Mark,
I can advise that in the early to mid 1970s were were deliverying
system(BN,CBQ,GN,NP) covered hoppers for grain loading to the Lee Center at
Amboy,IL.
Prior to that it is a safe assumption that the grain mtys were Q 40 ft box
cars. And maybe from time to time just about any 40 ft box car from any road
when cars were tight. I recently interviewed a retired 92 year old local
farmer who remembered shoveling phophate rock out of a 40 ft box car for his
dads farm from a car spotted at the Kolmans station on the Fox and Illinois
Union. That most likely was an ACL or SAL box car.
Coal used throughout the midwest was primarily south central and
Southern ILL coal(see BRHS Bulletin 35 ). So cars would be IC,Q,and
CNW. I did spot a load of C&O coal at the Chana,IL elevator in 1979 so
there could be an occasional eastern road load.
By the way I remember that particular load of coal because it was about 20
below with gale force winds and that was the first switch the elevator had
received in something like 60 plus days. Now to give you some idea of what the
winters of 1978-79 and 79-80 were like, Chana is on the C&I with,at that
time 40 plus trains going by each and every day. But we spent more time standing
still or trying to get switches to throw those two winters than moving.
Leo Phillipp