Illinois Railway Museum

The Illinois Railway Museum, as you see it today, is the result of decades of effort by a dynamic group of dedicated volunteers. All of the buildings, track, locomotives and cars were assembled here at Union on what was once farmland. Our main line trackage was laid on the vacant right-of-way of the Elgin & Belvidere Electric railway. Why would rational adults freely contribute so much of their time and treasure to creating this repository of railroad history? The Illinois Railway Museum is probably the ultimate railroad historian special interest group. Originally formed to preserve one important piece of rolling stock, it has evolved into an educational and historic preservation organization recreating possibly the largest operating demonstration railroad showcase on the North American continent.

Spread out upon numerous acres of former farmland, adjacent to an ex-Chicago & Northwestern mainline, the Illinois Railway Museum maintains a massive collection of operating and static railroad, interurban, and trolley equipment. Located northwest of Chicago in tiny Union, Illinois, the roots of the museum date back as far as World World II to the Illinois Electric Railway Museum. This page represents only a sampling of the museum's electric collection, pieces of particular interest to HawkinsRails.net

See also our complete Illinois Railway Museum collection

Streetcars

Illinois Terminal #415

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Illinois Terminal #415

builder:St. Louis Car Company
type:Lightweight suburban
built:1924
series:_________
motors:4 General Electric 265D
capacity:48 seats
notes:
double end / double truck / arch roof

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Chicago Transit Authority #4391

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Chicago Transit Authority #4391

builder:St. Louis Car Company
type:double-truck PCC
built:1948
series:5000 produced 1936-52
motors:4 General Electric 1223
capacity:57 seats
notes:
single end / double truck / arch roof
two man operation

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Interurbans

Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee #160

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee #160

builder:J. G. Brill Company
type:steel interurban coach
built:1915
series:_________
motors:4 Westinghouse 557A5
capacity:58 seats
notes:
double end / double truck / arch roof

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee #714

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee #714

builder:Cincinnati Car Company
type:steel interurban coach
built:1926
series:_________
motors:4 Westinghouse 557R5
capacity:56 seats
notes:
double end / double truck / arch roof

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Rapid Transit

Chicago Transit Authority #41

details

Chicago Transit Authority #41

builder:St. Louis Car Company
type:PCC rapid transit
built:1959
series:_________
motors:4 Westinghouse 1432LK
capacity:_________
notes:
double end / double truck / arch roof

details

Electric Trolley Coach

The largest collection of trolley coaches in America exists right here at the Illinois Railway Museum - eleven units. This is the only museum in this part of the world with a complete overhead system, providing demonstration rides for our visitors on a regular basis. While the electric trolley coach looks much like a motor bus, it is a very close relative of the electric streetcar. In fact in some cities they were known as "trackless trolleys". The propulsion systems share much of the same technology and both are powered by 600 volts DC. Good performance and quiet dependability were hallmarks of trolley coaches. Transit managements appreciated their low maintenance costs. Trolley coach operations have declined in the United States, but their usage in the rest of the world is increasing with about 350 cities currently under double wire. However with the recent concern about vehicular pollution, a renaissance may yet occur here in America.

Illinois Railway Museum

Chicago Transit Authority #9553

Marmon-Herrington TC49 (1951) / Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

Union, Il / Sep 2009 / RWH

See also our New Orleans trolley coach collection

Links / Sources

Illinois Railway Museum
Wikipedia article for Illinois Railway Museum