Illinois Short Lines and Industrial Railroads

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National Steel Corp.

 We have a full page on this fallen flag national company.

Northwest Steel & Wire Co.

There is a special page on this steel mill and its steam locomotives.

Oak Ordnance Plant

Peabody Coal Co.

We have a full page on this multi-state coal operator.

Peoria & Pekin Union Ry.

Tazewell & Peoria RR

We have a full page on this switching road.

Peoria Locomotive Works

1500, SC15-A, was built by PWL in July 1992, #92-7-1500.  It became Peoria & Pekin Union Ry 802 and became Tazewell & Peoria 802 in 2004.

Peoria Union Station

The first railroad in Peoria was the Peoria and Warsaw, incorporated in 1838. Unfortunately, it encountered financial problems and not a mile of railroad track was laid. However, by November 9, 1854, the first passenger train began serving Peoria; it was the Peoria and Bureau Valley Railroad. Not all welcomed the coming of the railroad. Some were concerned that the "locomotive and the cars would injure the crops, pollute the atmosphere, produce earthquakes, and cause weather disturbances."

In spite of these concerns, fifteen railroads were soon located in Peoria. In 1882 Union Station opened at the foot of State Street. The brick, two-story building, measuring 404 feet by 55 feet contained a kitchen, dining room, rest rooms, mail rooms, storerooms, emigrant rooms, and an express office complete with vaults and safes. There were also forty-two offices in the building.

Numerous people, the famous and the not so famous, actors, musicians, statesmen, and presidents passed through these doors. At one point, there were 120 trains leaving Peoria's Union Station on a daily basis. Trains reached nearly every city, both large and small, like Pekin, Toulon, Buffalo, St. Louis, and as far away as New York and Denver.

In 1899 the Rock Island Railroad's depot was built in Peoria. It was considered one of the finest stations in the Midwest. By 1923, though, passenger trains had dropped to eighty trains daily in and out of Peoria Union Station.

With the beginning of World War II and the need to move troops and their families, passenger service increased for the last time. As World War II drew to an end, so did passenger service out of the once stately Union Station. On June 25, 1955, the last passenger train, the Peoria Eastern, departed. Within a few years, Union Station was used as an overflow warehouse for the post office. In August 1961 it was destroyed by fire.

The Rock Island Rocket ran to Chicago and back to Peoria in only two hours and forty-five minutes. Due to lack of track maintenance, the Rocket's speed fell, and its run lengthened into four hours. Soon the number of passengers also fell. The last Rocket left the depot in 1967. The Rock Island Depot was empty until 1968, when it was turned into a park and training center for the handicapped. In spite of a new, but very small, lackluster station, the last Rocket departed Peoria on May 29, 1978. The Rock Island Depot is now a restaurant that has maintained the distinctive architecture of its heyday.

ILLINOIS HISTORY/April 1996

Prairie Central RR

2604, U25B, was built by General Electric in August 1962, #34532, as Pennsylvania RR 2504, Class GF-25.  It was renumbered 2604 in 1966 and became Penn Central 2604, Class GF-25, in 1968.  It became Consolidated Railroad Corp 2604, Class U-25-B, in April 1976 and sold as PACY 2604 in July 1981.

Prairie Trunk RR

475, GP7, was built by Electro-Motive in November 1951, #15206, as Belt Railway of Chicago 475, Class 470.  It was sold as PTRR 475.

679, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in November 1956, #22362, as Chesapeake & Ohio 6179, Class MRSE-17.  It was reclassified Class GP-9 in 1964 and sold as Prairie Trunk RR 679 in 1987.  It was sold as Huron & Easterm RR 103 in 1989 and became Idaho Northern & Pacific 103 in 1993.  It went as South Central Tennessee 103 in 1994 and went as Octoraro RR 103.  It became Delaware Valley RR 105 and returned as HESR 103.

1603, RS3, was built by Alco in July 1953, #80520, as Chicago St Paul Minneapolis & Omaha 166. Later Chicago & North Western 166 in 1957 it was retired on March 3, 1978. It was sold to Erie Western RR as 1603 in June 1978 and it was resold to PTRR 1603. It later was sold by Azcon for probable scrap.

Public Service Co. Of Northern Illinois

9, SW1, was built by Electro-Motive in January 1950, #11227, FN 6031-1.  It became Commonwealth Edison Co 9 and sold to Luria Brothers as LLX 153.

11, SW1, was built by Electro-Motive in July 1952, #16704, FN 6371-1. It became CECo 11 and later to Railway Equipment Leasing Co  as RE 503.  It was sold as Wisconsin Public Service Co 8758 and sold to Independent Locomotive Service as ILSX 8758.

Rail-To-Water Transfer Corp.

1872, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in February 1956, #21094. as Northern Pacific 249. It became Burlington Northern 1872, Class GP-9, in 1970 and was retired July 1983. It wa sold to Chrome Locomotive in September 1983 and was then RTWT 1872 in October 1984.

A. Y. Reed Gravel Co.

10.

Riverport RR

Rock Island Southern RR

We have a full page on this abandoned steam and trolley operated railroad.

Rutland Toluco & Northern RR

The RT&N was incorporated on November 9, 1909, as successor to Toluco Marquette & Northern RR. The line ran between Rutland and Granville. It was standard gauge 80 pound rail. In 1932 it leased 4 locomotives and owned 1 box car, 1 caboose, and 1 passenger combination car, They had 18 employes as of the end of 1931. The RT&N was operated by the Chicago & Alton when it took over the TM&N in 1910, but in February 1927 the ICC authorized the C&A to abandon operation under lease effective April 23, 1927. Operation was taken over by local owners, but it never made a profit. Rutland to Toluco was abandoned in 1930. A new company, Milwaukee Rockford & Southwestern, was formed in 1932 to take over the road, but this never was accomplished. On June 30, 1935, 50 and 51 were involved in a set-up head-on collision in an effort to raise money, but they didn’t meet where they were supposed to and the event was a failure. Abandonment was sought in 1935, but the application was withdrawn when the owners decided to apply for a Reconstruction Finance loan. The loan was denied. By 1937, only the trackage between Granville and Magnolia remained, and even the tracks between Granville and McNabb were washed out. Permission to abandon was granted on April 21, 1937. Operation ended on December 31, 1937, and the line was sold for scrap.

50 was one of the ten-wheelers in the 1935 staged collision.

St. Louis Peoria & Northern RR

When the panic of the 1890s came along, William Guy organized the StLP&N in the early 1896 to take over the North & South RR of Illinois, St Louis & Peoria RR, St Louis & Eastern Ry, and the Chicago Peoria & St Louis.  Through service between East St Louis and Springfrield was established soon thereafter.  And by early 1898, the line had been extended to Peoria.  However the railroad entered bankruptcy and the Spriongfield to East St Louis portion was acquired by Illinois Central while the portion from Sherman to Grove (Peoria) was acquired by the Chicago & Alton.

29 was built by Baldwin in March 1898, #15679.  It was acquired in 1900 as C&A 109, Class D-5, and sold for scrap in February 1929.

This company rebuilds and leases cars and locomotives from their headquarters in Troy.

1270, RS4TC, was built by Baldwin in 1953, #61225, as U S Army 1270.

South Chicago & Indiana Harbor Ry.

See Chicago Short Line RR above.

Springfield & Southwestern RR

Toluco & Eastern RR

Toluco Marquette & Northern RR

The T&E was built in 1897 between Toluca & Rutland, 6 miles.  The TM&N was opened in 1901 from Toluca to Granville,  They were merged as TM&N in 1902.  It was purchased from Rutland Toluco & Northern which was leased by Chicago & Alton.

Truax-Traer Coal Co.

10, S2, was built by Alco in November 1944, #72144.

100, S2M, was built by Alco and converted to straight electric operation.

Union Electric Co.

1 was built by Baldwin in February 1925, #57990, for McClellan & Junkersfeld.   This engineering company set up United Electric Power & Light Co and the locomotive became CEP&L 1.  It was changed as United Electric Co 1 in May 1937 and was donated to National Museum of Transport in June 1948.

4 was built by Porter in October 1946, #8082.  It was donated to Transport Museum Assn of Brooklyn, IL, in 1980 and donated to Illinois Railway Museum in September 1982.

1, 65 Ton, was built by General Electric in June 1960, #33845.  It was sold as Missouri Central RR 520 in 1999 and sold as Trinity Industries 520.

Union Starch & Refining Co.

Miles Laboratories

100, S1, was built by Alco in November 1948, #75901, as East Saint Louis Junction Ry 100.  It was sold as US&RCo 100 in 1964.  It became ML 100 and sold to Precision National Corp in 1972.  It was sold as Cadiz RR 9 in September 1972 and later it was plinthed. 

United Electric Coal Co.

1, SW1, was built by Electro-Motive on February 4, 1942, #1597, as Chicago Indianapolis & Louisville (Monon) DS50. It was sold to UEC as 1 in February 1947.  It was sold to Indiana Transport Museum and restored as CIL 50.  It was transferred to Noblesville to Logansport and the trucker hit a bridge at Logansport in December 2018.

101, HH600, was built by Alco in October 1938, #69085, as Green Bay & Western 101. It was sold to UEC in 1960 and then to Material Service Corp as 49-0159 in 1972. It was apparently scrapped by Irv's Enterprises in 1976.

115, S2, was built by Alco in March 1944, #70195, as Denver & Rio Grande Western 115, Class DE B-B 69. It was sold to UEC as 115 in October 1964.

No number, 45 Ton, was built by Whitcomb in 1935, #50010, for Barber Asphalt Co.  It was sold to UECCo and donated for display as Canton RR 1998.

U. S. Railway Manufacturing Co.

76, 65 Ton, was built by General Electric in February 1943, #15886, for Nebraska Ordnance Works.  It became United States Army 7149 and later sold as U S Railway Manufacturing Co 7146.  It was merged as Evans Railcar 79 and became Itel Railcar 79.  It became Berwind Railway Services 76 and became Watco Mechanical Services J8.

Vandalia RR

101, T6, was built by Alco in March 1958, #83860, as Pennsylvania RR 8427, Class AS-10a. It was renumbered 9847 in 1966 and became Penn Central 9847, Class AS-10a, in 1968. It later became Consolidated Railroad Corp 9847, Class T-6, in April 1976 and was sold to Naporano Iron & Metal as 1000 in June 1976. It was leased to Raritan River Steel Co as L-3 and later sold to Black River & Western as 56. It was then sold to West Jersey RR as 56 in 1994 and then to VRR as 56 in April 1995. It then was transferred to Pioneer Railcorp as 101 and sold as Georges Creek RR 101 in March 2008..

2271, SW9, was built by Electro-Motive in April 1951, #9786, as Louisville & Nashville 2271, Class S-87. It was later sold to VRR as 2271.

Vulcan Materials Co.

This is a national company.

Walworth Valve Co.

This little narrow gauge electric was preserved in the front yard of a former employee.

Wisconsin Steel Co.

18, 25 Ton, was built by General Electric in 1950, #30600.  It was sold to Republic Locomotive Co in 1981.

Roster information: Randy Keller, Bruce Mercer

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