Illinois Railway Museum

Don's Rail Photos

Under Construction

The IRM was founded in 1953 as the Illinois Electric Railway Museum by 10 gentlemen in order to preserve Cedar Rapids & Iowa City 120, which had been Indiana RR 65. They were invited to store it at the Chicago Hardware Foundry Co which was owned by Frank Sherwin. Frank also owned a few pieces of railway and traction equipment. When I got out of service in the summer of 1954, I almost immediately joined the group as one of the first non-charter members. For the next five and a half years, it was my main activity other than work. Then I moved out of the area to Peoria. You will find a considerable amount of information about my activities on my Bio page and I won't repeat it all here.

In June 1957, we acquired the body of Illinois Terminal 170 which had been in the St. Louis terminal for a number of years. A group of us went down to load it on to a flat bed truck to haul it to North Chicago. I fitted my car with flag sockets on the front bumper and did road guard duty for the return trip. The guys in the auto which followed the load were greeted with a cloud of dirt as soon as we hit the highway.

Interurban Cars

65 was built by Pullman in 1931 as Indiana Railroad 65. It was sold to the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City as 120 in 1941. In 1954 it was purchased as the first car of the IERM and restored as IRR 65. I put in many enjoyable hours working on that car prior to 1960.

306 was built by St Louis Car in 1924 as Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric Co 306. In 1936 it was sold to Cleveland Interurban RR as 306. CI became Shaker Heights Rapid Transit in 1944 and in 1954 it was sold to Columbia Park & Southwestern as 306. It later was transferred to the IRM where it is being restored as AE&FRECo 306.

Internal Combustion Locomotives

17, 12DM38, was built by Whitcomb in 1951 and was formerly Joy Mfg. Co. 2

Chicago Milwaukee St Paul & Pacific 33-C, E9A, was built by Electro-Motive in May 1956, #21608, as 203-C, Class 24E-P6. It was renumbered 33-C in 1959 and sold to North Suburban Mass Transit District as 33-C in December 1973. It is now being restored by the IRM as Milwaukee Road 33-C.

CMStP&P 37-A, E9A, was built by Electro-Motive in April 1961, #26567, as Class 24E-P6. It was sold to the NSMTD as 37-A in December 1973 and is now at the IRM where it is being preserved as Milwaukee Road 37-A.