This is just a summary of thoughts on my part:
Was Streator any different than Aurora,Mendota, and many others where the Q
had bought up these local lines to form a network ?
Maybe Baldwins' corporate history work of 1929 would give some insight(did I
spell his name correctly?)
Here is what I do know from being on the line and talking with the old heads
and reading everything I can find: in short COAL,GLASS and SAND
Streator- numerous connections, NYC,Wabash(look at the convoluted way they
got to Streator, over the TP&W ! ),GM&O,ATSF. Everyone was trying to get to
the coal mines. I have a relative who lives in Streator and he tells me they
still have streets collapsing from the underground mines. The state of ILL made
a state park out of an abandoned strip mine just west of Ottawa. Then there's
Ladd just north of La Salle that had how many carriers in town ? Again all
for the coal mines. This entire area of Illinois had a short lived coal mining
history. Ever read the sad story of Cherry Valley ? Look at all the tailings
piles on the old ILL Central "Mainline". I mean the original one to
Freeport.
Streator became a glass center i.e. Thatcher,etc. for bottles. I even have a
note about coal hoppers full of recycled beer bottles going to Streator !
One past time of crews on 85/86 was to dig around and find unbroken bottles
and
take them to the store for the deposit !
Ottawa was a glass center for windshields,etc Libby,Owens Ford,etc.Look at
that twisting route into Naplatte !
La Salle and Oglesby were cement centers, look at how many rrs went to those
spots.
And then there's sand,literally everywhere on the branch.
Also keep in mind that in those days the shortest distance for routing
traffic was important as compared to todays mindset of block everything and
back
haul it. When the line from Earville to Burgess Jct was in place there was a
job that originated in Mendota and made a roundtrip to Ottawa each night with
mtys and brought back west bound loads. I also seem to recall a discussion of
a mainline wayfreight running to LaSalle on the days the IV&N didn't operate.
According to what I can find in the old BRT files the brick yard shipped a
couple cars at a time. I do recall numerous comments from the old heads about
the wild ride it was down the L&S to the brick yard.
Not sure I've really answered the question but probably shared some obscure
facts.
Leo Phillipp
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