Don's Rail Photos
Illinois Central RR
Chicago Commuter Service
One of the major commuter operations in the Chicago area was the IC commuter lines from the edge of the Loop at the IC station down to the southern suburbs. It was begun with steam locomotives which were double ended 2-4-4T engines. The 1400s were photographed at the end of steam service. 1401 was preserved for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 and was later renumbered 201. The 201 is shown at the Railroad Fair. Does anyone know what happened to this locomotive. There was a report that it was to be or was sold to Pete Vonachen in Peoria, Ill. Pete runs the rail motif restaurant known as Vonachens Junction. My first wife and I had our wedding reception there in 1961, but the locomotive had not been put there before late 1965 when I moved to Dallas.
In the middle 1920s, the IC electrified its lines into downtown Chicago. New equipment was ordered from Pullman-Standard. Four electric locomotives were purchased for freight switching, but were replaced a few years later by some of the early day diesel. They were sold to the Chicago South Shore & South Bend, who also changed their line to 1500v DC to match the IC. This allowed the IC trains to operated into downtown Chicago without change. It also allowed the South Shore to occasionally borrow cars from the IC. The 1419, a control trailer, is pictured at the South Shore shops in Michigan City. The 1198 is shown at the Illinois Railway Museum, while the 1104 was taken on a miserable day near the downtown terminal.
1100 thru 1239 were built by Pullman in 1929.
1302 thru 1320 were built by Pullman in 1921 and rebuilt in 1926.
1321 thru 1345 were built by Pullman in 1924 and rebuilt in 1926.
1346 thru 1430 were built by Pullman in 1926.
1431 thru 1440 were built by Pullman in 1929.
These cars labored on until the 1970's when they were replaced by new double deck cars 1501 thru 1630 which were built by St Louis Car in 1971 and 1972. The old cars found their way to museum, tourist lines, scrap yards, and even work train service. The new cars are now 30 years old and will probably be replaced before too long. Meanwhile the line continues to provide the service which is was designed to do, but now under the Metra name.
10000 thru 10003 were built by Baldwin-Westinghouse September, 1929, #60146 thru 60149. They went to the CSS&SB in the 900 series.
11000 was a dual power locomotive built by St. Louis Car--General Electric in June 1929, #1493. It was returned to St. Louis Car in October 1929. It was rebuilt by St. Louis Car in August 1938, #1597, and became St. Louis & Belleville Electric Ry 600. In August 1953, it was sold to Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co. as 100.
Here is one of the 1926 cars in work train service on Metra.
When this page first appeared, we asked what happened to the 201. We had heard rumors that it had gone to Vonachens Junction restaurant in Peoria. Sharon Deckard, who ramrods the Illinois Prairie Railroad Foundation, agreed to contact Pete Vonachen regarding the engine. Pete furnished her with a magazine article in Engineers and Engines about the 201 and the restaurant, plus an 8x10 glossy. The magazine article was dated December, 1966, which shows that the locomotive arrived that year. Pete said that he sold the locomotive to a machine tool company in Minnesota. It was his understanding that this company, which has a long Indian name, has completely restored it. I haven't been able to trace it any further. Here is a photo of the 201 in front of the restaurant. We now know it has been at the Owatonna Tool Co in Owatoona, MN. It is now to be preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.
And here it is at Owatonna.
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8/7/2002
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