Bok sent me some pictures of the rail line south out of Urbana Ill. They are historic shots. I grew up there and he shot the grain elevator I would walk out of town to as a kid exploring. I've been looking for shots of this area for a long time. Bok has done more than just take a couple snap shots, he walked the line and documented it. I will let Bok come and tell his story. Thanks BOK!
Is that a Fairbanks-Morse Trainmaster right there? Can anyone tell what number it is? Great photos btw!!! :thumbs_up:
Boxcab: The view is looking eastbound on the old Wabash at the Champaign manual interlocking with the Illinois Central Railroad Chicago-New Orleans main line. The P&E Railroad parralled the Wabash line just to the north also controlled through the I.C. interlocking. Barry
Charlie: The Illinois Terminal used the Wabash railroad from west of their Depot through Champaign to the east end of Urbana where they regained their private right of way. During this period when the I.T. was still under "wire" (electric interurban operation) they strung wire over the Wabash and received trackage rights over the Wabash to get them off street running in C-U. Later when the I.T. dieselized, they gave up their running rights on the Wabash and moved over to the P&E from just west of their depot in Champaign all the way out to Ogden, Ill. the end of their route where they made a connection for bridge traffic off the C&EI. They moved over to the P&E to allow direct interchange with them at Urbana yard and also because they abandoned their own trackage between Urbana and Ogden. I am currently out of town training/testing crews and management. Later, if interested I will provide details of the pictures that Geeky posted for me. Let me know. Barry
So that's Champaign Tower? Was there also a seperate IC Champaign train order office? Or were all the orders copied at that tower? Boxcab E50
All the orders were copied there with train order hoops for all the I.C.. Of course the most well known of I.C. train order operators worked there and was not only a good friend but well known to a lot of railroad photographers/writers. He was Dick Stair. The tower is closed now and the interlocking is probably a manual one controlled by CN dispatchers. The picture looking eastbound on the joint Wabash/I.C. line was also controlled by Champaign tower which is evident by the right hand, dual control switch in the photo. This switch was part of a junction off the I.C. main southbound through the coach yard puzzle switch and back westward onto the end of the Wabash branch and the beginning of the I.C. Champaign-Havana line. This line also served a large Humco/Kraft Foods salad dressing plant on the west side of Champaign which accounts for all the mechanical reefers stored awwaiting potential loading there. The ART reefers came off the NW and FGMRs came off the P&E/PC.. One can only guess how many jars of Kraft Miricle Whip began their trip to the grocery store in those reefers. Barrry
Boxcab: Now that I have thought a little more about your train order copying location question, I believe that possibly passenger trains may have received orders at the depot, south of the tower because it was a passenger crew change point. They either got them through a clerk/operator or agent there. I do know all freight trains picked up their orders at the tower on the fly. I really didn't pay that much attention to that issue in 1968 as I was breaking in as a new brakeman and there was plenty to learn back then with no formal training available. Barry
The reason I was asking is that IIRC the NS(or its predecessor N & W) had acquired much of the former IT interurban after dieselization. The view looking towards the tower shows a double pole line with the poles having an obvious cant which would indicate that they once supported trolley wire or cantenary. CT
Charlie: Check out the previous couple of posts. The NW/NS finally did aquire the IT but not until the 1980-90s. You are right the Wabash tracks heading off to Urbana hosted the IT as an electric interurban to allow the IT to get off street running between Champaign and Urbana in the 1940/50s I believe. Barry
