In the 1960s the track that ran along the edge of the Ottawa Silica Mill S pit
was the holding track for the LOF string of hoppers. This track ran along past
the east edge of the little hump yard that was built sometime between 1958-1961.
LOF had a notoriously dangerous car pull at their end of the line. At least one
man was killed and two that I knew of crippled by that car-pull. There was no
guard or fence around the exposed cable and pulley adjacent to the control
lever.
>>> hold-on@s... 09/26/00 07:32AM >>>
mmatalis@s... wrote:
>
> How did the RI get to Naplatte? The only trackage that I have seen is what
> I assumed to be the ex-Q line currently operated by Illinois RailNet. Did
> the Q and RI share the same tracks?
>
> Mike Matalis
> Downers Grove IL
> mmatalis@s...
>
Mike
I have Station Map 10741 and 10741A for Ottawa, Ill. The Rock Island originally
came around a connection track to the main line then thru the connection track
to the track which parallels the I&M Canal west to the curve south to Naplate.
After the canal became disused there was talk of filling it in and using itfor
a road. The Q had a 117 ft
4 inch thru plate girder swing bridge(rock center pier)built in 1894. There
was a tower at the Rock Island crossing built in 1891 this was rebuilt in
1911. This tower protected the crossing of the CB&Q main from Montgomery to
Streator with the Rock Island Double track main line. With the completation of
the Ottawa Belt Line in 1929 the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois
Traction System used the Sand Plant trackage from their crossing (Due west of
the Madison/Broyce Mem Drive intercetion in the sand plant area) as far as the
diamond as it went east along the south side of the canal tow path. The light
standards on the towpath/trail use to hold up the overhead.
Much of Ottawa has changed as the Hydraulic Basin has been filled and is now
park , Roads and built on. Also the narrow gauge Pioneer Tramway (the
industral railroad which hauled clay from the pits east of town) into the
National Fire Proof Brick plant crossed the CB&Q industral trackage(I have
drawings of the crossing diamonds)
After the Canal was abandon the RI put in a fill and a nice gentle curve toget
away from the sharp switching to get into the plant(present arrangement)
For any one who may have photos of the line from Montgomery to Streator Eric
Mumper and I will be working on a Bulletin article in the not too distant
future
Steve Holding
|