For any of you Q fans out there interested in rail traffic in the LaSalle area
I was given a pile of Rock Island agent Track Reports or STATEMENT OF CARS ON
HAND STATION LASALLE ILLINOIS for mostly the months of Oct. through Dec. of
1963. Many, many Q coal hoppers went inbound to the Alpha Cement Co. and other
industries at La Salle on a daily basis in Q 18xxxx and 19xxxx series hoppers.
The same goes for outbound shipments which went mostly in 2-bay 18xxxx covered
hoppers.
CUSTOMER LIST FOR ROCK ISLAND LINES AT LASALLE IN 1963:
Alpha Cement Co. coal, gypsum, and rock inbound cement out
Westclox Co. coal in
Star Union Products Co. grits, coal malt out?
W.H. Maze Co. coal, lumber, steel in nails out?
City of Peru coal in
Colmond Coal Co. coal in
Illinois Millwork Co. lumber in
National Sheet Metal ships out in XM's
House track ( R.I.) lube oil in (in one instance I found at least)
American Nickeloid steel drums in
Illinois Power Co.
Standard Oil Co. oil in (almost daily during this time of year) sometimes in
multiple car shipments
Illinois Zinc Co. coal, lumber in
Foster Grant plastic in (probably in pellet form of course)
Sharps Coal Co. coal in
I'll try and do some more documenting of these in the future. the penmanship of
some of the clerks back then wasn't easy to read. One of them typed however,
and that's how I could ascertain all these active customers. Very interesting
stuff.
As and example of traffic the Rock Island had 21 Q loaded coal hoppers to spot
at Alpha Cement on Dec. 23, 1963.
Ken Thompson
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