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The coal fields of Illinois under most of the state. Coal Mining started along
the rivers where transportation was availible. On the CB&Q coal was mined
starting in the north part of the state with even coal mines in towns along the
Mainline of Kewanee and Galva.
Most mines starting in the 19th century and lasting up till the mid teens when
it was cheaper to mine the larger seams of coal in central and southern Ill.
Railroads to the mines were the cheap means of moving the coal and the Q also
used the product.
Iowa was also a large producer of coal as was Missouri. Most coal traffic is
the reverse it was up till the Mid 1960's. And if the Corp of Eng gets out
voted maybe trains will again start running between Chicago and the mine areas
of Fulton County again only in reverse with garbage.
After the first of the year I hope to have something in the works for this area
SJH
David Lotz wrote:
> Greetings Tom,
>
> First of all, please accept my apology for the delay in responding to your
> email. Somehow this and three others got "lost" after I returned from the
> BRHS annual meet in Ft. Worth.
>
> I have forwarded a copy of this email to the BRHSlist, where there are 300
> CB&Q fans who may have more information for you.
>
> Apologetically yours,
> Dave Lotz
> BRHS Archives
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Barrett [mailto:barrett@g...]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 10:52 PM
> To: brhs@n...
> Subject: fulton county illinois 9/19/00
>
> I read your Burlington Bulletin on the Q in the coal fields, best book
> on the CB&Q and its operations that I ever read, it really gives one the
> feel of big time railroading, but the Q had another coal fields in which one
> does not hear much about and that was in Fulton County Illinois, I grew up
> not far from Lewistown Illinois in the 1960's and at that time Lewistown
> which is a town of about 2400 people in central Illinois was a buisy place
> for the Q they had several jobs assigned there much like the jobs in Herrin
> and Southern Illinois that worked several mines in the area and the river
> unloading facility at Liverpool Illinois, it was not as big as scale as the
> Southern Illinois operation but every bit as important, unfortunately I did
> not take pictures thinking that it would be there forever, this operation of
> the CB&Q in this area and during this era has always captured my
> imagination, I can remember going to church, which set by the yards and
> seeing coal drags coming in from Cuba or Fiatt of 50 or 60 cars powered by
> cows switch engines, which is interesting to note that in the coal fields
> story the mines were worked with Geeps and SD's and the only cow was
> assigned to Beardstown yard, but in the Fulton County operation they were
> used exclusivly in 2 or 3 unit lashups.
>
> I am building a layout in HO scale and knowing not going to be
> able to build everything to prototype I am just trying to capture the feel
> of the Q and its coal operation in Illinois along with some other types of
> operation, anyhow I am trying to do some research in the coal operations in
> the Fulton County area and was wondering can you give me some ideas where I
> may be able to find some information on the Q and the mines in Fulton
> County. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thankyou Very Much
>
> Tom Barrett
>
> 111 Arizona Ave
>
> East Galesburg, Illinois
>
> 61430
>
> barrett@g...
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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