Robert Clemons Collection - Illinois Electric Railways

This is a collection of photographic prints from the collection of Robert Clemons, all donated by Thomas Clemons to the Illinois Railway Museum. Many thanks to Thomas and the Clemons family for their generous donation. All images are copyright Illinois Railway Museum. Images may not be reproduced or distributed without authorization.

These photos are mostly of Illinois interurban systems and street railways, presented more-or-less in alphabetical order.

Alton Granite & St. Louis 57 was one of eight cars built by St. Louis in 1904. Read more about the AG&SL here.

Champaign-Urbana open car 50 was built in 1902 by Stephenson. It's signed for the Church & John line, which served the west side of Champaign. You'll notice it has a center aisle, like Veracruz 19.

Champaign-Urbana 61 was built by St. Louis in 1912; here, its motorman is apparently throwing a switch. Read more about Champaign-Urbana streetcars here.

Chicago & West Towns 103 was built by McGuire-Cummings in 1917. It's shown signed for Austin Blvd.

Chicago Rapid Transit 5001 is pictured around 1948 in the Loop.

Chicago Surface Lines 2802 is pictured at Halsted and the Englewood 'L' line in 1941. It looks to be on a fan trip, explaining the destination sign for Hammond, a line which had been abandoned the previous year. This car was built as Chicago City Railway 2554, sold to Calumet & South Chicago as their 702 in 1908, and then went to CSL as 2802.

The number isn't legible, but this is a CSL 2846-2856 series "Interstate" car. It's April 23, 1930, and the car has just crossed the Illinois Central tracks, likely on 92nd - anyone know for certain? Read more about the "Interstates" here.

CSL V201 had the distinction of being the giant system's only line car in its later years. It was built in 1907 by Chicago City Railway as their number C5. It's pictured at South Shops in 1950.

These horsecars are part of the Citizens Street Railway fleet in Danville, purportedly in the late 1880s, just a few years before the system electrified. Read more about Danville streetcars here.

East St. Louis Railway 283 was one of six cars built by American in 1910 and retired between 1919 and 1925. Read more about the ESLR here.

Fox & Illinois Union 7 started life in 1912 as an electric freight motor built by McGuire-Cummings, but it was rebuilt in 1931 with a Buda gas engine as shown here. It was sold to Hyman-Michaels in 1938 and ended its career on the Colorado Railroad near Pueblo, CO, in the mid-1950s. Read more about the F&IU here.

Illinois Central MU car 1132

Illinois Central MU car 1180 and a trailer whose number can't be made out.

IC MU cars on a railfan excursion, likely 1180 on the same trip as the previous image.

This car has an unusual history. It was built by St. Louis Car Company in 1924 as their number 600, a demonstrator. It was soon sold to Kankakee & Urbana Traction as their number 242. In 1930, Third Avenue Railway System purchased it as their 1702, later rebuilding it and renumbering it 1250. It ran in New York until 1948.

Here's a side view of K&UT 242.

One of the K&UT's big wooden interurban cars is pictured at the station in Rantoul. Read more about the K&UT here.

Illinois Power & Light 434 was a typical Peoria Birney with doors at all four corners, though by the time this photo was taken its left-side doors had been closed off. This car was part of a series of 50 cars built by American in 1923. Read more about Peoria streetcars here.

Rock Island Southern 302 is pictured at Monmouth. This was one of six identical cars built in 1907 for the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis and purchased by the RIS in 1910. This car was destroyed in a fire in Monmouth c1931. Read more about the RIS here.

The University of Illinois owned this attractive "electric railway test car", mostly using it on the Illinois Terminal lines around Champaign. It was built by Jewett in 1905 and scrapped around 1942. The above photo shows it on April 19, 1936.

Per the description on the back of the print, these men are "[George] Krambles, Stone, Olmsted, [William] Janssen" sometime around 1934.

The test car is shown at a University of Illinois Railroad Club open house on April 13, 1935, with an Illinois Terminal Class C locomotive visible at far right.

This photo was also taken at the April 13, 1935, open house. University of Illinois dynamometer car 30 was built by the Illinois Central at its Burnside Shops in 1900. It was rebuilt in 1907, renumbered to 22 in 1922, later (likely in 1930) renumbered to 30, and rebuilt again in 1937.

The dynamometer was replaced by a new all-steel dynamometer, also numbered 30, built by the ICRR in 1943. This car was likely scrapped at that time. It's pictured here on the Illinois Central in Chicago.

McKeen car 711 was built by McKeen for the Woodstock & Sycamore in 1911, one of three of the distinctive gas-mechanical cars that opened service on the ill-fated line. The McKeen cars only lasted in service on the W&S for about three years. Read more about the Woodstock & Sycamore here.