Norm Krentel recently sent us some very interesting information on the lightweight cars built for the Illinois Valley line, and with his permission we're reproducing that information here. These 17 cars were built by St. Louis Car Company in 1924 and numbered 60-76 on the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois Traction System. Of course, car 64 would later end up at IRM as Illinois Terminal 415.
The following comes from Norm:
The Illinois Valley had started sending cars down to the Main Line even before the IV Div had quit. It appears the first few went to serve the Danville branches, operating between Hillery on the Main Line just west of Danville, passing through Danville and south to Georgetown and Catlin. Initially, they were still single-ended, though a front pole was added. Cars were modified, probably with the work being done at Decatur shop. I recall seeing one, just a car body set on the ground next to the Granite City shop, if I recall correctly, it still had its red upper sash glass (I think Bruneau may have saved some of that colored glass). Eventually several of these cars had the same modifications as were done to the 415. As built, they were all single-ended, with a Peter Smith Hot Air heater, a toilet at the smoker bulkhead, with the smoker at the rear of the car. There were double folding doors at the rear baggage compartment and only a single folding door at the only passenger door (on the right front). On the 415, they extended the sole passenger entrance platform 18 inches, and added the second folding door. They blanked off what I think had been the former sole baggage door, which had been on the right side of the car, and they added the 2nd passenger entrance on former left rear of the car. I suspect most of the remainder of the cars went to the Granite City service. Some were also placed in service between Staunton and Litchfield, and with opening of the station in East Peoria, first one of the 120 series Alton cars ran the shuttle service to the main Peoria station, but it sounds like that car was unpopular, and a former IV Div car was sent up as a replacement. Also, with the 1953 abandonment of service between Decatur and Bloomington, one of the IV Div cars was placed in a short-lived service shuttling between Decatur and the north end of Forsythe.
With closure of the Danville local service, the Staunton – Litchfield line closure,, the end of the Decatur – Forsythe operation and the 1955 abandonment of passenger service from Springfield to East Peoria the 410 and 415 now surplus, with both cars leaving the IT in 1956 (I’m assuming 410 was also disposed with in 1956).
Notes on individual car histories after leaving the IV-DIV:
60 - transferred to ITRR 8/1928, renumbered 74, renumbered to 404 in 1930; photographed in Granite City service in late 1930s; in Decatur-Forsythe service in March 1953, sent to Granite City shortly thereafter; retired 5/1956
61 - transferred to ITRR 8/1928, renumbered 75, renumbered to 405 in 1930; used in Granite City service, then used for a time in Peoria-East Peoria shuttle service (photographed there in 1950); photographed in Decatur-Forsythe service in April 1953; retired 2/1956
62 - transferred to ITRR 9/1929, renumbered 410; to NMOT in Kirkwood, MO 7/1959
63 - transferred to ITRR 1934, renumbered 414; used in service between Danville and Georgetown until July 19, 1939, then transferred to Granite City service; retired 10/1950, body converted to a locker room in the St. Louis subway
64 - transferred to ITRR 1934, renumbered 415; used in service out of Danville (to Georgetown and Hillery) until 1939, likely transferred to Granite City service 1939; to IRM 10/1956
65 - transferred to ITRR 1934, never used
66 - transferred to ITRR 1934, never used
67 - transferred to ITRR 1934, renumbered 302; this car was photographed in 1934 in service between Danville and Georgetown; scrapped c1939
68 - transferred to ITRR 1930, renumbered 411; scrapped 8/1950
69 - transferred to ITRR 1934, renumbered 303; used in Danville-Georgetown service until 1936, then used in Staunton-Litchfield service until April 18, 1939; scrapped c1939, body used as air brake shop at Granite City
70 - transferred to ITRR 9/1929, renumbered 409; photographed in Granite City service c1934; scrapped 8/1950
71 - transferred to ITRR 1930, renumbered 412; photographed in Granite City service c1934; scrapped 8/1950
72 - transferred to ITRR 1934, never used
73 - transferred to ITRR 1930, renumbered 413; photographed in Granite City in 1953; scrapped 7/1953
74 - transferred to ITRR 8/1928, renumbered 76, renumbered to 406 in 1930; wrecked 12/1945
75 - transferred to ITRR 8/1928, renumbered 77, renumbered to 407 in 1930; scrapped 6/1953
76 - transferred to ITRR 8/1928, renumbered 78, renumbered to 408 in 1930; scrapped 8/1950
Car 405 saw use in Peoria; 404 and 405 were used in Decatur-Forsythe service; 302, 303, 414, and 415 were used out of Danville; and 303 was used in Staunton-Litchfield service. All the other cars (except the ones not used by the ITRR) were likely used in Granite City service their entire ITRR careers, and were joined at one time or another by 404, 405, 414, and 415.
4 comments:
If anyone has noticed, 415 at IRM has destinations for the Illinois Valley. As I understand it, these came from an IV streetcar, a steel arch roofed car, that was in a Joliet junkyard until the late 1980s or so. The signs must have been retrieved in the 1970s. I guess the Body Snatchers had other priorities when the car was presumably scrapped..OAnderson
If it's the car I'm thinking of, that car in Joliet was so far gone by the time it was found that, per Bruneau, you could have pushed a pencil through the car side.
What is the current plan to paint the white stripes on the anti-climbers?
Former weekday operator... (I am used to seeing it with solid green there, but I understand the stripes are the prototypical setup).
O. Anderson
The current plan is to paint the stripes back on, including the original style reflective material, but that’s about all I know. I’m also not sure whether those stripes are white or cream.
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