Per the Q's Documentary History, Overton's works & Joe Gross' all-time list
of N.A. RR's, there was no St. L, Rockford & Chicago - must have been a typo
in the article. As for Ranson Cable not being appointed the receiver,
courts then & now are supposed to choose someone best able to salvage the
company but of course politics does enter in! I cannot find anything as to
where William Ferry, the RRI&StL's receiver was from nor Heyman Osterberg
who was appointed Trustee but ultimately the St.L, R&C ended up with a Mr.
Ladd of Massachusetts running it - no doubt an ally of the CB&Q's Boston
financiers. At the time the RRI&StL was dissolved in 1875, they had the
following rolling stock per court records: 30 locos, 14 coaches & sleepers,
15 waycars*, 6 baggage & mail cars, 391 frt cars (box cars?). 99 stock cars,
90 flat cars & 317 coal cars (gons?). Shops were @ Beardstown with engine
houses @ Rock Island Jct., Sagetown (Gladstone) & Keithsburg.
A related RR (part of the RRI&StL), the Orion & Minersville, had a P. L.
Cable (Ransom's brother?) as Pres.. The RRI&StL at time it was sold by
Osterberg to the newly organized StLRI&C had the following track: 39.4 mi RI
Jct to P.t Byron Jct., 1.4 Colona to Minersville, 3.5 from Rock River Jct to
some coal mines @ Cleveland, 161.6 from Monmouth to Alton Jct., 17.9 from
Keithsburg to Sagetown (Gladstone), the Orion & Minersville (7.6 mi). Also,
trackage rights with C&NW between RI Jct & Sterling & with CRIP from Colona
to RI & with the Indianapolis & St. Louis from Alton Jct to E St. L (21
miles) and depot privileges. Note coal mines are mentioned several times
among the RRI&StL assets; I know there was such mining south of RI yrs ago -
a little short line (Rock Island Southern) served some & I believe it had
some 2nd hand Q equipment as well as from CRIP - lasted at least into
1950's.
Another small RR that became part of the RRI&StL (& ultimately the Q) was
the St. L, Alton & RI which began as the RI & Alton in 1855 with the name
change in 1859 & with sale to RRI&StL in 1868.
NOTE: Even in 1876 court records of CB&Q predecessors use the term way cars,
NOT cabooses! Gerald
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