We are very sorry to report the passing of longtime CERA Member and Director John Marton on February 22nd. John was a member of CERA for 59 years, and had served the last five years as a Director. At last Wednesday’s organizational meeting of the 2014 Board, he was elected a Vice President of CERA.

John Marton with one of his beloved grandchildren, in a picture he chose to include in last year’s CERA publication Trolley Sparks Special #1.

During most of his time on the Board, John served as CERA’s Publications Director, and was responsible for The Lake Line (B-144), Transit in the Triangle v1 (B-145), and Trolley Sparks Special #1. All the publications John was involved with were very successful and well received. You can read more about these publications on the CERA web site.

John had been hospitalized for three months last year, starting in May, and had been gradually recovering and gaining more strength after undergoing several operations. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend our 75th Anniversary events in September, which he had been involved in planning for some time. We dedicated the Banquet to both John and his wife Judy.

John’s illness last year caused a delay in the completion of The Illini Trail, our upcoming book about the Chicago, Ottawa & Peoria. At the time of his death, he was set to resume work on finishing it. CERA will complete the book as John wanted it done, and dedicate it to his memory.

We were very gratified that John was able to attend our monthly Board meeting in person last Wednesday, for the first time in several months. He was fully engaged in our discussions, and we are thankful for this one last chance to spend time with him, listen to his stories, and to benefit from his wisdom.

In life, John Marton worked as both an educator and a transit consultant. He served his country honorably in the Air Force and was a Freemason. But above all, he was a devoted family man who loved his wife, his children, and his grandchildren.

If you would like to pay your respects to John Marton, and learn about the visitation and funeral arrangements, click here.

We will all miss him very much.

-Your CERA Directors

Our friends at Rockhill send us the following:

HISTORIC, STREAMLINED, ELECTRIC TRAIN RETURNED TO OPERATING CONDITION

Rockhill Furnace, PA – The Rockhill Trolley Museum, the operating entity of Railways To Yesterday, Inc., a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational corporation, is happy to announce the return of its historic Electroliner/Liberty Liner streamlined train to operating condition.

Two of these historic trains were constructed in 1941 by the St. Louis Car Company for the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, which provided high speed electric service from downtown Chicago to downtown Milwaukee until 1963. These trains were specially designed to provide the most modern comforts at the time yet still be capable of operating in the tight confines of the Chicago elevated railways and with automobile traffic in the streets of Milwaukee. These trains were studied by the designers of the original Japanese “Bullet” trains in the early 1960s and perhaps influenced some of the features of these trains.

Both of these historic trains were sold in 1963 to the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company of Upper Darby, PA, commonly referred to as the “Red Arrow Lines”. These trains were refurbished and returned to operation on that company’s Norristown division in January 1964 and operated in regular service until 1978. Railways To Yesterday purchased train #803-804, named “Independence Hall”, in 1982 and moved the train to Rockhill Furnace where it was returned to operating condition. The train was set aside for display-only purposes in 1996 due to significant problems with the train’s electrical control system. Museum volunteers again restored the train to operation in 2011 for a special Membership event but electrical problems again sidelined the train in 2012.

Thanks to a substantial donation, replacement control system components were assembled and more than a dozen volunteers from several museum departments worked as a team over the past four months to return the train to operating condition once again. The train made its ceremonial roll-out and first trip on Saturday evening, February 15, at an annual gathering of volunteers from many east coast trolley museums.

The museum intends to maintain the train in operable condition in the future and operate the train on special occasions. The museum is accepting donations to help defray the costs of maintaining this historic vehicle and to rebuild additional components to provide increased reliability. The museum is a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational corporation and donations are tax-deductible. If interested in donating towards this worthwhile project, please contact the POC provided below.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum is one of the oldest continuously operating trolley museums in the Middle Atlantic, having operated trolleys every year since 1962. The museum offers a very scenic three mile round trip ride along scenic Blacklog Creek. For more information on the museum, as well as information on how to contribute to museum projects, when to visit, how to become a member, or how to volunteer, please visit http://www.rockhilltrolley.org.

For additional information please contact:

Railways To Yesterday, Inc.
P.O. Box 1601
Allentown, PA 18105
http://www.rockhilltrolley.org
https://www.facebook.com/rockhilltrolley

POC: Matthew W. Nawn, Chairman
mwntrolley@aol.com

You can watch a video of the Liberty Liner in action here.

You can read a feature article about the Electroliners written by director J. J. Sedelmaier here.

The other Electroliner set 801-802 is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in non-operating condition.

Here is a feature article on James F. Eppenstein, the man who styled the Electroliner’s whimsical interior.

In Memoriam

We regret to inform you of the death of longtime CERA member Neil Bjornsen. You can read more about his life and career here.

CERA Mailbag

John L. Gann Jr. writes:

The Used Book Exchange is a good idea. But why not:

1. Include number of pages in description
2. Include Railfan DVDs & VHS tapes?

Thank for writing. Our first list of used books included only CERA bulletins, since we figured our members would already be familiar with those. There is always going to be a trade-off between including more information in the descriptions, and the size of the type. If we include too many details, the type will be so small on the list that nobody could read it. Besides, details such as the number of pages in a book are readily available via the Internet.

As for your other suggestion, if people donated railfan videos to us, we will list them for sale in the future. I would think there would be more interest in DVDs than VHS tapes, however. It’s not easy today to even find a new VHS player available for sale.

The CERA Used Book Exchange has been a great success. Most of the books on our first list have already been sold. We have some titles on a waiting list.

We will send out List #2 to our members in early March, along with our usual program information. If you have traction books you would like to donate to the CERA Used Book Exchange, let us know. We would be glad to have them, and I am certain that we can find them a good home, and raise some additional money for CERA in the process. We thank all our members who have donated already.

-David Sadowski

Brian J. Patterson writes:

Great article on the Independence Hall. But let’s not forget our local Electroliner. The Illinois Railway Museum completed major restoration work on the 801-802 Electroliner shortly after obtaining it in 1981, including rust repair and restoring the 801-902 Electroliner to its CNSM configuration. The car was operated by the IRM in revenue service for several seasons on days where the weather was cool. It was withdrawn from operation after a traction motor failed during a test run being made after the failure of a different traction motor.

The Illinois Railway Museum is now conducting a major fundraiser, “The Campaign for the Electroliner 2016. The goal of “The Campaign for the Electroliner 2016″ is to quickly raise $500,000 or more, enabling us to complete full electromechanical restoration of our 801-802 Electroliner and open it for riding by the general public prior to the ind of the 2016 operating season. 2016 is the 75th anniversary of the delivery of the two Electroliner trainsets to the Chicago, North Shore, and Milwaukee railroad.

This restoration will include fresh rebuild of all eight traction motors, restoration of both HVAC systems to full operation, and numerous other equipment failures and “near failures” repairs to allow reliable full revenue service during our operating seasons.

The below link will take you to the Campaign’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Electroliner

The below link will take you to the IRM Online store, allowing you to donate to the Campaign in $25 increments:
http://www3.irm.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=2004

Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Illinois Railroad Museum” with “Campaign for the Electroliner” endorsed in the memo or for field and mailed to:

Illinois Railway Museum
7000 Olson Rd
PO Box 427
Union, IL 60180

The Illinois Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) charity, and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Rita McCabe writes:

Our environmental organization is hosting the below program tomorrow. Thought your members might be interested. Sorry it is so late, but just found out about your group.

Streetcars of Toronto
Sunday, February 23 – 2pm

Streetcar aficionado/storyteller Jack Doyle will share his knowledge of streetcars and his summer experiences in Toronto, Canada. Toronto has the largest, most efficient streetcar system in North America. This “green” system enjoys high satisfaction ratings from its many users and is hailed as a model for cities looking to cut back their Co2 output. An excellent photographer, Jack has slides showcasing streetcars throughout Toronto. Questions and refreshments will follow. LaGrange Park Library, 555 N LaGrange Rd. For more information call, 708-354-5512; visit http://www.savetheprairiesociety.org

Located north of Ogden Ave. ( 34 ) and south of 31st Street, it is on the east side of LaGrange Road (Mannheim).

http://www.savetheprairiesociety.org

This is the second of a two-part series on the fabled Indiana Railroad interurban network, which operated electric passenger service from 1930-41, but had roots going back to the early 1900s in the various predecessor companies that were joined to create it. You can read our first post here.

Some of these pictures show the Indianapolis Traction Terminal, the largest such structure in the world when built in 1904. There were originally nine tracks under a huge steel canopy, adjoining an office building designed by Daniel Burnham. The terminal was a local Indianapolis landmark until it was demolished in 1968. After the interurban quit in 1941, the terminal was used exclusively by buses. You can read more about it here.

Freight business was an important part of the Indiana Railroad, which when formed in 1930 had interchange freight connections with other Midwest interurbans. As these other networks fell victim to the Depression, specifically the Cincinnati & Lake Erie and Lake Shore Electric Railway, and the Dayton and Western, these connections were lost, which greased the skids for IR’s decline and fall.

If some of these networks could have been merged together, it’s possible they would have lasted longer. Dr. Thomas Conway was involved with modernization and strategic planning at many interurbans, and is largely responsible for the development of lightweight, high-speed interurban cars in the late 1920s. You can still see some of his handiwork today, the the 13.4 mile Norristown High-Speed Line operated bySEPTA between Norristown and Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

-David Sadowski

IR lightweight high-speed interurban 80, with the Indiana state capitol, which was completed in 1888, as backdrop. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

PS- FYI, we’ve added a copy of Indiana Railroad- The Magic Interurban (CERA B-128) to our list of used books for sale.

IR 50 in New Castle on May 19, 1940. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Indiana Service Corp. (an IR predecessor company) 540 at the end of the International Harvester line in Ft. Wayne on August 3, 1938. 540 was built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1923. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 82 leaving the Seymour terminal on August 11, 1940. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 446 had an interesting history, according to Don’s Rail Photos: “446 thru 449 were built by Cincinnati Car in 1923 as part of an order of 10 cars for the Indianapolis & Southeastern RR. When they were replaced by lightweight cars in 1928, six cars were sold to Milwaukee and converted into three truck trains. The other four cars went to Union Traction as their 446 thru 449 in 1929. They were soon included in the IRR. In 1936, they were converted to one man operation. They were retired in 1938, and car 446 became the wreck motor for another two years. ” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

One of the IR lightweight high-speeds on a Louisville Local run. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 69 in Muncie in 1940. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Unloading mail from an IR RPO-combine. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 70 in the Indianapolis Traction Terminal. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

The Indianapolis Traction Terminal train shed, before most of the tracks were paved for use by buses. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Don’s Rail Photos says, “1150 was built by Jewett in 1913 for the Grand Rapids Holland & Chicago as 21. In 1916 it became Michigan Rys. 113. When that company broke up in 1924, it reverted to the GRH&C as 113. In 1927 it was sold to IT as 443 and was named “Elwood”. When taken into the IRR in 1930 it lost its name but kept its number. In 1934 it became wreck motor 1150.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

An Indianapolis terminal scene. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 458 in Ft. Wayne on August 5, 1938. Don’s Rail Photos reports, “457 and 458 were built by St. Louis Car in 1926 as IPSCo 378 and 379. They were one-manned in 1937 and retired in 1938.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 446. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 50 in Indianapolis. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 50. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 446 at the Ft. Wayne terminal on August 2, 1938, bound for Indianapolis via the Peru Division. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR lightweight high-speed 76 at Whitelands siding. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 432 (head on) meets 446 at Legro on August 3, 1937, on the long line from Ft. Wayne to Indianapolis via Kokomo and Peru. Service was discontinued on August 24, 1938, with the last trip on September 10th. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR 439, aka “Bluffton.” (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 456. Don’s Rail Photos says, “450 thru 456 were built by Cincinnati Car in 1919 as 150 thru 152 and 154 thru 157 of the Interstate Public Service Co. In the consolidation, they were renumbered, but they carried PSC initials for the successor to IPS, Public Service Corp. of Indiana. They were converted to one man operation in 1936 and retired in 1938.” (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 375, one of three Railway Post Office motors used between Indianapolis and Peru, and between Ft. Wayne and Newcastle. (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 407, aka “Winchester,” was built in 1913 by Cincinnati Car Co. (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 58, which was used on an early CERA fantrip. (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 712 was built by American Car and Foundry in 1924. (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

IR 442, aka “Eaton.” Don’s Rail Photos reports, “442 was built by Jewett in 1913 as Grand Rapids Holland & Chicago 20. In 1916 it became Michigan Rys. 112. When that company broke up in 1924, it reverted as GRH&C 112. In 1927 it was sold as UTI 442 “Eaton” and became IRR 442 in 1930. It was rebuilt to one man in 1936.” (Barney Neuburger Photo – CERA Archives)

The former Indianapolis Traction Terminal during the 1950s, when it was used exclusively by buses. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Today we focus our attention on the Indiana Railroad, in the first of two posts. The Wikipedia entry on IRR sums it up pretty nicely:

The Indiana Railroad (IR) was the last of the typical Midwestern United States interurban lines. It was formed in 1930-31 by combining the operations of the five major interurban systems in central Indiana into one entity. The predecessor companies came under the control of Midland Utilities, owned by Samuel Insull. It was Insull’s plan to transform the Indiana interurban network into a new Indiana Railroad by modernizing the profitable routes and abandoning the unprofitable ones. With the onset of the Great Depression, the Insull empire collapsed and the Indiana Railroad was left with a decaying infrastructure and little hope for overcoming the growing competition of the automobile for passenger business and the truck for freight business. The IR faced bankruptcy in 1933, and receiver Bowman Elder was designated to run the company. Payments on bonded debt were suspended. Elder was able to keep the system virtually intact for four years, and IR operated about 600 miles (970 km) of interurban lines throughout Indiana during this period. During the late 1930s, the routes were abandoned one by one until a 1941 wreck with fatalities south of Indianapolis put an abrupt end to the last operation of interurbans in Indiana.

The early history of Central Electric Railfans’ Association is tied in with Indiana Railroad. The lateGeorge Krambles, CERA Member #1, worked for IR early in his career, and some of the first CERA fantrips were run on that fabled interurban prior to the final abandonment in 1941. A complete list of CERA fantrips appears in our recent publication Trolley Sparks Special #1.

Indiana Railroad was famous for its fleet of lightweight high-speed interurbans, cars 50-84, built by ACF and Pullman in 1931. These in turn were improved versions of similar cars built for the Cincinnati & Lake Erie shortly before. The IR cars, unlike the C&LE’s, could be operated in multiple units with up to three cars coupled at one time.

Unfortunately, only two of the 35 high-speeds were preserved. Car 55 went to Lehigh Valley Transit, where it was transformed into 1030, the so-called “Golden Calf” of the fleet. After LVT abandoned the Liberty Bell Limited interurban service in 1951, this car was purchased by the Seashore Trolley Museum, where it is today.

After the IR abandoned in 1941, car 65 was purchased by the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City (CRANDIC), where it ran until the end of passenger service on May 30, 1953. The fledgling Illinois Electric Railway Museum bought it, as its first piece of equipment. It remains at IRM today in operating condition.

Unfortunately, there were no takers for the remainder of the high-speeds. They sat in storage during most of 1941 waiting for buyers that never came, and were unceremoniously junked. Then, shortly thereafter, Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Street railways around the country carried record numbers of passengers during WWII, and there were any number of properties that could have benefited from the Indiana Railroad lightweight interurbans. In particular, they would have been a godsend to LVT, where they could have been used in MU service on the Liberty Bell Limited. Instead, LVT ran cars in multiple sections, resulting in fatal crashes that signaled the beginning of the end of that fabled line between Philadelphia and Allentown.

CERA featured the Indiana Railroad in Bulletin 91, first published in 1950. It was reprinted in a slightly revised and expanded form in 1975. A fuller book-length treatment arrived in 1991, in the form of Indiana Railroad- The Magic Interurban by George K. Bradley, CERA Bulletin 128. These bulletins are out of print, but can be found on the secondary market.

While you search for those, we hope you will enjoy the photos we are posting today, and those in the second part of our IR series, which will appear in a couple of days. We have included an article from the September 12, 1931 issue of Railway Age, profiling the then-new cars. Timetable information is reproduced from October 1, 1939, by which time the Hoosier interurban network was already being dismantled.

-David Sadowski

A builder’s photo of Interstate Public Service Co. car 161 from 1924. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “161 was built by American Car & Foundry in 1923 as a parlor-buffet. It was rebuilt as IRR 738 an express motor in 1937 and retired in 1941.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Indiana Service Corp. (one of the predecessor companies to Indiana Railroad) car 378 with parlor car 390 in Ft. Wayne on July 20, 1926. 378 was built in 1926 by St. Louis Car Co. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

A line of cars headed up by Interstate Public Service car 263. Interstate was one of the predecessor companies to Indiana Railroad. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “263 was built by Kuhlman Car Co in 1927, #924. It became IRR 202 in 1930 and sold as Portland Traction Co 4001 in 1940. It was acquired by Northern California Trolley Museum in 1959 and Western Railway Museum in 1960. It was restored as IRR 202.” A note on the back of the photo says these cars were used in the Jeffersonville, Charlestown, and New Albany area. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Motorman Claude Stephens at the helm of IR 65. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR heavyweight interurban car 432 in the 1930s at the Indianapolis Traction Terminal. When built in 1904, it was the largest interurban station in the world, with lines radiated out in all directions. This car was built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1925. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR lightweight high-speed interurban car 55 at the Indianapolis Traction Terminal. This car was sold to Lehigh Valley Transit in 1941, where it was modified into car 1030, the pride of the LVT fleet. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

The passenger waiting area in Anderson. The line between Indianapolis and Anderson was the last segment of the once-great interurban to be abandoned in 1941, as the result of a fatal head-on crash. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

An IR car barn at an unidentified location. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IR trolley freight operations at an unidentified location. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Indiana Railroad boxcar 576. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

(FYI, you can find our second used book list here.)

Here is our first list of used books for sale. We had previously written about the CERA Used Book Exchange here.

Copies of List #1 and an order form have been mailed to all current CERA Members, along with our program information.

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Used books, donated by our members, are being sold to raise money to help fund CERA programs and services. Since we are a 501(c)(3) organization, such donations may be tax deductible. Do you have used traction books that you no longer need? If so, why not donate them to the CERA Used Book Exchange? We thank our donors.

HOW TO ORDER – You can pay by check through the mail using this form, or online using PayPal or acredit/debit card. Please do not send your credit card information through the mail. As items are sold or added, we will update the online version of the list here.

As books are sold, we will cross them out on the online list, like this. You can download and print out a copy of List #1 here.

You can also contact the CERA Office by telephone at 312-987-4391. If we are not available, leave a message and we will get back to you.

To order books online, drop us a line at ceraoffice@gmail.com and CERA will e-mail you back an invoice that you can pay using PayPal or a debit/credit card.

All sales are final. Used books are sold without warranty or guarantee. No haggling or quantity discounts- the items here are priced to move. Please do not ask us to put items on “hold” for you. Books will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Current (2014) CERA Members in the United States get FREE SHIPPING. Other Domestic buyers pay $5 Shipping and Handling per book. International shipping is available by special request. Contact us and we will work up a quote based on actual cost.

Books are graded as Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor. Significant damage is noted, where observed. Some amount of normal wear is to be expected in books that are “of a certain age.”

When using the mail-in form, in the unlikely event of an overpayment, if a book you want is no longer available, please indicate whether you would prefer a refund, or a credit that can be applied to a future purchase. If you send your order by mail, keep a copy of the form for your records.

Please note: Illinois residents must include 9.25% sales tax with payment.

CERA Used Book Exchange List #1 (Updated as of February 17, 2014)

Stock # Description Publisher Date Cover Condition Price # Notes
UBE001 Electric Railways of Indiana I CERA 1957 S G $60.00 B-101
UBE002 Electric Railways of Indiana II CERA 1958 S G $60.00 B-102
UBE003 Interurban to Milwaukee CERA 1962 S F $25.00 B-106 1st printing; cover worn
UBE004 Interurban to Milwaukee CERA 1962 S F $25.00 B-106 1st printing; cover separated
UBE007 Route of the Electroliners CERA 1963 S G $25.00 B-107 1st printing
UBE008 Route of the Electroliners CERA 1975 H EX $25.00 B-107 2nd printing
UBE009 Route of the Electroliners CERA 1975 H EX $25.00 B-107 2nd printing
UBE010 Route of the Electroliners CERA 1975 H EX $25.00 B-107 2nd printing
UBE005 Electric Railways of Northeastern Ohio CERA 1965 H G $25.00 B-108
UBE006 Electric Railways of Northeastern Ohio CERA 1965 H F $20.00 B-108 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE011 The NOT&L Story CERA 1966 H F $20.00 B-109 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE012 The NOT&L Story CERA 1966 H G $25.00 B-109
UBE013 TM (The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co.) CERA 1972 H F $45.00 B-112 No DJ; binding slightly split
UBE014 TM (The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co.) CERA 1972 H G $55.00 B-112 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE017 Chicago’s Rapid Transit v1 Rolling Stock 1892-1947 CERA 1973 H G $25.00 B-113 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE018 Chicago’s Rapid Transit v1 Rolling Stock 1892-1947 CERA 1973 H EX $30.00 B-113
UBE020 Iowa Trolleys CERA 1975 H G $25.00 B-114 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE028 Chicago’s Rapid Transit v2 Rolling Stock 1947-1976 CERA 1976 H EX $30.00 B-115
UBE029 Electrification by GE CERA 1976 H G $25.00 B-116 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE030 Electrification by GE CERA 1976 H EX $30.00 B-116
UBE031 Electrification by GE CERA 1976 H EX $30.00 B-116 Owner’s name in front cover
UBE032 Detroit’s Street Railways vI CERA 1978 H G $25.00 B-117
UBE033 Westinghouse Electric Railway Transportation CERA 1979 H G $20.00 B-118 DJ slightly worn, otherwise EX
UBE034 Detroit’s Street Railways vII CERA 1980 H G $25.00 B-120 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE022 Detroit’s Street Railways vIII CERA 1984 H G $25.00 B-123 DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE019 How the Medal Was Won CERA 1985 H EX $10.00 B-124
UBE021 How the Medal Was Won CERA 1985 H EX $10.00 B-124
UBE023 The Colorful Streetcars We Rode CERA 1986 H G $20.00 B-125
UBE016 A Rainbow of Traction CERA 1988 S G $10.00 B-126
UBE015 From Bullets to BART CERA 1988 H G $10.00 B-127 No DJ
UBE035 Indiana Railroad – The Magic Interurban CERA 1991 H EX $25.00 B-128 Like New, no DJ
UBE024 Every Hour On the Hour (WB&A) CERA 1993 H G $70.00 B-130 DJ slightly worn, otherwise EX
UBE025 The “L” (1888-1932) – Bruce Moffat CERA 1995 H EX $35.00 B-131 Like New
UBE026 The Chicago Tunnel Story – Bruce Moffat CERA 2002 H EX $30.00 B-135 Like New
UBE027 The Lake Line CERA 2011 H EX $50.00 B-144 Like New

Reader Mailbag

Leigh Morris writes:

Wikipedia is not always a reliable source of information, as the January meeting notice affirms. Quoting Wikipedia, the notice advises the IT was “known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937…”

Actually, the Illinois Traction System adopted the Illinois Terminal Railroad name in 1928 during a corporate reorganization.

We asked Dale Jenkins, of the Illinois Traction Society, to clarify this situation. Here is his response:

On March 25, 1925, the Illinois Power & Light Company (controlling company of the Illinois Traction) acquired the stock and subsequent controlling interest of the St. Louis Troy & Eastern Railway, (Steam line) which also included the controlling interest of the St. Louis & Illinois Belt Railway, (Steam line) and on May 1, 1928, purchased the stock of the Illinois Terminal Company (Steam line). Effective January 1, 1928, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the leasing of the aforementioned steam lines with the Illinois Traction System to create the Illinois Terminal Railroad System. On December 31, 1929, North American Power & Light Company acquired all of the outstanding securities of the Alton & Eastern which was leased to the Illinois Terminal effective June 30, 1930. On August 11, 1937, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the consolidation of the Illinois Traction Inc. with the steam roads, Illinois Terminal Company, St. Louis Troy & Eastern RR, St. Louis & Illinois Belt Ry., and the Alton & Eastern RR into the Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (ITRR Co.).

So, Illinois Traction adopted the “brand name” Illinois Terminal Railroad in 1928, but this did not become the actual corporate name of the railroad until 1937. So, depending on how you look at it, both dates are technically correct.

Fred Freebolin writes:

Please advise what, if any, information you may have on file regarding the cable car system that served Chicago from about 1884(?) to 1906 when it was replaced with electric street cars. I have read the new bookChicago Cable Cars by G. Borzo which I found very interesting. Prior to that reading I was entirely without knowledge of how extensive the system was, especially how it served the downtown district. I remember my maternal grandfather made reference to the system just once. I was employed in the Loop area when I witnessed the tearing down of the massive power house at Jefferson and Van Buren Streets but was unaware of its importance and how it served the cable car system.

Since CERA’s main focus is on electric railways, we really don’t have a lot of additional material relating to the Chicago cable car system. However, the fullest and most authoritative treatment of the subject can be found in George W. Hilton‘s magnum opus, The Cable Car in America, which is still in print.

This, in turn, expanded on his earlier work Cable Railways of Chicago, published in 1954 by the Electric Railway Historical Society as their bulletin #10. That you would have to find on the used market, although CERA has plans to eventually reprint all 49 ERHS publications in digital form. These are short publications, varying in length.

Mr. Hilton has long been a friend and supporter of CERA.

Mr. Borzo gave a presentation based on his cable car book at a CERA meeting last year. We contributed a couple of images to the program, which you can find here and here.

-David Sadowski

January’s CERA Program

Our thanks to everyone who attended Friday night’s program on the Illinois Terminal Railroad. In spite of the weather, a near capacity crowd enjoyed MCERA Robert Heinlein‘s presentation. As a special bonus attraction, Ray DeGroote dug out his slides from the last weekend of electric IT operations in 1958 on the suburban line between St. Louis and Granite City.

Annual Meeting

The voters at our Annual Meeting approved two revisions to CERA’s By-Laws. Effective immediately, the CERA Board of Directors now has the right to award up to two Honorary Life Memberships per calendar year, for meritorious and distinguished service to the organization. Of course, this does not mean they have to do so, only that they may do it if the Directors can agree on which Members deserve this special recognition.

Membership also approved phasing out the Associate Member category, effective in 2015. Since we began sending out “CERA News” to our members last year, we do not think it fair to send this information to some members and not others. Likewise, we wanted to expand the voting franchise to all CERA Members.

Therefore, starting next year, our membership categories will be Active, Contributing, and Sustaining. The rates will be the same as this year, in spite of the increase in postal rates. Starting in 2015, all CERA Members will receive the same mailings, have the right to vote in our elections, and can serve on committees.

We continue to offer Associate Memberships in 2014 for $42, and for just $3 more, you can “step up” to an Active Membership. All classes of membership receive an annual book entitlement. If you are interested in becoming a CERA Member, or just want to renew, click here.

At the same meeting, the Election Committee reported that the three Directors on the ballot were all elected. Joe Reuter and Bill Reynolds received three-year terms, while John Nicholson won a two-year term. There were a few write-in votes.

This is the only election where we are going to have staggered terms, and this was a consequence of reducing the size of the CERA Board of Directors, which was approved in 2013. Since there are now seven Directors, there will be a cycle of two, two, and three whose terms are ending, and from now on, all will receive a three-year term.

We thank all our Members for their participation in the Directors’ Election and the CERA Annual Meeting.

CERA By-Laws for 2014
CERA By-Laws for 2015

New Jersey Transit PCC 23 at Franklin Avenue in 1991. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “23 was built by St Louis Car Co. in August 1947, order #1660, as Twin Cities Rapid Transit 362. It was sold to Public Service of New Jersey as 23 on March 30, 1953, and became New Jersey Transit 23 in 1971. It was sold as Municipal Railway of San Francisco 1071 in 2004.” (David Sadowski Photo – CERA Archives)

Our Next Program:

A Tale of Two Subways, presented by David Sadowski and Ray DeGroote

For our February program, CERA travels to both Rochester, New York, and Newark, New Jersey– two cities that built subways in old canal beds, with very much different results. The Rochester Subwayopened in 1927, struggled to find its proper role, and was never used to full potential, except perhaps during WWII. It closed in 1956 and was partially replaced by an expressway.

In contrast, the Newark City Subway, opened in 1935, was an immediate and lasting success. PCC cars ran in Newark from 1954 to 2001 and became closely identified with the service. Light rail extensions to the subway opened in 2002 and 2006.

We will cover the history of both subways using both video and still images from a variety of sources. As a bonus feature, we will show rare shots of Cincinnati’s unfinished 1920s subway, which was also built in a former canal bed. Come join us for what promises to be a fun evening.

Friday, February 28, 2014
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center
525 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois

Admission is free for current CERA members. There will be a $5.00 Admission charge for non-members.

We hope that you will join us this Friday for our January program on the Illinois Terminal Railroad by Robert Heinlein. To help “set the stage,” we present our third and final installment of IT photos for your enjoyment.

IT 277 and train in St. Louis on April 20, 1952. This car is now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Friday, January 24, 2014
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center
525 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60605

Admission is free for current CERA members. There will be a $5.00 Admission charge for non-members. CERA’s Annual Meeting will take place at the same meeting. Read more about it here.

-The Editor

PS- You can read an article about the last IT interurban train, which ran on March 2, 1956, here. Illinois Terminal electric suburban passenger service continued between St. Louis and Granite City until June 22, 1958- a day after the last streetcar ran in Chicago.

IT streamliner 302, coupled to deluxe dining car 352. They were built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1947-48. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 263 at the Danville town center in 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 101 and train, 1949. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “101 was built by the American Car Co. in 1917 as Alton Granite & St Louis 61. In 1926 the line was reorganized as the St Louis & Alton Ry 61 and in 1930 it became ITR 101. On March 9, 1956, it was sold to IERM and is now at Union, IL.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT streamliner 302 and train in 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 100 near the entrance to the St. Louis subway in August 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT double-end PCC 453 in Granite City on October 6, 1950. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 263 at Champaign in 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

An Illinois Terminal “Class A” locomotive at work. For a view of IT 1554, click here. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

According to Don’s Rail Photos, IT 285 “was built by St Louis Car in 1914. It was rebuilt as a parlor car in 1924 and then as a coach in December 1928. It was air conditioned in August 1938 and got new seating in December 1952. It was sold for scrap to Hyman Michaels Co on May 16, 1956.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 100 in St. Louis in June 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 274 in Peoria in 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 473 leaving St. Louis in 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT Railbus 206 in Alton-Grafton service in November 1952. It was built by White in 1939 and has a Mack engine. It is now preserved at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 455 in St. Louis in July 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 1202 in 1949. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “1202 was built by McGuire-Cummings in 1910 as an express motor with 20 seats at the rear. In 1919 it was rebuilt with a small baggage section at the front and the trucks were changed from Curtis to Baldwin. It was renumbered 202 on December 28, 1953, and sold for scrap in 1956.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 407 at the Granite City Shops on October 6, 1950. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 455 at Granite City in September 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 101 and train at Alton in 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 281 at Decatur. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 104 at the Granite City Shops in May 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 101 at the Illinois Railway Museum on July 6, 2013. (David Sadowski Photo – CERA Archives)

IT three-car train 277-518-234 running in the “Trolley Pageant” at the Illinois Railway Museum on July 6, 2013. (David Sadowski Photo – CERA Archives)

We hope that you will join us this Friday for our January program on the Illinois Terminal Railroad by Robert Heinlein. To get you in the mood, we present the second of three generous helpings of IT photos, this batch being black-and-white.

IT streamliner 301, the “City of Decatur,” in Decatur in December 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

There weren’t a lot of railfans using color film before the 1950s, but black-and-white had been around for a long time, so we can see some earlier views here. Most shutterbugs back then used cameras that yielded very large negatives by modern standards. If properly exposed and developed, some of these old negs can yield amazingly sharp images today.

-The Editor

IT 278 in Springfield, Illinois, on November 7, 1948. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 283 in Springfield, Illinois, in November 1948. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT wooden baggage trailer 607, ex-1060 series with experimental motors, in Springfield on November 7, 1948. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 517, 282 and 535 on a three-car football special at Decatur in Fall 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT parlor cal 511, the “Urbana,” on the Springfield wye in February 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Don’s Rail Photos says IT 1567, Class B, “was built at Decatur in 1914. It was sold to St Louis Car Co. as 11 on January 17, 1955.” (Photographer unknown)

It loco 1577, used on the Bloomington line, is shown at the Decatur shops. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 270 at the Decatur station in May 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

According to Don’s Rail Photos, IT 285 “was built by St Louis Car in 1914. It was rebuilt as a parlor car in 1024 amd retistpred as coach in December 1928. It was air conditioned in August 1938 and (received) new seating in December 1952. It was sold for scrap to Hyman Michaels Co on May 16, 1956.” According to John Howard, this early 1950s photo “was taken in Carlinville from the corner of North West and West First North Streets – looking south. Davenport’s Cafe is south of the station. City Hall’s siren can be seen above the Cafe. The steeple at the south end of town (on South West Street) was St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. It’s now a restaurant sans steeple.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT “muzzle-loader” double-end PCC 451, on the St. Louis-Granite City line in 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 283 was built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1913. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View looking east showing IT car 457 eastbound on the west side of the McKinley Bridge in St. Louis, taken on November 13, 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

A three-quarter view of IT 284 taken in Springfield, Illinois, on June 11, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT “Class C” loco 1596 was built at Decatur in December 1929. Most IT locos were scrapped in 1956, but loco 1595 is preserved at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. This picture was taken in East Peoria, Illinois, on June 11, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

A three-quarter view of IT 1203 as it appeared in Springfield, Illinois, on June 11, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View looking northeast from Hall street, showing a PCC car on the elevated structure parallel to North Market Street east of Hall Street in St. Louis in 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View from 12th and Lucas Streets, showing the IT Central Terminal Building, on 12th Street between Lucas and Delmar in St. Louis, Missouri on May 21, 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View of the sign at the entrance to the passenger station at 12th and Delmar in St. Louis, taken October 21, 1951. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 454 north of the subway entrance in St. Louis, Missouri on March 1, 1956. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View looking south showing car #451 on Madison Avenue, just south of 17th Street in Granite City, Illinois, showing street resurfacing work, on June 3, 1956. Car 451 was built by the St. Louis Car Co. in 1949 and is now preserved at the Connecticut Trolley Museum. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

View looking south showing the station at Broadway and North Market Streets in St. Louis, on the line to Granite City, as it looked on May 21, 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT double-end PCC 452 on the St. Louis-Granite City line. The view is looking east, showing the car on Broadway at Market Street in Madison, Illinois. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

A passing siding along the IT interurban right-of-way. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT streetcar 410, built by St Louis Car Co. in 1924 as order #1324, a sister car to 415, now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Don’s Rail Photos reports that IT 277 “was built by St Louis Car in 1913, #966. It was rebuilt in October 1951 with new seats and other modernized features. It was sold to the Illinois Railway Museum on March 9, 1956.” I believe this photo was taken in North Chicago, before IRM moved to Union. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 202 with an arch-window trailer. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Don’s Rail Photos reports that IT 277 “was built by St Louis Car in 1913, #966. It was rebuilt in October 1951 with new seats and other modernized features. It was sold to the Illinois Railway Museum on March 9, 1956.” I believe this photo was taken in North Chicago, before IRM moved to Union. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

An unidentified car in August 1949. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 284 was built by St Louis Car Co. in 1913. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

An IT streamliner parlor car at East Peoria. These often had to be uncoupled due to clearance problems. Some of these cars, generally considered to be unsuccessful, were not scrapped until the 1980s, but none survive. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

As we gear up for January’s CERA program, we’ve been going through our files, looking for IT photos. We will present them in three or four installments between now and January 24, when longtime CERA Member Robert Heinlein gives his presentation.

Today’s bunch are all from the era of color photography. Unfortunately, throughout the 1950s, electric operations on IT were winding down. Most of the electric locos were scrapped in 1956, although a few did find new homes elsewhere. The Illinois Railway Museum in Union has the largest collection of electric IT equipment extant.

-The Editor

Car 473 at the west end of the McKinley Bridge in St. Louis in April 1958, two months before passenger service ended. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 276-529-530-532 on an NRHS special, September 6, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 276-529-530-532 on an NRHS special in St. Louis, September 6, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 404, still in “Traction Orange,” in Granite City on June 10, 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

The general barn view at Granite City on September 4, 1953. Car 415, now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum, is at the left. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Cars 415-450-471-404-405 at Granite City on September 4, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT local 454 in Venice, Illinois. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 277 at the Illinois Electric Railway Museum in North Chicago on September 15, 1957. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 415 at the Illinois Electric Railway Museum in North Chicago on September 15, 1957. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT car 451 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum on April 29, 1979. You can read an interesting history of this car here. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 405 in a very “country interurban” scene. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 453 on April 29, 1958, less than two months before passenger service ended. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at Shaker Square on May 30, 1976. Cars 450 and 451 were “on loan” to the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit due to a car shortage. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 450, temporarily taken out of retirement by the Cleveland RTA, is eastbound at Belvoir on May 29, 1977. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT loco 74 at Edwardsville on September 6, 1953. According to Don’s Rail Photos, it was “sold for scrap to Compressed Steel Co on March 27, 1956.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

This is Illinois Power Company (ex-Illinois Terminal) loco 6 at Danville on September 8, 1958. IPC bought three of the IT “class B” locos (1565, 1566, and 1568) after the railroad dieselized its freight in 1955. IRM bought 1565 from IPC in 1960. By then it was 50 years old. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT private car 234 in Champaign on September 8, 1958, after being purchased by the Railroad Club of Chicago. Don’s Rail Photos reports, “234 was built by Danville Car in August 1908, #504, as “Champaign”, a party car trailer. Shortly afterwards it was motorized as an office car. On May 28, 1927, it was demotorized and renamed “Sangamon” and used as a parlor car. It was later returned to office car service. On March 2, 1936, it was rebuilt with an arch roof, the arch windows were covered, it was motorized, and it was numbered 234. Soon afterwards it returned to trailer status. It was sold on February 1, 1956 to the Illini Railroad Club and is now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum since 1968.” (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

One of the three ex-IT Illinois Power Company locos in Champaign on September 8, 1958. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 202 in Riverton in June 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 100, sister car to the 101 now preserved at IRM, in Granite City in September 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at Shaker Square on the Cleveland RTA in June 1976. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 233, now preserved at IRM, in Champaign on September 8, 1958. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 457 is St. Louis-bound in this late 1950s view in Granite City. It couldn’t be any earlier than September 1957, since there is a 1958 Edsel in view. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 456 in Venice, Illinois on April 28, 1958. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT loco 1595 at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis on September 9, 1958. You can see a more recent photo of this “class C” locomotive here. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 451 in charter service on the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit in May 1976. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum (sometimes referred to as “Warehouse Point”) in June 1979. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Our Next Program:
Illinois Terminal Railroad by Robert Heinlein

For our January program, longtime CERA Member Robert Heinlein will showcase the Illinois Terminal Railroad. According to the Wikipedia, the IT, “known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois.” Passenger service ended in 1958. At its peak, Illinois Terminal had one of the largest and most extensive interurban systems in the entire US.

Mr. Heinlein fondly recalls seeing an earlier IT program given in 1992 by the late John Humiston, which covered IT operations along the main line from Peoria to Springfield and St. Louis. Mr. Humiston had planned a second such program, covering the line from Peoria to Bloomington and Decatur, and the east end from Danville to Springfield, but did not live to present it. Now, using Mr. Humiston’s notes and images, with the cooperation of John Humiston’s son Richard, Bob Heinlein has completed this program and offers it for your enjoyment. Come join us for what promises to be a fun evening.

Illinois Terminal car 451 is shown in service in Cleveland in the late 1970s. It was pressed into service due to a car shortage. (Photographer unknown, CERA Archives)

Admission is free for current CERA members. There will be a $5.00 Admission charge for non-members. CERA’s Annual Meeting will take place at the same meeting. Read more about it here.

Friday, January 24, 2014
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center
525 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60605