By the way if you are ever in Ottowa raifaning,etc there is an awesome restaurant in Naplatte.
Casa Mia is right next door to the glass plant. Right in the neighborhood. Back in the Q days,according to no longer with us, engineer Don Hansen ,the switch crew would go eat there.
I have driven 25 plus miles to dine there, they treat you like family. But it is small, with only maybe 10 tables in the whole place. Don't let the name fool you,it's not Italian or Mexican, but rather a wide variety of steaks,fish ,pasta ,etc. I know for a fact people drive 50 or more miles to go there.
Ps-it's only about 16 or so miles from the fall meet in Mendota. I have no connection to the restaurant except I know it's good.
Another great place in the area is/was Red Door in La Salle overlooking the ex Q/RI tracks.Google it before making the trip as it closed and was to re-open
Leo
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Begin forwarded message:
Thanks to all 3 gentlemen who reminded me about glass. Roger and I must have been having senior moments (the strongest beverage being served was root beer) as we both are well aware of the connection between sand and glass,what with Libby,Owens,Ford at Naplatte(previously National Plate Glass),making auto windshields and Thatcher and other glass companies at Streator,making bottles,on the branch.
In fact this conversation brought back to mind the story Bill Shoener told me of how on #85 there would regularly be an open hopper of crushed recycled glass going to Thatcher at Streator. Certain rear brakemen(names to remain ananyomous) would climb into the hopper and dig out Uncrushed quart beer bottles to turn them in at a local store in La Salle for the .05 cent deposit.
Leo
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Were there any major glass makers on the lines: PPG, Corning, etc.?
Bob Arthur
In a message dated 9/13/2013 12:54:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
qutlx1@aol.com writes:
At a get together tonight Roger Field asked about the Canadian unit sand
trains of the late 60s,early 70s that originated at Ottowa,IL with a fill at
Wedron. Typically #86 on a Saturday night would bring the train to Eola where
it would get a complete mechanical inspection including brass change outs and
repacks while in the classification yard on Sunday; before, as he remembered,
it went to Chicago and the Grand Trunk. He recalled it being both Q and GTW
covered hoppers.
Any idea what industry in that time period could use a
unit train of silica sand ? This is 40 plus years before fracking.
Leo
Phillipp
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