UNION, Ill. — The Illinois Railway Museum, which is marking its 70th anniversary in 2023, celebrated the milestone on Saturday, July 1, with its 70 for 70 Trolley Pagaent, a parade of 70 pieces of electric equipment from the museum’s collection. The event reflects the roots of the museum, which began in 1953 as the effort of 10 men to preserve a single Indiana Railroad interurban car and was initially known as the Illinois Electric Railway Museum. The museum calls Saturday’s parade calls it the largest collection of preserved traction equipment ever operated for a single event. With various delays and technical issues, the parade took some three hours to complete.
Additional 70th-anniversary events are planned in September. For more on the museum, see “Prairie State Preservation” in the July 2023 issue of Trains Magazine.
The South Shore guys will apparently never persuade the ferroequinologist community that those motors are “800s.” Among the letters to the editor in the April 1964 issue of Trains is one from Jim Neubauer, who suggested the motors were Stalin, Molotov, and Vyshinsky, but those names didn’t catch on either. They’re 800s, and the 800 CLASS RESTRICTED sign where the trolley loop leaves the mainline means it.
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area at 7000 Olson Road in Union, Illinois, 55 miles (89 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. It is surely one of the main pride and joy of America’s railroad capital.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
I still remember how excited I felt when they pulled out a Chicago, Aurora & Elgin car from the barn. It was the first one I had even seen in person after years of only seeing black and whites in books. Some 40 years ago now.
This is an electric railway museum that has stayed true to its roots. In fact, the museum itself has intentionally and irreparably vandalized many of the steam locomotives in its collection. How? By removal of the drive rods and related mechanical linkage from the locomotives. They are left with an appearance which, in the art world, would be like Mona Lisa on display with the face razor bladed away by the Louvre itself. The museum addresses this with signage stating that this has been done to facilitate periodic movement. How often are these locomotives really moved? While IRM is an excellent museum of electric and Diesel railroading, what it has done to its steam collection is no worse than what that thief did to the brasses and other parts removed off C & O 1309. If IRM were serious about its steam collection, they would either restore the mechanicals of the locomotives (if extant) or fabricate and install “reasonable facsimilies” out of fiberglass or such so that the locomotives at least look complete, even if they aren’t. Otherwise, what they have done is an affront -in my view- to the serious preservation effort. The spirit of Dick Jensen, perhaps?
The IRM electric and Diesel collection is so good that I’ve been there twice. And, I plan to visit again. I’ve only been in the “steam barn” once. That is the one part I don’t plan to visit again.
Your donation to correct this grievance awaits in earnest. If people want IRM to be Steamtown, open up thy pocketbooks and let it flow.
I’m sure the museum was properly compensated financially when the aforementioned components were scrapped.
What makes you assume all the rods have been scrapped? The museum has them in their possession. Like with all projects it is a matter of volunteer time to reinstall them and other projects usually take priority.
Real good to see the Electroliner moving. Way back in the early 80’s when it came to IRM in it’s “Liberty colors” my buddy and I went out to see it and ride it on a cold snowy winter day. Someone was even making “Electro-Burgers” on board and the smell went through all the cars. Right after that it became mothballed in the corner of the shed for what seemed like decades (pretty close). About 8 years ago or so I was out there with the Wife and we boarded (not running again yet) and right away the memories came back with the interior still the same. After the Volunteer was done with his talk I told him how I had rode it when it first came and he was surprised that I remembered the details of that day, good times always out at IRM.
Great to see a GG1 actually move, even if it is just being towed by a Little Joe.
Totally agree, needs to see the sunshine at least once a decade.