CERA’s October Zoom Programs

CERA’s October IN PERSON Program 

Friday, October 25, 2024, at 7 PM CDT

“The Early Days of the IRM”

Norm Krentel

 Live Only

New Location

Victory Hall

Irving Park Lutheran Church

3938 W. Belle Plaine

Chicago, IL 60618

 2 Blocks from the CTA Blue Line and

METRA  UPNW

Irving Park Stations

Two blocks off the Kennedy Expressway

Free Church lot parking available

Norm will begin by introducing the Indiana Railroad and the cars they acquired in 1931. The cars, known as the “High-Speeds,” were lightweight and, as their name implies, they were fast. There were a total of 35 of these cars, split between straight coach-baggage cars that came from Pullman’s Chicago plant, and the remainder, coach-parlor cars, from American Car & Foundry’s Jeffersonville, Indiana plant. The Indiana Railroad and their “High speeds” have a significant connection to IRM, as did two friends who met at Chicago’s Lane Tech High School, Howard Odinius and Bob Konsbuck, they traveled together, making many trips to ride Indiana Railroad; there’s no doubt they wanted to see a High-Speed preserved.

By 1941, 65 and 78 were the sole remaining cars in service, running between Indianapolis and Seymour. When 78 was lost in a head-on collision, Odinius met with Superintendent Schneider of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway and successfully convinced him that the CRANDIC should acquire 65. Many years later I met former Superintendent Schneider at Union; he had arranged to visit and to again see his CRANDIC car 120.  At that time he recalled those early discussions with Odinius. Later, it was upon the discontinuance of their passenger service that their 120 became available; 10 people paid $100 each and purchased the car, that was in 1953. Frank Sherwin of the Chicago Hardware Foundry was known to be an enthusiast and provided a home for the car at the Foundry.

Work had been done to 65, a Westinghouse controller was added at the rear of the car to make it operable at full speed in either direction; it had been hoped to run 65 on the North Shore, but, as we know the North Shore wasn’t enthusiastic about running 65. And, the collection grew by 2 additional cars in 1954 with the TM car acquisition.

By 1962 the Hardware Foundry had made it known they wanted the museum to move, and, by this time the collection had continued its growth. I sat in attendance at the Sunday, October 6, 1963 Annual Meeting and was shocked when President Odinius announced, “Our biggest problem of a permanent operating site remains unsolved.” We still didn’t have a home.

Several years earlier, in 1958, museum had acquired 5.6 miles of abandoned Elgin & Belvidere Electric Company right of way for $85 in unpaid back taxes. This property extends today east from the edge of Jefferson Street on the east edge of the Village of Union to where the E & B had a 500 foot long wood trestle across a tributary of the Kiswaukee River, our current end of track. In April, 1964 we started clearing the right of way and that May the first string of museum cars was shoved by a special C&NW train onto our property. From this start we acquired land and grew.

CERA’s Future Zoom Programs

Friday, November 22, 2024 at 7p.m. CDT

 Live: In Person and Zoom

Location To Be Announced

Chicago, IL

Richard Aaron: The Magnificent Seven

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84039965430?pwd=NjVaWU1iaGs2bXpXRVRVbzdpQ3Yydz09 

Zoom meeting Number 840 3996 5430    Passcode  572661

"The Magnificent 7” is a finance term applied here to Pittsburgh streetcars.  The magnificent seven are lines with extensive private right-of-way in the post West End era.  On the North Side, the lines include Fineview (21) and  West View/ Bellevue (10/15).  There are two magnificent lines in the East End including McKeesport via Second Avenue (56) and Ardmore (87).  The South Hills operated three “Magnificent” lines including Library (35) , Drake  (36) and Dormont/Mt. Lebanon (38/42).  The portion of the program about the South Hills will show the conversion of the three former streetcar lines into modern Light Rail.

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