1928 Cairo Division Map Here is the Big Four Cairo Division map, as shown on the back of the October 1928 company timetable. There was a hand scribed note on the cover of the timetable, indicating that this particular copy was intended for the operators at Bemis tower. CAPT Rex Settlemoir Collection
Very cool Roger! I love old maps; can study them for hours. Enunciation trivia for viewers not from the area -- Cairo, IL is pronounced KAY-ro or CARE-o, not KI-ro as in Egypt.
I have a copy of a book published by Victor Baird which is full of those Division maps, published much later than that one, Roger, in 1943. At that time the Cairo Division was part of the Illinois Division.
This Vandalia map is from a 1902 Official Guide. Sometime in the teens, the Vandailia was purchased by the PRR to expand into St. Louis, an important western gateway. It appears to have gained the PRR access to other markets as well.
I just recalled that it was sometime in the mid-80s I shot this picture of the PRR's lonely tower in Vandalia, IL which guarded its St. Louis mainline crossing of an IC line. I'm uncertain where the tracks are; the former PRR main must have been moved? Amazingly, I think this tower still stands.
I think I figured out what's up in Vandalia, IL. The tower (as marked by the arrow) is placed across the highway from the PRR main, so that's why it appeared to be isolated in my slide. We can also see the former IC ROW adjacent, now a branch served by a switch off the PRR.
I think it is pronounced Ki like in Egypt . The reason the passenger train was called the Egyptian . LEW
Pronunciations even get aberrated by locals and through generations. The little town in Minnesota, Taopi, my parents were from was called Tee-Opee by all the locals of their generation. Nowadays, some still call it that but others pronounce it Tah-Opee. Another town nearby, Le Roy had the accent on the last word in their day but most now pronounce it LEE-roy. And the company in Austin, Hormel, makers of Spam, really should be pronounced HOR-mel like we always have because in German, the accent is never placed on the last syllable in a name like that. However, it's pronounced hor-MEL these days by almost everybody, even here. And, I can't find the city of Vandalia on that map. Doug
What's funny too is that the town newspaper is The Metropolis Planet. Not the Daily Planet, as I think Editor Perry White has long since retired. Jimmy and Lois are part-timers. http://www.metropolisplanet.com/
And Cairo always brings to mind the old Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn movie/musical singing that song by the same name! Dang, now that song will be in my head all day!
Worked the B&O's Operator position at Lawrenceville off the Extra List in 1966 & 67 then moved on another B&O Division. Heard that NYC abolished all their operator positions on the line in 67 or 68 and then because of technical difficulties had to hire them back. Don't know that for certain.
My hometown is Cape Girardeau, MO which is not far from Cairo, Illinois. I married an Illinoisan woman and moved across the Mississippi River to Wolf Lake, IL. Missourians say Kay-roe, Illinoisans say Care-roe. I say Kay-roe. Sue me.
To give y'all another example of local pronunciation of classic town names derived from other countries. Charlie, TB's founder, lives in, or near Calais, ME. In France that's pronounced CAL-ay. But growing up in NH 70 years ago, I was told it was pronounced "CALLOUS". Of course, them Downeastahs believed they were "calloused" hardy types who could withstand Whatevah Muthah Naytchah threw at 'em, doncha know. Charlie, how's it pronounced today?
Sounds like Versailles,KY, which isn't "Ver-sai", but "Ver-sales". Locals will give you strange looks if you use the former.
I recently worked with someone from Calais and she called it CAL-us just like you noted. Small world; it's a tiny town, very close to the Canadian border as I recall.