SO lets talk about the 3 a Sub. It was known as the Peoria and Rock Island and then re organized as the Rock Island and Peoria.Now I have always liked this line as I grew up along it and the ruins of it. I have only found pictures from the old days, and one shot of a track gang out by Galva.However I dont have anything else nor can I find anything else.RITS is a waste of time as they have no info either. So maybe someone here has track charts of Cambridge Il?Figured that could be an LDE Might even keep 3 a as a line to Peoria and not have it cut back to Lafayette. But I dont know. Then maybe I can have some of those blue hoppers:tb-biggrin: But I think they only had red or oxide ones out on that branch. I figured that I could have a switcher in Cambridge have the pre requisite grain elevator or two, All American Homes,FS and a team track. Going to have a U shaped area to play with and figured that part could be along the longest wall. Put Lafayette ( or IDK where) along one side and I guess Osco. That way my "local" can go out and shuffles some cars here and there then bring them back to the main LDE and then a "through" train picks them up and leaves other cars. But if I cant find anything Ill just wing it.But something just for reference would be nice.
The line from Lafayette to Orion Jct lasted in operation till 80 and was finaly pulled up in 82 IIRC. The line was slowly taken up starting in the late 40's with the end from Milan to Orion being taken out.I cant remember when the line was cut back from Peoria to Toulon.But late 60's Toulon was cut back to Laffeyete. Only reason I think it lasted as long as it did was the Coal mine at the end of it. Cambridge I am not sure what industries were there,but Osco was a grain elevator and Orion was Twin State Gang Nail which was a truss company.Thing about Osco is it was given its name during the RI&P days as it wasnt a town. Just an open station that was the cattle office. so OSCO was used for its name when it incorperated because of course when a train went by it was OS'ed and cattle office was shortened to CO.
Only industry I remember at Cambridge was (IIRC) two grain elevators and all the normal other stuff for a rural ag town in midwest. Bishop Hill got an occasional car of fertilizer and out a car of grain. Galva had foundry joint with CBQ, elevator, hse trk and ammonia spur on south end of town. Depending on your time frame there used to be coal moved from Lafayette to Colona, around east leg of wye and went to washer between Atkinson and Annawan. The mine was not in Lafayette, it was at Victoria and the Midland Electric Coal Co owned track between the two points. In later years RI crews went to Victoria themselves. In the early/mid '70's is when the all type 7 paint scheme 1331-10-12-13-1332 combo was the assigned power for the Silvis-Victoria turn. In the early '60's RI work train ran into side of ATSF train at Princeville. The wreck took out the diamond, I don't believe it was ever replaced. The RI then filed for abandonment Toulon to Keller (where the PBR brewery was.
thanks for the extra stuff there. You know I grew up in Orion and NEVER saw the coal train.I knew it was out by Victoria funny thing is the crossbucks for the line are still up in Lafayette! Did Ulah have anything? I followed the roadbed once a while ago and found a fertilizer place out there. If I ever get the large basement for it I want to model this line but from the looks of it I will be kinda freelancing it.Still not sure,but would love to have it from Milan to Peoria and in the late 70's to early 80's.Rock Island in good shape ( I know I am changing history but oh well lol) With Orion having Twin States and a spur to Orion Tool and Die maybe a spur to the old Amoco building there in town. Osco with some elevators. Cambridge with elevators and I figured I would toss in All American homes. Galva with its interchange and other industries.Lafayette and Peoria If I have more room maybe more towns I dont know yet. I want to run Mini trains ( love the concept) of course a coal train and a local.Have the concept of running cars from Export Pack in Milan to Cat in Peoria. Plus daily Beer runs.Have a lot of ideas,just no space lol.
In '75-'76 I don't remember setting out or p/u at Ulah, but there was a spur there. Also in that time period no business in Orion, not even a turnout except for the BN junction switch. At Cambridge there was an industry on the south end of town that got a few cars in and out with something like bird seed(?), memory getting foggy there, anyway it was something not usually associated with typical midwestern town. At Galva during that time period a company that manufactured liquid manure spreaders ("Better Bilt"?) shipped some by rail, loaded on the house track and received boxcars of used tires for those machines at the same spot. Also at Galva the BN received 120 coal loads, in BN cars (30 at a time) destined for Iowa Southern Utilities at Burlington. We shoved them thru town (behind BN depot) and left them on west end of their westward siding. BN left mtys for RI on the RI house track. Rest of coal loadings from Victoria went to Cedar Rapids via Iowa City and Crandic.
