speed that was typical of the Illinois Valley line's early rolling stock.

CO&P 81 was a heavy wooden interurban car purchased in 1909 from the East. St. Louis & Suburban. It's shown stopping at the frame station building at Marseilles.

The system was essentially single-track, laid with 60- and 70-pound rail on white oak ties with sidings located about 2.5 miles apart. For safety, a block system of signals, similar to that used on all the steam roads, was installed to reduce the possibility of accidents. Originally, the line was ballasted with gravel, but cinders and pea gravel were used as ballast in later track rebuilding. There were about 40 bridges between Morris and Joliet, and about seven wooden trestles west of Peru. A number of excellent combination substations and depots existed, and other stations ranged from elaborate structures to mere shelter sheds or signs denoting stops.

The original rolling stock of the interurban system consisted of 11 wooden-bodied double-ended cars that sat high on their trucks. Heavy cowcatchers protected each end, and the platforms on each end were wide enough to carry milk cans, chicken crates, produce, and packages. In 1911, new dark green all-steel "turtle-topped" cars with beautiful stained-glass arches over the windows were purchased. These 47-ton cars were equipped with four 100-horsepower motors and carried 60 passengers. The rear platform was reached by three high steps, but the front platform was gone, and the motorman was tucked away in a small corner cab in strict privacy. All cars had two compartments, the smoking and the ladies parlor. The smoking compartment had rattan seats and plain wooden floors, while the parlors were carpeted, contained plush upholstered seats, walnut finish, and lights tastefully grouped in clusters. The interior lights of the interurbans burned day and night, for by their brilliance or dimness, the interurban crew could judge the amount of power in the overhead trolley wire. The lack of lights was instant knowledge that the trolley pole had jumped off the wire. A number of work cars were used, and for local streetcar service in LaSalle-Peru, eight single-truck cars were operated.

A classic scene on the CO&P: big interurban combine 261, built by Danville in 1911, loads LCL freight from a horse-drawn wagon in front of the interurban depot in downtown Princeton.

This early photo depicts a far less common type of passenger operation on the CO&P. Unique homebuilt steeplecab 25 tows a trio of 150-series suburban trailers down Main Street in Princeton.

Initially, for the purpose of determining passenger fares, the system was divided into a number of divisions, each with a 5-cent charge. The only card tickets used were return trip tickets, and no single-trip tickets were sold. Three styles of ticket books were used. One was a commutation book issued for an individual to travel between two given points. Another book contained 100 coupon tickets with a face value of $5.00, and was sold for $4.50. The last was a book of 100 ticket coupons on which rebates were given if the book cover was returned within specified time limits. Each car had a big square fare register box and it had, in addition to its pull rope, a shaft which the conductor turned to properly record the different types of commutation he received, such as cash, tickets, or coupons.

Most passenger traffic was evenly distributed between a comparatively small number of medium-sized towns. The bulk of the traffic, however, was handled on the section of line between Spring Valley and Ottawa. Generally, less than half of the scheduled trains were through trains between Joliet and Princeton, with others operating between Ottawa and Ladd, Ottawa and Princeton, LaSalle and Ladd, LaSalle and DePue, LaSalle and Princeton, Joliet and Ladd, Joliet and Ottawa, or Ottawa and LaSalle. During the early years of heavy operational traffic, hourly passenger service was maintained to even the extremities of the system, with proportionately more frequent service to Ottawa, LaSalle, and Peru.

Car 58, an attractive Robertson semi-convertible built new for the Illinois Valley line in 1903, boards passengers at Country Club, a minor stop between Bureau and Princeton near the west end of the system. The flag on the car's corner post may indicate a second section is following.

Heavy interurban car 267 is shown in front of the handsome McKinley-style depot and substation at Seneca, which was located near the center of the system but east of the core cities of LaSalle, Peru, and Ottawa that supplied so much of the company's local traffic.

The interurban became a means of cementing strong business and social bonds between the cities of Joliet to the east, Princeton and Ladd to the west, and Streator to the south. Business boomed from the start. Ladies began speaking casually of shopping in LaSalle and other cities, local fishermen rode to choice points along the Illinois River, and farmers and businessmen began making steady use of the interurban. The interurban brought about the development of educational projects such as Chautauquas, fairs, and public gatherings of all kinds. The company operated Illini Beach Park, comprising of 22 beautiful wooded acres, located four miles south of Ottawa. It was also the only line directly reaching Starved Rock Park (however passengers had to cross the Illinois River by ferry to reach the park), located seven miles west of Ottawa on the south bank of the Illinois River. Many other resorts were located along the line, and during the summer season thousands of pleasure seekers made use of the travel facilities offered by the interurban. During 1914, through limited interurban service, consisting of one train each way daily, was established between Chicago and Starved Rock, catering mainly to picnic parties. Only a limited amount of freight service was developed, except for a large carload business done from Spring Valley west and from Marseilles east.

On December 31, 1922, ownership again changed hands when the system was consolidated with William B. McKinley's Illinois Traction System, after which the system became known as the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois Traction System. The McKinley Syndicate included many public utilities, but the traction part was a large interurban system connecting Peoria, Springfield, St. Louis, Decatur, Danville, and many other Illinois cities. Although the CO&P represented an investment of about $15 million, it was in reality but a small portion of what became the McKinley properties.

Modern arch-roof city car 113 is shown in city service in Peru, year unknown. The motorman's name is Bain, while the conductor is William Canley. The streetcar was delivered to the CO&P new in 1914.

The year is 1922 and deck-roof city car 115, purchased secondhand the previous year from Galesburg, is in service in downtown LaSalle. This car would last only until 1926 before being dismantled.

McKinley had plans for using the CO&P as a means of connecting his downstate interurban system with Chicago, as it would have taken the construction of a relatively short line between Streator and Bloomington or Mackinaw, or between Bureau and Peoria. Interurbans would have been able to operate from St. Louis over the existing downstate trackage to the connection, over the proposed trackage connection to the existing CO&P tracks, over that trackage to Joliet, then onto connecting trackage of the Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway and the Chicago Surface Lines into the Chicago Loop. However, that connection was never built because the development and improvement of the automobile and highway system was changing the transportation picture, and also because of the Great Depression. By 1920, concrete roads stretched over the country, and automobiles rolled where once horses and carriages plodded. The trucking industry began to move, and by 1925 motor buses began competing with the interurbans for passengers. Automobiles mass-produced were sold at a price within the reach of many of the working class people. As people began to rely more on the automobile to reach work and places of amusement and recreation, interurban travel became outmoded.

During the 10 years or so following the McKinley takeover, the glamour of an interurban ride began to fade. In vain, the railroad management tried excursions, lower fares, and inducements of every sort. Operating expenses were cut as traffic decreased. In a commendable effort to economize, the company became a pioneer in the operation of lightweight cars, purchasing a fleet of 17 one-man cars in 1924. These new units weighed only 18.5 tons, were equipped with four 35-horsepower motors, and carried 54 passengers. The new cars were painted yellow in compliance with a new state law requiring the use of conspicuous colors to minimize the chance of accidents. The cars were developed with the idea of providing a type of equipment which would attract increased patronage by affording greater convenience and comfort to the passenger; they were also designed to present an appeal to the prospective rider which was accomplished by an attractive and inviting general appearance. With the new cars, a different system of dispatching trains was utilized. Instead of conductors and motormen leaving their cars at various switch points in order to receive telephone orders, the interurban operator, wearing a telephone set around his neck, was able to plug in on telephone connections without leaving his cab.

The 1924 lightweight cars were striking in their appearance when new. Car 65 shows off its attractive livery (the "football" herald on the side reads "Illinois / Traction System / Service") and lines. Note that the front platform is not as deep as the rear platform.

Car 64 is pictured in LaSalle, eastbound on 1st Street about to turn south on Union and thence enter private right-of-way en route to Split Rock, Ottawa, and its destination, Marseilles. This car is preserved today, albeit heavily rebuilt, at the Illinois Railway Museum.

On August 3, 1924, the new one-man cars were put into regular service, replacing all other passenger equipment. The new equipment effectively achieved its purpose by the reduction in cost it produced. Maintenance costs dropped by 73%, power use by 43%, and platform costs by 27%. With the new cars, operating costs dropped to about half of what they had been, and a return to more frequent service using the new equipment brought an increase in patronage. Hourly service was again tried out of Joliet, with trains alternating between Spring Valley to Ladd and to Princeton, with two-hour service to Streator. With those savings, the investment in the new cars would have been paid for in four years. However, it was not enough to counter mounting financial problems. In 1928, service had been reduced to two-thirds of that offered in 1919, and from then on, service gradually dwindled to practically nothing. A potentially profitable freight and express business was never fully developed and marketed, so passenger service provided the bulk of the revenue. With declining patronage, the company's net profits dropped from $178,000 in 1922 to $112,000 in 1926.

Plans for through operation into Chicago and extensions connecting with the downstate system, renamed the Illinois Terminal, were never lost sight of. However, the connection into Chicago over the Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway and the Chicago Surface Lines was impractical for either freight or through passengers because the increasing automobiles congestion would have interfered with operations over the considerable amount of street trackage in Joliet and Chicago. This left the system a country trolley that paralleled the modern high-speed Chicago Rock Island & Pacific steam railroad, competing with a network of good concrete highways.

Car 75 is snappy in full ITS regalia with Illinois Valley Division sub-lettering. It's signed for Streator, placing this photo prior to the abandonment of that branch in August 1928.

The Western Clock Company in Peru, better known as Westclox, was a significant source of traffic. This photo taken at Westclox around 1930 at shift change shows suburban car 56 pulling trailer 155 (both wear painted-on badges with their car number and "Westclox Special") while city cars 110, 114, and another arch-roof car of that type are visible in the background.

The end was in sight for the interurban, but contraction and final abandonment of the system came slowly. The Spring Valley-Ladd branch was abandoned on July 1, 1923, and on August 25, 1928, operations on the 17.2-mile line between Ottawa and Streator were abandoned. In March 1929, the company applied to the Illinois Commerce Commission to abandon the 13.3-mile line from DePue to Princeton. Businessmen in Princeton protested; however, on July 8, 1929, an enormous summer storm undermined the tracks in many places and washed out 10 small bridges between Princeton and DePue. The storm damage played an important part in the abandonment, as the company indicated that the cost of repairing the roadbed would be prohibitive. The company stated that the traffic the interurban enjoyed or could be expected to enjoy in the future did not justify the expenditure of monies necessary to make repairs. Despite protests, formal approval was given to abandon the trackage on July 24, 1929.

On September 29, 1929, the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois Terminal Railroad deeded property consisting of 72.9 miles of line between DePue and Joliet to a new, final organization called the Illinois Valley Railroad Company (IVRR). During 1930, the IVRR constructed a 3.18-mile freight belt line through Ottawa to eliminate awkward street trackage, making one final attempt to attract more freight business in order to increase earnings. However, the Depression was too much for the company, and the entire system was abandoned on May 13, 1934.

Cab-on-flat locomotive 1523, which arrived from the IT in 1928, is shown at the far eastern end of the CO&P in Rockdale.

Tired-looking lightweight car 66 has been stashed in a stub siding on the west side of Peru between runs. It has its storm windows installed along with a visor over the motorman's window, an in-service addition that may have been borrowed from Chicago & Joliet Electric practice.

The Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad assumed the freight business, serving industries in LaSalle and other cities and towns along the line. The track and bridges located on the open right-of-way, overhead wires, bridges, etc. were sold and dismantled. Passenger cars in good operating condition were sold to the Illinois Terminal Railroad, and those obsolete or beyond economical repair, along with electric locomotives and freight cars, were sold and scrapped. A major portion of the right-of-way was sold to adjoining landowners, and the substation buildings were sold for various other uses.

The Illinois Valley Railway played an important part in the history of the area, but within a few years it was barely missed as automobiles, trucks, and buses, took over completely and capably. The story of this interurban is the story of hundreds of other such lines all over the country, some lasting shorter periods of time, some longer, but nearly all suffering the same fate for almost the same reasons. Each system had its own interesting history as it touched the lives of the communities it served. Today, the Chicago Ottawa & Peoria Railway remains only in memories, some newspaper records, and old photographs.

This article was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks to Ray and Julie Piesciuk and to Richard Schauer for making available the materials from the Stephen Scalzo Collection that were used to publish this history.

Editor's note: This is the 50th railway history article we've published on the blog from Stephen Scalzo's collection of historic documents, photos, and manuscripts. We only have a few more to go before we run out of Illinois electric railways!

Chicago Ottawa & Peoria Memories

from Glenn L. Sticken

The Slide

A spot or stretch of about 400 feet of track known as "the slide" between Spring Valley and Marquette, and near milepost 17 east of the Princeton end of the line, was known by every employee of the old CO&P line - and by many thousands of passengers too.

This trouble spot was located on high hillside, and it was over a soapstone formation which gradually let the hillside slide down, taking the interurban track slowly with it.

To combat the slide, especially in early spring wet weather, the CO&P had three 1000-series dump cars always loaded with clinkers at the DePue Zinc Plant.

One stretch of about 80 feet of the general slide area always slanted or leaned toward the downhill side. There was a permanent five or 10 mile per hour train operation over this more dangerous spot.

Over the years, the CO&P dumped hundreds of cars of cinders and clinkers to fight the slide. In later years they dumped less and perhaps by doing this, the less weight on the tricky soapstone kept it from sliding so rapidly.

What a thrill it was to be riding on the downhill side of the big old 260-series cars, and how it did lean, even if only scarcely moving.

This thorn of operation was there to contend with for the entire operational days of the interurban, and every employee so faithfully obeyed the slow speed rule, that never an accident occurred at this treacherous spot.

Box motor 302 is at Spring Valley towing a pair of 1000-series four-wheel gondolas, with another two in the foreground, probably in the kind of maintenance-of-way service mentioned in the story of "the slide."

Accident at DePue

In the year 1916, or very close, a fatal accident or electrocution happened at the Chicago Ottawa & Peoria interurban railway substation at DePue.

The victim was a single fellow of around 30 years of age by the name of Doherty or Daugherty from Ottawa. He had a very likable personality and was a cooperative employee. He may have worked up and down the system on the substation swing jobs. In addition to his substation electrical duties, he also was agent and ticket seller at DePue.

It was a necessity to have a DePue substation operating, and with the help of Battery Station about two miles out of Princeton, to get the electric passenger trains and freight motors up the long, winding hill from Shaffers Crossing to Princeton.

The large DePue substation was well built, and showed the typical Illinois Traction System likeness. It stands to this day, well maintained, and serves as our local doctor's office.

For electric interurban operation, the power rule was 33,000 volts AC on the high tension line, and into outside transformers to cut it down before entering the substation. It was then converted with a dynamo to 600 volts DC, to be put out on the trolley wire. This also was the DePue setup.

The local jeweler in DePue, a man of small stature by the name of Lindbloom, and likeable substation operator Daugherty became good friends.

Jeweler Lindbloom kept asking Daugherty to magnetize or de-magnetize some small tools for him such as pliers or screw drivers.

Finally, a day was selected, and after the second westbound car, between 9 and 10 AM had unloaded the fresh Orsinger Bakery products, shipped down from LaSalle to DePue for Frey Bros. store, Daugherty set about to please his friend Mr. Lindbloom.

One rumor was that substation operator Daugherty and Lindblom were trying their electrical experiment on the big dynamo or the AC-DC converter. This was not true, as the two men were at the more eastern end of the substation, and were experimenting around some open wiring, switches, or transformers.

Substation operator Daugherty was standing on a wood block or box, and was presumed to be quite safe. His good friend Mr. Lindbloom was standing on the concrete floor and unintentionally put his hand up on Daugherty's shoulder, which was then a perfect ground for their electrical experiment.

Daugherty received the full electric charge, which was fatal on the spot. Stories are that his body immediately turned black, and all hope of life was given up.

Mr. Lindbloom was badly shaken up and his face was twisted out of shape somewhat. Through fate he survived the fatal experiment, but was never the same, and shortly after, he sold his jewelry store and left DePue.

The DePue substation had its definite need or purpose, and operated until 1934, when the entire interurban line was abandoned. Today on the same spot where likable Mr. Daugherty was killed, our local doctor may work daily at his profession. The high voltage is gone, but the building and memories are still there.

The Hill at Spring Valley

We know the old Chicago Ottawa & Peoria interurban line was handy and useful, and had a purpose in its day. For shopping to nearby cities, men commuting to and from work, a visit with relatives up or down the Illinois Valley, or perhaps a cooling Sunday ride, the interurban was the handy servant of the day.

My memory goes back to one fear I had of riding the interurban. As a small boy and living at Marquette, our red siding mine home was scarcely 30 feet from the track. A shopping trip to Spring Valley, up and back on the interurban, and a dish of ice cream at Sanitary Ice Cream Parlor, just before return car time was out of this world for a 9-year old boy. Loaded with bundles, usually my mother and I boarded the return car home from Spring Valley's St. Paul Street stop.

To me, the big 260-series cars and 500-series trailers, were almost as dear as a human being. Even with my love for these fine old cars, I had one great fear too.

My thoughts and hopes were that when our return car came up the long, steep, five-block Greenwood Street hill, and stopped at St. Paul Street, only one block from the top of the hill, that they would not be pulling a passenger trailer, and that my mother and I would not have to board the trailer.

My fear was that when the motorman would start the heavy two-car train on the steep hill, he might jerk the trailer a bit, and it would come uncoupled, and roll back down the steep hill. No doubt I had heard of CO&P car 42 running away down the hill a few years before, and that did not pacify or settle my fears any. I know I did put up a howl and disapproval when we had to ride in a trailer up the hill. Perhaps mother gave me a good hand and arm wrenching, and we boarded the trailer in the end - but to my complete dislike.

In later years I could see with air brakes, that should the trailer become uncoupled the break in the air line would set the brakes immediately, and stop both cars. So no matter how far we go up the ladder of fame in later years, some boyhood fears are never forgotten.

Holdup of the CO&P Interurban Car

December 3, 1917, is a date that will never be forgotten by Herman Kammerer of Ottawa. It was [on that date] that 13 escaped convicts from the Joliet penitentiary seized an interurban car on which Kammerer was conductor, and compelled him and nine male passengers to exchange clothing with them. The passengers were robbed at gunpoint of their money and valuables, and all except two were put off the car as the convicts continued their flight in the electrically powered interurban coach. The two passengers who stayed on the car were an Ottawa woman and her husband. The woman had fainted as the result of her harrowing experience. The 13 convicts had sawed their way out of solitary at the penitentiary, overpowered a guard, and seized his key to the outside gate. The saw had been smuggled into the prison.

The escape took place on a Sunday night, and the convicts fled into the country west of Joliet, hiding out overnight under an interurban bridge. About 7:00 in the morning, they went to a small grocery, cigar store and interurban waiting station at DuPage Crossings, six miles west of Joliet, where at gunpoint, they forced the proprietor and his wife to feed them. One of the men had a sawed-off shotgun, two had revolvers, and the others carried beer bottles as weapons. They had obtained the guns after escaping from the prison, presumably by breaking into a building near the DuPage River. The convicts tied the store proprietor to a chair, and threatened his wife, but did not harm them. They noticed a time card on the wall which showed the interurban car, eastbound, was due at 9:40, and would return, westbound, at 11:30. They remained in the store until the car arrived on its westbound run, meanwhile eating almost all the food that was in the place. When the car stopped at DuPage Crossing, the fugitives boarded it, with guns drawn, ordering Conductor Kammerer and the passengers to hold up their hands. One of the convicts forced the motorman, Neil Richards, to leave his cab, while the convict took over the controls of the car. Some of the convicts wore striped prison garb, while others had khaki trousers and jackets. They took the trousers, suit coats, and overcoats of the passengers.

Lying on the rear seat was a grip owned by Conductor Kammerer, in which he had some money, the tickets he had collected on the run, and a 22 automatic pistol. The grip was not locked, but one of the convicts ripped it open with a knife, taking the money and the gun. Kammerer's railroad watch also was taken. Kammerer was forced to swap trousers with one of the convicts, but was permitted to keep his conductor coat. The passengers were put off the car at a point known as Hawk Yard Siding. Kammerer phoned the interurban dispatcher, and the Grundy County Sheriff was alerted. A posse was organized and set out in search of the fugitives. The fire alarm signal was sounded at Morris, and the public warned the convicts were in the area. Two miles east of Morris, the trolley pole became disconnected from the overhead wire, and the convicts assumed the electric current had been turned off. They abandoned the car and fled in different directions.

At 6 AM Tuesday morning, five were captured in the railroad yards at Morris, another was arrested in a Morris barber shop, two on a gravel road, and two in Holderman's barn, east of Seneca. Two others were captured by Seneca Police Chief Patrick Judge while eating a meal at the lunch counter of Johnson's restaurant in Seneca. A Seneca resident named Donaldson, who was one of the passengers forced to swap clothes with the convicts, had recognized his overcoat on one of the men in the restaurant, and summoned Police Chief Judge. Judge collected rewards of $100 each for capture of the two men. All except one of the fugitives was rounded up and returned to prison.

The convict who made good his escape was captured in 1950, in Georgia, while attempting to hold up a liquor truck. Meanwhile he had served a term of five years in a Georgia prison for a crime committed after his escape from Joliet.

To this day, Conductor Kammerer jokingly states he never did get his watch back.

The Runaway

This "human interest" story of the old CO&P interurban line was related to me by Mr. Ed J. Coveny of Webster Park. Today "The Coveney's" fine modern home and 20-acre beauty spot has many hundred feet of clean, well-mowed grass, that was once the old CO&P right-of-way at the southeast edge of Webster Park.

Back on the snow-covered day of January 14, 1919, a young man, some years younger than he is today, was instructed by his father, Dr. Coveny of Spring Valley, that it was necessary for the son to make a business trip to Peru for Dad.

That was not too much of a chore or inconvenience, as the CO&P cars ran quite often between the two cities. Young Mr. Coveny with plenty of pep to spare decided the regular car stop in front of Spring Valley City Hall was just a little too routine, and decided to walk on down the hill and purchase his ticket at the Sanitary Ice Cream Parlor, and board the car to Peru at St. Paul Street.

The City Hall stop and start-up was also the instructed spot to test all train air brakes before starting down the steep Greenwood Street hill. In a short time car 42, bound for Peru, made the City Hall stop with Motorman Hildabrand at the controls, and with about eight or 10 passengers on board. It cannot be said if the air brake test was made or not, before the car crossed Erie Street and down the steep five-block Greenwood Street hill, but for some reason the air brake failed.

As young Mr. Coveny stood at the St. Paul Street curbing bound for Peru on his business trip, car 42 failed to slow up or stop and whizzed right on across busy St. Paul Street and luckily did not hit a person or vehicle. We know by this time the interurban car was out of control and Motorman Hildabrand was doing all in his power to stop it. No doubt the hand brakes were set very tight, but with the snowy, wet rails, the car could have slid as if on greased rails. Even with the car picking up momentum very rapidly, Motorman Hildabrand and his terrified passengers stayed in the car.

When the runaway car reached the curve at the bottom of the hill, no manmade wheel or car could get around the curve, and the car shot off very near straight on down the hill about 75 feet. Some say the wood and steel car rolled over once and some say it did not. The heavy undercarriage, wheels, and motors did help to keep the car upright. By the kind hand of luck or fate, no one was killed or seriously injured. In that day a weak heart was almost unheard of, which was also another stroke of good fortune.

Car 42 was almost completely wrecked or beyond car body repair, and a few days after the wreck, CO&P Car Shop men from Ottawa salvaged the car's trucks, motors, and wheels. The remainder of the car was burned on the spot. There was never another passenger car 42 on the CO&P line.

In the last 15 years of CO&P operation, and until abandonment in 1934, I doubt if any motorman who started down steep Greenwood Street hill did not think or remember the car 42 runaway.

Our good friend Mr. Coveny tells me he very near beat the runaway car 42 to the bottom of the hill, when it sailed by him at the St. Paul Street curb and he could see what was taking place. He was certain fate was with him when he decided not to board the car at City Hall stop. Then a plenty worried father Dr. Coveny hurriedly drove to the wreck scene, certain that son Ed was headed for Peru on the ill-fated car. What a parental joy and relief to find his son had not been able to board the car at his desired St. Paul Street stop.

Deck-roof interurban car 41, shown here in Princeton in 1908, was of the same series of car as the ill-fated CO&P 42 that met its unfortunate demise in Spring Valley in 1919. This car remained in service until it was scrapped in 1926.

The Basketball Special

In the years around 1920, automobiles were still not too plentiful, and many events and doings were reached by the old Chicago Ottawa & Peoria interurban railway.

The event for this "human interest" story centers around basketball rivalry, between Streator High School and LaSalle-Peru High School. There was nothing finer or commanded more attention or added prestige to a visiting basketball team than to arrive in their opponent's city by special train. Thus, the Streator team and fans chartered a special train on the CO&P to LaSalle.

The Streator group seemed as if they all wanted to travel together. In some way it was decided to pull two of the big 500-series passenger trailers behind one of the 260-siers motor passenger cars. All went well on the fairly level prairie running track from Streator over to Ottawa and down to Split Rock. As the three-car train headed west, shot up the incline and then had to shut off for the sharp curve at Split Rock, the heavily loaded train was too much for the lead 260-series motor car, and they stalled on the curve. Try as they might, they could not get off the curve .To double the train meant two trips to Rockwell Siding, very near two miles away.

Game time was fast approaching and tempers were starting to flare. Alas! a plan was devised and tried. All passengers de-trained, and one trailer was uncoupled, and the motor car and one trailer were able to get around the curve. Then the passengers from three cars were sardined into two cars, and pronto they rolled wheels west for LaSalle - all arriving at the sporting event. During the game, the chartered train crew returned light to Split Rock and retrieved their empty trailer they had left behind and returned to LaSalle.

At the conclusion of the game, the train had been wyed and made ready for the return trip to Streator. The three-car train may have proceeded as far as Ottawa Shops, and many are of the opinion that another 260-series motor car was put in service and each motor car then had one trailer, as it is very doubtful if one 260-series motor car could pull two heavily loaded trailers of basketball fans up the long, steep South Ottawa hill.

The fans may have been delayed some here and there on their trip, but everyone made it safely. Oh yes! - your author forgot who won the basketball game.

When it comes to interurbans, it doesn't get much more classic than this. A CO&P 260-series interurban combine built by Danville in 1911 (per ITS practice, the big CO&P combines had a baggage door only on the right side) pulls a matching 500-series trailer, possibly in a chartered train like the Streator to LaSalle basketball special.

Roster of Equipment

City Cars

1-6 (six cars) - St. Louis, 1890 - ST DR closed - McGuire truck, 2 x WH motors - all but car 6 destroyed in carbarn fire 1/15/1902

7-8 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1893 - ST closed - McGuire truck, 2 x WH motors - destroyed in carbarn fire 1/15/1902

4, 6 (two cars) - builder unknown, 1902 - ST DE open - L 29'6", W 7'6", K-10 control - secondhand cars acquired 1908 for Princeton city service, scrapped by 1921

9-10 (two cars) - builder/year unknown - ST DE DR closed - Brill 21E truck, 2 x GE 52 motors, K-10 control - secondhand cars acquired 1908 for Princeton city service, scrapped by 1921

20-22 (three cars) - St. Louis, year unknown - ST open trailers

21-22 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1891 - ST DE closed - Wt. 20,000 lbs., McGuire truck, 2 x WH 69 motors, K-10 control - acquired 3/1902 from Danville Street Railway & Light 23-24

81-83 (three cars) - Danville, 1910 (ord#530) - DT DE DR closed - L 46'3", W 8'10", Wt. 52,800, 44 seats, Brill 27GE1 trucks, 4 x GE 80 motors, K-28 control - acquired 1/1924 from Illinois Power & Light (Bloomington) 81-83, sold 1/1925 to Illinois Terminal 401-403 (Danville)

101-107 odd (four cars) - St. Louis, 1902 (ord#264) - ST DR closed - L 29'4", W 8'0", Brill 21E truck (originally DuPont truck), 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control - car 101 traded 1923 to NIL&T (Ottawa) 101 in exchange for 103; 103 traded 5/1924 to NIL&T (Ottawa) 103 in exchange for 18, reacquired 1923; 105 scrapped 5/1924; 107 gone before 1905

102-110 even (five cars) - builder unknown, 1906 - ST DE DR open - L 29'6", W 7'6", 50 seats, Brill 21E truck, 2 x GE 67 motors, K-10 control - out of service 1920, scrapped 1924

108-110 (three cars) - St. Louis, 1913 (ord#953) - DT DE AR closed - L 41'0", W 8'4", H 11'7", Wt. 38,000 lbs., 38 seats, St. Louis 99B trucks, 2 x GE 216 motors, K-36J control - acquired 1/1925 from Illinois Power & Light (Champaign) 60-62

111-113 (three cars) - St. Louis, 1914 (ord#1019) - DT DE AR closed - L 41'0", W 8'4", H 11'7", Wt. 38,000 lbs., 38 seats, St. Louis 99B trucks, 2 x GE 216 motors, K-36J control

114 (one car) - St. Louis, 1917 (ord#1137) - DT closed - L 41'0", W 8'4", H 11'7", Wt. 38,000 lbs., 38 seats, St. Louis 99B trucks, 2 x GE 216 motors, K-36J control

115 (one car) - St. Louis, year unknown - DT DE closed - L 41'0", W 8'4", Brill 27 trucks, 2 x GE 88 motors - acquired 1921 from Galesburg Railway & Light 150, dismantled 1926

200 (one car) - St. Louis, 1917 (ord#1135) - ST AR closed - L 22'4", St. Louis 121 truck - sold c1920 to Illinois Power & Light (Cairo) 111

263, 268, 269 (three cars) - Danville, 1909 (ord#522) - ST DE DR closed - L 33'0", 30 seats, Brill 21E truck, 2 x GE 80 motors, K-10 control - acquired 10/1923 from Illinois Power & Light (Peoria) same numbers, scrapped 5/1929

910, 915-919 (six cars) - American, 1909 (ord#841) - DT SE DR city car - L 50'0", W 9'3", H 12'1", Wt. 67,000 lbs., 42 seats, Brill 27 trucks, 4 x GE 210G motors, K-35C control - leased from ITS summer 1910 only

This photo predates the CO&P by a few years - it shows a horsecar in service in LaSalle with an electric car, possibly one of the 1890 St. Louis cars when brand new, to the left.

Single-truck car 105 was built in 1902 and scrapped in 1924. It is pictured in Princeton on Main Street at Central with the old waterworks in the background.

It's the Fourth of July, 1911, and single-truck open car 110 is northbound on Main Street at Marion in downtown Princeton.

Suburban and Interurban Passenger Cars

7 (one car) - trailer - no other info, used to haul miners between Marquette and Spring Valley, scrapped 4/1913

18 (one car) - St. Louis, 1902 (ord#323) - DT DR combine - St. Louis 23 trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors - acquired 1913 from NIL&T (Ottawa) 18, originally Interurban Railway & Terminal; sold 7/1915 to Omaha & Lincoln Railway & Light

41-44 (four cars) - American, 1906 (ord#640) - DT DE DR coach - L 47'0", W 9'0", H 12'3", Wt. 67,000 lbs., 52 seats, Brill 27E1 trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - built for Aurora Plainfield & Joliet but never delivered, acquired 1/1907, rebuilt 1911 with Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x WH 306 motors, and WH HL-189D control; car 42 wrecked 1/1919 at Spring Valley, car 41 scrapped 4/1926

50-51 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1899 (ord#20) - DT closed - L 41'8", W 8'1", H 12'2", Wt. 36,000 lbs., 44 seats, Brill 27E1 trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - acquired 1903 from Third Avenue Railway 2-100 series, car 50 wrecked 10/1904 near Peru, car 51 renumbered 61

52-53 (two cars) - Stephenson, year unknown - DT DE DR closed - L 40'0", W 8'6", Brill 27E1 trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - purchased secondhand in 1903, car 52 scrapped 4/1913, car 53 sold to Omaha Lincoln & Beatrice 12/1919

54 (one car) - St. Louis, 1903 (ord#372) - DT RR coach - L 48'5", W 8'4", Wt. 50,000 lbs., St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - sold 2/1914 to Cairo Railway & Light 204

55-58 (four cars) - St. Louis, 1903 (ord#401) - DT DE RR coach - L 48'5", W 8'4", Wt. 50,000 lbs., 48 seats, St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - car 55 scrapped 1925; cars 56-57 sold 5/1920 to Peoria Railway, returned 5/1927, scrapped 1934; car 58 sold 5/1911 to Cairo Railway & Light 203

59, 62 (two cars) - Kuhlman, 1898 - DT DE RR coach - L 42'9", W 8'1", Wt. 50,000 lbs., Peckham trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - acquired 7/1904, believed to be ex-Dayton & Western 120 and 130; car 59 rebuilt into line car, wrecked 4/1912 at Rockwell; 62 rebuilt into line car, destroyed in fire at Ottawa 1/1913

60 (one car) - CO&P, 1906 - DT DE closed - L 41'8", W 8'4", H 12'2", Wt. 40,000 lbs., 44 seats, St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - body built at LaSalle shops for equipment salvaged from car 50, rebuilt 4/1913 to line car, scrapped 1925

61 (one car) - rebuilt from car 51, which see - scrapped 1919

60-76 (17 cars) - St. Louis, 1924 (ord#1324) - DT SE AR lightweight coach - L 46'5", W 8'8", H 10'6", Wt. 39,800 lbs., 40 seats, Commonwealth 69 trucks, 4 x GE 265D motors, K-35KK control - cars 60, 61, 74-76 to ITS 8/1928, re# 74-78, re# in 1930 to 404-408; cars 62 and 70 to ITS 9/1929, re# 410 and 409, 410 to NMOT in Kirkwood, MO 7/1959; cars 68, 71, 73 to ITS 9/1929, re# 411-413; cars 63, 64, 67, 69 to ITS in 1934, re# 414, 415, 302, 303, 415 to IRM 10/1956; cars 65, 66, 72 to ITS in 1934, never used; more info here

81, 82 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1902 (ord#261) - DT DE RR coach - L 51'0", W 8'8", H 13'5", Wt. 61,500 lbs., 52 seats, St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - acquired 1909 from East St. Louis & Suburban; car 81 rebuilt 1920 into funeral car, new L 52'6", 4 x GE 88B motors, K-35G control, scrapped 10/1931; car 82 rebuilt 7/1919 into line car, re# 83, Brill 27MCB trucks, 4 x WH 306 motors, WH HL-189 control from wrecked car 42

150-155 (six cars) - Danville, 1908 - DT DE coach trailer - L 40'10", W 9'2" - cars 150, 151, 155 sold 12/1917 to Peoria Railway, returned 5/1927, scrapped 1934; car 152 and 154 sold 5/1911 to Cairo Railway & Light; car 153 scrapped 11/1926

258 (one car) - St. Louis, 1907 (ord#672) - DT SE RR combine - L 52'9", W 8'10", H 13'0", Wt. 78,000 lbs., 52 seats, St. Louis 62 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - acquired 1922 from ITS, returned 8/1924, ex-ITS 233, rebuilt 1919 and re# 225

259 (one car) - St. Louis, 1906 (ord#561) - DT SE RR combine - L 52'7", W 9'1", H 13'2", Wt. 79,500 lbs., 52 seats, St. Louis 62 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - acquired 4/1922 from ITS, returned 8/1924, ex-ITS 226

260-261 (two cars) - Danville, 1911 (ord#551) - DT SE AR combine  - L 55'6", W 9'6", H 13'0", Wt. 102,300 lbs., 50 seats, Baldwin 78-25A trucks, 4 x WH 303A motors, WH HL control - acquired 7/1913 from ITS, returned 1926

262-269 (eight cars) - Danville, 1911 (ord#551) - DT SE AR combine - L 55'6", W 9'6", H 13'0", Wt. 102,300 lbs., 50 seats, Baldwin 78-25A trucks, 4 x WH 303A motors, WH HL control - cars 262-263 to ITS in 1926; 264-269 to ITS 8/1924

282-283 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1913 (ord#966) - DT SE AR combine - L 57'10", W 9'10", H 13'4", Wt. 107,170 lbs., 56 seats, St. Louis 62B trucks, 4 x GE 222G motors, GE M-C101A control - to ITS 4/1922

522-525 (four cars) - St. Louis, 1911 (ord#884) - DT coach trailer - L 57'4", W 9'10", H 13'0", Wt. 68,400 lbs., 56 seats, St. Louis 102 trucks - car 525 destroyed 6/1926 by fire; 522-524 to ITS in 1926

532-535 (four cars) - St. Louis, 1913 (ord#965) - DT DE AR coach trailer - L 57'4", W 9'10", H 13'0", Wt. 68,400 lbs., 56 seats, St. Louis 102 trucks - to ITS 8/1924

This image of suburban car 53, acquired secondhand in 1903, describes it as the first car into Morris. The CO&P was extended to that city in 1910.

Cars 55-58, built in 1903, were attractive Robertson semi-convertible suburban cars built to a standard St. Louis Car Company design. Car 56 is shown near the end of its service life, assigned to rush hour service to Westclox in Peru.

The interior of car 56 was comfortably furnished with plush seats.

Cars 41-44 were built in 1906 for the Aurora Plainfield & Joliet, and were quite similar to that line's other cars, but were never delivered and were instead bought by the CO&P in 1907. Car 44 is pictured in Ottawa in 1910 with an elaborate paint job.

Cars 81 and 82 were attractive, heavyweight wooden interurban coaches acquired secondhand in 1909. Car 82 is pictured at Chautauqua Park between Utica and Ottawa.

Car 82 is pictured again, this time in Bureau proceeding eastbound on Chicago Street crossing Nebraska. In the foreground are the tracks of the Rock Island.

Cars 81 and 82 were both rebuilt with somewhat ungainly arched roofs, presumably to fit in better with the newer 260-series motor cars. Car 81 is pictured at the carbarn in LaSalle.

These two photos from the Krambles-Peterson Archive were taken in October 1941 and show the body of car 81 on the ground in Rockport.

Car 82 is shown after conversion to line car 83, date unknown. Krambles-Peterson Archive.

Likely taken after abandonment, this is another view of car 82 after conversion to a line car.

The pride of the fleet for many years was the 260-series of heavy steel-sheathed interurban cars, exemplified by car 268, pictured at the yard in Ottawa in the snow. The "ball and bar" emblem on the side of the car reads "Illini Trail."

Combine 260 is shown at the attractive station at Starved Rock.

Car 535, shown here, was included with a series of double-ended trailers built for the ITS and designed to match combines like the 260-series cars. This series also included ITS car 518, today preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.

For a brief time between 1922 and the arrival of the lightweights in 1924, the fleet of 260-series combines was bolstered by a pair of older ITS combines like car 258. These handsome cars were similar to the 260-series but had railroad roofs, among other minor differences.

It's April 1933, and lightweight car 65 is pictured in LaSalle headed west toward Spring Valley.

Express Motors and Trailers

300 (one car) - St. Louis, 1906 (ord#679) - DT express motor - L 54'0", W 9'10", Wt. 30,000 lbs., St. Louis 23A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - rebuilt 4/1921 with Baldwin 78-25A trucks, 4 x WH 303A motors, and GE M-C6K control; scrapped 7/1928

301 (one car) - CO&P, 1908 - DT express trailer - Wt. 20,000 lbs. - destroyed by fire, date unknown

302 (one car) - CO&P, 1904 - DT DE RR express motor - Wt. 30,000 lbs., Peckham trucks, 4 x WH 69 motors, K-14 control - sold 5/1911 to Cairo Railway & Light 251

302, 304 (two cars) - Danville, 1910 (ord#520) - DT express motor - L 51'2", W 9'6", Wt. 30,000 lbs., Baldwin trucks, 4 x WH 303A motors, GE M control - car 302 rebuilt 1921 with 4 x GE 73C motors; both cars scrapped 7/1928

320 (one car) - CO&P, 1906 - DT cab-on-flat work car - L 55'0", 4 x WH 3 motors - pole car, dismantled with cabs used as telephone booths at Mitchell and Majestic Sidings

1010 (one car) - St. Louis, 1906 (ord#640) - DT express trailer - L 41'4", W 9'11", H 13'4" - acquired from ITS 5/1914, scrapped 12/1926

1016 (one car) - St. Louis, 1906 (ord#687) - DT express trailer - L 41'4", W 9'11", H 13'4" - acquired from ITS 5/1914, scrapped 12/1926

1039 (one car) - AC&F, 1907 (ord#4944) - DT express trailer - L 41'4", W 9'11", H 13'4" - acquired from ITS 5/1914, scrapped 12/1926

1050-1051 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1905 (ord#493) - DT DE RR express motor - L 44'10", W 8'9", H 13'2", Brill 27E2 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6A control - from ITS 1928, scrapped 1/1935

1052 (one car) - St. Louis, 1906 (ord#559) - DT express motor - L 44'10", W 8'9", H 13'2", Brill 27E2 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - from ITS 7/1928, scrapped 1/1935

1100-1102 (three cars) - McGuire-Cummings, 1910 - DT RR express trailer - L 38'0", W 9'4", McGuire trucks - from ITS 6/1929, scrapped 1/1935

1122-1126 (five cars) - McGuire-Cummings, 1911 - DT express trailer - L 41'6", W 9'6", McGuire trucks - car 1124 wrecked 1/1914; car 1123 scrapped 4/1926; cars 1122, 1125-1126 scrapped 10/1928

Handsome Danville-built express motor 302 is pictured at Ottawa in 1910 when it was brand new.

It's 1932, two years before abandonment, and express motor 1052 is pictured in the yard at Ottawa in less than exemplary condition. To the right are 101 and 102, the two McGuire-Cummings snow sweepers.

Interurban express trailer 1100 was one of three cars of this type acquired from the IT in 1929.

Utility Cars and Locomotives

01 (one car) - CO&P 1914 - DT unpowered wrecker - L 24'2", W 8'8" - rebuilt from 1000-series coal car

1-2 (two cars) - builder/year unknown - ST unpowered snow plows - acquired 1911

25 (one car) - CO&P, 1907 - DT steeplecab locomotive - Wt. 70,000 lbs., McGuire 10A trucks, 4 x GE 57 motors, K-14 control - sold to Jacksonville Railway & Light 11/1917, to Cairo Railway & Light in 1927

27 (one car) - builder unknown, 1902 - ST work car - L 20'0', W 6'0", 2 x GE 35 motors, K-10 control - scrapped 4/1913

101-102 (two cars) - McGuire-Cummings, year unknown - ST snow sweeper - acquired 1/1925 (source unknown), scrapped 1934

320 (one car) - CO&P, 1906 - DT work car - L 55'0", 4 x WH 3 motors - scrap date unknown

1505 (one car) - AC&F, 1907 - DT work car - L 43'0", W 8'5", H 13'4", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Baldwin trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - from ITS 5/1920, returned 8/1923

1521 (one car) - AC&F, 1906 - DT cab-on-flat locomotive - L 43'0", W 8'5", H 13'4", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Brill 27E2 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - rebuilt 1925 by ITS from their 1503, acquired from ITS 11/1929, scrapped 1/1935

1522 (one car) - AC&F, 1907 - DT cab-on-flat locomotive  - L 43'0", W 8'5", H 13'4", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Brill 27E2 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - rebuilt 1925 by ITS from their 1505, acquired from ITS 6/1926, scrapped 1/1935

1523 (one car) - CO&P, 1907 - DT cab-on-flat locomotive  - L 43'0", W 8'5", H 13'4", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Brill 27E2 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - rebuilt 1925 by ITS from their 1501, acquired from ITS 6/1928, scrapped 1/1935

1524 (one car) - St. Louis, 1913 (ord#1000) - DT DE AR locomotive  - L 44'0", W 8'8", H 13'3", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Curtis J688-84 trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - rebuilt 1925 by ITS from their 1514, acquired from ITS 12/1929, scrapped 1/1935

1530-1531 (two cars) - St. Louis, 1914 (ord#1000) - DT cab-on-flat locomotive - L 43'6", W 9'4", H 13'4", Wt. 78,000 lbs., Baldwin trucks, 4 x GE 73C motors, GE M-C6K control - car 1531 converted into line car with 4 x WH 303A motors; both scrapped 1/1935

CO&P 1531 was a cab-on-flat locomotive built for the Illinois Valley line in 1914. It was said to have been converted into a line car, but this 1934 photo taken on East First Street in LaSalle suggests that perhaps it was converted back. Remember, when you're installing the roof on your locomotive, don't lose concentration and accidentally install it sideways.

Locomotive 1523 was one of the cab-on-flat locomotives brought over from the ITS in the late 1920s. It is pictured in the yard at Ottawa; behind it is a 2000-series side dump car still lettered for the St. Louis Troy & Eastern, an ITS subsidiary.

A unique piece on the CO&P was locomotive 1524, shown here, which more closely resembled an interurban car. It was designed for terminal switching, with its appearance designed to mimic passenger cars.

Freight Cars

1001-1025 (25 cars) - hopper cars - L 23'6", W 8'0" - purchased secondhand from Central Railroad of New Jersey

1043, 1060, 1104, 1124, 1132, 1155, 1175, 1191, 1194, 1197, 1201, 1208, 1220, 1225, 1237-1238, 1244, 1250-1251, 1255, 1261, 1269, 1275, 1278, 1282-1283, 1296, 1298, 1300, 1306, 1308-1309, 1311-1312, 1321-1322, 1325, 1327-1328, 1369, 1374, 1376-1377, 1383, 1385, 1389, 1391, 1396, 1401, 1425, 1444, 1452, 1454, 1461-1463, 1497, 1505-1506, 1511, 1514, 1516, 1523, 1535, 1546, 1549-1550, 1558, 1563, 1565, 1567, 1569, 1578, 1585, 1593 (75 cars) - flat-bottom coal cars, acquired from ITS 1926-1927

1200-1202 (three cars) - freight cars [boxcars??] - L 34'0", W 9'2", capy. 60,000 lbs. - received 1913 from A.C. Torbert & Co. in exchange for a "dinky" locomotive

2029, 2037, 2045, 2052, 2070, 2082 (six cars) - side-dump cars, acquired from ITS 3/1927

3000, 3035, 3040, 3043, 3058, 3060-3061, 3065, 3067, 3069, 3080-3081, 3088, 3098, 3100, 3107, 3111-3112, 3115, 3118, 3144, 3156-3157, 3161, 3165, 3169, 3333, 3337, 3342, 3344 (32 cars) - hopper-bottom coal cars - L 26'8", W 9'3", capy. 50,000 lbs. - various numbers, acquired from ITS between 1914 and 1916

3001-3006 (six cars) - Hart convertible ballast cars - L 41'0", W 9'10", capy. 100,000 lbs. - acquired from Haffner, Thrall Car Co. 1929

4000-4017 (18 cars) - side-dump flat-bottom coal cars - L 26'8", W 9'3", capy. 50,000 lbs. - ex-Central Railroad of New Jersey, received in 1920 after rebuilding by ITS

6000-6004, 6006, 6012, 6016, 6021 (10 cars) - flat-bottom coal cars - L 35'8", W 10'0", capy. 60,000 lbs. - leased from ITS

9585-9594 (10 cars) - flat-bottom coal cars - L 42'3", W 9'8" - built 1910 by Haskell & Barker - 9585 rebuilt as portable substation, others traded to ITS in 1920 for 18 4000-series cars

7001-7003 (three cars) - flatcars - L 41'0", W 9'1", capy. 80,000 lbs. - purchased 1929 from Hyman-Michaels

53302, 53307, 53311, 53331, 53343, 53362, 53365, 53387, 53397, 53400, 53402, 53409, 53419-53420, 53427, 53432, 53435, 53452, 53470, 53474 (20 cars) - flat-bottom gondolas - leased from ITS starting 1932

60233, 60261, 60315-60316 (four cars) - flatcars - acquired from A.C. Torbet Co. c1910, rebuilt from flat-bottom gondolas

Route Information

Click here for a Chicago Ottawa & Peoria route map

The old LaSalle carbarn is shown in 1910

The new LaSalle carbarn proudly displays the company name. The year is uncertain but a bus ominously occupies the bay at far left. Electric cars pictured include express motor 300, a 55-series suburban car (possibly 56) assigned to Westclox service, and double-truck city cars 112 and 113.

The modest freight station in Princeton is shown with a single-truck city car, possibly a 101-series car built in 1902, to the left.

The carbarn in Ottawa was a popular spot for photographers, especially near the end of the system. This photo was taken in August 1934, three months after abandonment, and shows line car 83, of the 1500-series cab-on-flat locomotives, and express motor 1051.

Mileage Chart - Main Line

00.00 - Princeton

00.35 - Freight Station

01.13 - Station

02.20 - Bryants Siding (stub - points on east end - 389')

02.99 - Waddell Siding (through - 617')

03.65 - Battery Siding (through - 1,036')

05.30 - Country Club

06.62 - Schaffer Siding (stub - points on east end - 303')

07.63 - Rawson Siding (stub - 372')

08.56 - Rock Island Gravel Pit Spur

09.32 - Bureau Siding (stub - 508')

09.47 - Bureau Station

10.20 - Trimble Siding (stub - 635')

11.48 - Big Springs

12.54 - Hindle

13.78 - DePue Station

13.82 - DePue Siding (stub - 417')

14.07 - Rock Island Transfer (through - 573')

14.50 - White City

14.92 - Howe Station

15.17 - Smith

15.53 - Cody

15.77 - Marquette Siding (through - 356')

15.91 - Marquette Station

16.61 - Keenan

17.57 - Location Siding (1,757')

17.91 - Reinke

18.46 - Hicks Junction

18.68 - Hall High School track (stub - 1,229')

19.43 - Dakota Street Siding (through - 333' - between Spaulding & Greenwood)

19.90 - Spring Valley Station

19.96 - Spring Valley Freight House Spur

20.00 - C&NW Station

20.16 - High Bridge

20.58 - Wood

20.58 - Webster Siding (stub - points on west end - 388')

21.34 - Webster Park

21.52 - Burns Siding (through - 850')

22.00 - Gunthers

22.33 - County Line

23.11 - McCormick

23.65 - Peru Siding (through - 283' - between Herbert & Cross Streets)

24.34 - Peru Station - Hotel Peru

25.52 - Freight House & Carbarn

25.78 - West Switch, LaSalle Siding (between 2nd & 3rd on Bucklin)

26.07 - LaSalle Station

26.10 - East Switch, LaSalle Siding (just west of Marquette Street)

26.19 - Joliet Street Line branch off (Joliet Street line 1.26 miles long)

26.56 - Illinois Central Wye

26.63 - RI & IC Crossing

26.83 - American Crossing Frog (stop)

27.30 - Bluff

27.39 - Rockwell Siding (stub - 234')

28.28 - Split Rock

28.79 - Lock 13

29.04 - Blackball Siding (stub - 342')

30.60 - Rock Island Crossings (stop)

30.61 - Utica Siding (through-898'

30.85 - Utica Station

32.05 - Starved Rock

32.70 - Litchell Siding (stub - 442')

33.73 - Hager

34.80 - Leland

35.00 - Gravel Siding (through - 1,029')

35.70 - Majestic Siding (through - 605')

35.79 - Belrose

36.05 - Clark Siding (stub)

36.32 - Buffalo Rock

36.63 - Crane Siding

37.23 - County House Siding

37.97 - Chautauqua Siding (through - 744')

38.68 - Seiberling Siding

38.73 - Rock Island Crossing (stop)

39.11 - Shops Siding (through - 997')

36.69 - Lincoln Siding (through - 481' - between Leland and Poplar Streets)

40.19 - CB&Q Crossing

40.41 - Ottawa Siding (through - 241' - Ottawa station)

41.55 - Pioneer Siding (through - 619')

42.12 - White Bridge

42.65 - Fox

42.68 - Maitland Siding (stub - points on west end - 490')

43.12 - Barnes

43.38 - McLaine

44.24 - Fleming

44.94 - Cooke

45.12 - Doublas Siding (stub - 700')

45.34 - Bell Island

46.26 - Bevington

46.98 - Matchtown

47.40 - Parker Siding (stub - 240')

47.44 - Rock Island Crossing

47.52 - Rock Island Crossing

47.55 - Rock Island Crossing

47.70 - Marseilles Station

47.80 - Canal Siding (through - 372')

48.51 - Fowler Siding (through - 739')

49.46 - Trumbo

49.60 - Hobart

50.02 - Spicer

50.41 - Kickapoo Siding (stub - 372')

51.19 - Toutz

51.60 - Oakland

52.96 - Rock Island Crossing (stop)

52.98 - Roach Siding (stub - 326')

53.26 - Seneca Siding (stub - 283' - Seneca station)

53.58 - Big Four Crossing

55.61 - Carson Creek

56.01 - Holderman

56.75 - Tarrant Siding (stub - points on west end - 442')

58.37 - Wilson Siding (through - 696')

59.79 - Stockdale

61.63 - Hoag Siding (stub - 352')

62.59 - West Morris

62.92 - Vance Siding (stub - 296')

63.50 - Freight House Track

63.52 - Morris Station

63.57 - Morris Wye

64.35 - Morris Terminal Railway Crossing (stop)

64.41 - Terminal Siding (through - 742')

64.48 - Armstrong

64.83 - Derenzy

65.46 - Telfer

60.30 - Griggs Siding (through - 606')

66.45 - Hynds

67.53 - Durkee

68.03 - Collins Siding (stub)

68.05 - Harris

68.85 - Halkyard

68.89 - Davis Siding (stub - 233')

69.55 - Matteson

70.19 - Tabler

70.36 - Sand Ridge Siding (through - 589')

71.19 - Newman

71.85 - Meade

72.79 - Cadillac

73.92 - Comerford

73.96 - EJ&E Overhead Crossing

74.00 - EJ&E Grade Crossing

74.06 - EJ&E Transfer

74.33 - Minooka Siding (through - 1,260' - Minooka station)

75.87 - Ford Road

76.41 - Eckhart Siding (through - 583')

76.51 - Connell

77.20 - Du Page

78.09 - Bird's Bridge

79.09 - Rock Run

79.18 - Rock Run Siding (stub - 697')

80.07 - Bush Road

81.46 - Riley

81.47 - Rock Island Crossing (stop)

82.16 - Stryker

82.65 - West Rockdale

82.76 - Rockdale Siding (through - 1,018' - Rockdale station)

83.19 - Enterprise Siding (stub - 520')

83.34 - Brandon's Bridge

Storage track - 610' in clear

83.72 - Davidson

83.78 - Werner

83.94 - Mt. Adams

84.40 - West End of Double Track (on McDonough just east of Railroad)

85.13 - Rock Island Overhead Crossing

85.35 - End of CO&P Track (Van Buren Street)

85.48 - Joliet Station

Mileage Chart - Streator Division

00.00 - Ottawa Station

01.24 - CO&P Track Begins (just east of Second on Center)

01.49 - Detention Home

01.76 - Hunt

02.27 - Summit View

02.76 - Pike

02.95 - Pike Siding (stub - 293')

03.27 - Scidmore

04.05 - Covel Creek

04.25 - Illini Beach Siding

04.79 - Miller

05.78 - Reeds

06.02 - McKinley Park Siding (through - 594' - McKinley Park)

07.29 - Fogle

08.22 - Grand Ridge Siding (stub - 333')

08.28 - Grand Ridge Station

09.28 - McLaighlin

10.41 - Casey Siding (stub - 380')

10.78 - Gliem

11.27 - Duder

12.37 - Richards Siding

13.42 - Wolf Creek

13.82 - Daugherty Siding

15.08 - CB&Q Crossing (stop)

15.81 - CB&Q Crossing (stop)

16.26 - Hickory (AT&SF Depot)

16.32 - CI&S and C&A Crossings

16.72 - CB&Q Crossing (stop)

17.20 - Streator Station

Mileage Chart - Ladd Division

0.00 - Point of Switch, Ladd Division

0.03 - Hicks Junction

0.12 - CO&P Crossing

0.17 - C&NW Crossing (stop)

0.41 - Legat

1.04 - Princeton Road

1.56 - Schlipp

2.20 - Vogt

2.56 - Seatonville Road

2.71 - Flaherty No. 1

3.07 - Flaherty No. 2

3.56 - Cleveland Street (track later cut back to here)

3.90 - Ladd Station

3.97 - End of Track

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