Since Ransom IL on the AT&SF is also in a coal mining area
was it named after this guy?
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: "sdwest" <sdwest@m...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 26 February, 2003 15:09
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Re: R, RI & StL RR
> Gerald,
> Thank you once again for this interesting information. I have found the
> following:
>
> P. L. Cable was Ransoms' uncle, he owned Coal Valley Mining, which ran a 12
> mile railroad between
> Coal Valley, IL and Rock Island. As a young man, Ransom worked for his uncle
> as a brakeman and
> conductor on this line, but Ransom became an investor and entrepreneur with
> stong banking
> connections. The Coal Valley railroad was extended through to Peoria in the
> late 1860's/early
> 1870's and, through Ransoms' connection to the R, RI & St. L, used their
> equipment to assist in this
> construction. R, RI & St L trains were allowed to use the Peoria railroads'
> trackage between Orion
> and Rock Island for a time as well, before they had their own track to
> Colona. Coal Valley Mining
> was a huge operation, and drew the attention of the Rock Island Lines almost
> immediately. Ransom, as
> you may know, became President of the Rock Island Lines in 1883, and served
> on its board until
> (about) 1907(?) so it seems there was always a close association between
> these two (three including
> the Peoria & Rock Island RR?) railroads. The Rock Island almost certainly
> controlled the Peoria
> road, including Coal Valley Mining long before officially absorbing the line
> into the RI System in
> 1903. Later, the Peoria roads' track was taken up between Rock Island and
> Orion, and the trains
> travelled on the Rock Island to Colona (R,RI & St L crossing) and then up the
> old R, RI & St. L to
> Orion, and onto their own tracks.
>
> Near as I can tell, all successful railroads of that era either owned coal
> mines or had ready access
> to cheap coal. Your statement about P. L. Cables' involvement in the Orion &
> Minersville mining RR
> has me very curious now, didn't know about that one. Early railroad politics
> (and fortune-seeking)
> is extremely interesting, but at times makes discovering the truth and the
> logic of events very
> difficult! The Cables are fascinating examples of this, and operated right in
> my own backyard.
>
> Very interesting topic for me, and it really does have a "Q" content!
>
> Wade
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Virginia Edgar" <vje68@h...>
> To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 2:00 PM
> Subject: [BRHSlist] Re: R, RI & StL RR
>
>
> >
> > 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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