Greetings list:
Noted several comments along the lines of:
<< "Dinky" was/is a Suburban Train. >>
Ogle County 100 miles west of Chicago still isn't very surburban and was even
less so in the older days. Folks in farm country, or at least some of my
relatives born in the 1920s, called the mixed Oregon-Mount Morris turn The
Dinky.
Since they picked up the nickname as kids, I assume it predates the 1932
abandonment of ex-Chicago & Iowa track between Mt. Morris and Forreston. No
idea when the name came into use but suppose it could be a sarcastic
reference--jargon picked up from a grumbling trainman?-- given the way the
line was downgraded after Oregon-Savanna replaced Oregon-Forreston as the
main line in 1886. Maybe someone else can fill in the history of
passenger/mixed service on the branch.
Regards,
Bill Diven
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