Macomb Industry & Littleton

This has practically nothing to do with anything we normally discuss on the blog. It involves the Macomb Industry & Littleton Railway, a short line railroad in western Illinois that is close to my heart because when I was going to college in the railroad's hometown, I spent many hours at the university library poring over railroad company documents and old newspaper articles about the MI&L.

Anyway, I recently purchased a few photos on eBay and figured I'd post them here just to make them more accessible.

The railroad between Macomb and Littleton was built in 1903 by the Macomb & Western Illinois (M&WI), but that line went into receivership in 1909 and was sold to a scrapper in 1911. It was partly torn up in 1913 but a group of locals bought it and renamed it the MI&L. The first new engine purchased was 2-6-0 number 5, shown in this well-known Davenport builder's photo from 1914.

But the neat thing about this particular print is what's written on the back: "Macomb Industry & Littleton #5, Macomb, Ill. I was General Manager of this line and junked it in 1931." It's signed by the line's last GM, whose last name was Andrew, but I'll need to dig through some of my old research to figure out his first name because I can't read it. 

Here's a shot of #5 late in life - back at Davenport for repairs, according to what's written on the back of the print. This could be before or after the railroad was abandoned, I don't know. The disposition of this engine is uncertain but I've never been able to find any evidence it wasn't scrapped around 1931.

The last engine bought by the line was this 4-4-0 that was purchased in 1915, MI&L #6. It was built by Pittsburgh in 1884 as St. Louis Vandalia & Terre Haute #182, then became Terre Haute & Logansport #302, then Vandalia Railroad #302. The PRR, which owned the Vandalia, considered it a class D-22. This picture is said to have been taken at the CB&Q Galesburg Yard and most likely shows the engine on its way to the scrapper around 1931.

Here are a couple of letters I bought a few years ago, written to the M&WI GM from the guy who was selling them crossties. This was when the railroad was initially being constructed.

And here's the only photo I've seen of the second Littleton depot. The original depot, which was a more elaborate frame structure, was torn down in 1913 when the scrapping company starting tearing up the railroad starting from the south end. After the locals bought it and relaid the tracks to Littleton, they built this replacement depot around 1914. This photo is dated 1953; the building lasted until 1980, when it was destroyed by a tornado. Figures. The potbelly stove from this station is preserved in the history museum in Rushville.

The MI&L was an unusual little railroad that was intended to be an interurban; I'd never heard of it until Bob Bruneau loaned me his copy of CERA Bulletin 99, which called the MI&L a "mystery line." The railroad also operated one of the very earliest diesel locomotives to see common carrier use in the US. Interested in learning more about the MI&L? Here you go.