Is the reason the C&I pool was based in Aurora perhaps an artifact of the C&I being built in 1872 as an independent railroad by Francis Edward Hinckley with the urging of James Joy (not a construction company for the CB&Q) and operated as such until the CB&Q bought it in 1882. Originally built to bring the IC traffic from Iowa off of the C&NW at Freeport to the CB&Q at Aurora (prior to building the Aurora-Chicago line the IC had also routed its trains down to the Q at Mendota, up to Aurora, and on the Aurora Branch to the G&CU into Chicago over the St. Charles Air Line (the full line that connected to the G&CU at Harlem). Most people don’t know about the IC using the CB&Q from 1852 until the IC’s own line from Freeport, the Chicago, Madison & Northern, was finally completed to Chicago in 1895. I have never seen a photo of an IC train on the CB&Q for this 43 year period!!!
Charlie Vlk
I believe the Aurora Div,Savanna pool was unique to the entire Q system in that the "home" terminal was not home. The C&I pool ran between Cicero and Savanna,IL. The supply point for the pool was Aurora,IL which was also the physical home for most of the lodge members.