Re: [CBQ] CB&Q/MILW Xing in Aurora, IL

["STEVEN HOLDING sholding@sbcglobal.net [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>]

Many people have the ms-conception the Nature Trail was the old CA&D which ran East-West on Plum St and the old car barn was (might still be there) a part of the Barber-Green complex.  The CA&D ran about straight west from there.

How many people remember or even knew about all the gravel pits?  Yagen Pit was where a lot of the fill for the Chicago and Aurora Elevations came from.  It was right about three miles East of Rt. 47 in Yorkville.  Looking at Google Maps where Saw Wee Kee Park is today.  When I lived on the south side of Aurora (two blocks north of the EJ&E) we would hear the J coming and run out front and watch it go by with the lit markers, later my kids and I rode bikes on the trail left when the park district took over the ROW.  I hauled manure out of Maple Lanes and there were NO gravel pits out that way on 71 now huge lakes on Google Maps.  Where Waubonsee CC is today use to be Gravel Pits which were served by the CA&D(interurban) CM&G and the Q had a wye and spur north to the same pits from Sugar Grove with train loads of gravel/dirt hauled to both the Aurora and Chicago Elevation projects.  Before major projects were government jobs and not just dictated and then paid for by the private owners that owned the project areas.

When in scouts we use to hike the old ROW in what now is Bliss Woods the north end of which was the old scout camp.  There were still piles of gravel around then.  Many of the old gravel pits are now lakes with up-scale housing around them.  The trail now runs thru what use to be the gun club shooting range.  Tom's Uncle was our scout master and the district commissioner was an engineer.

Many of the lakes along the south side of Jerihco Road were on the old Burlington Farm land used to grow feed for the stock yard and dug out for the gravel and fill.

Steve in SC

On Friday, July 4, 2014 10:54 AM, "Scott Stearns scott_b_stearns@hotmail.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Thanks Leo!  The mystery is solved!

Happy 4th to all!!

Scott & Nancy Stearns

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On Jul 4, 2014, at 9:38 AM, "Leo qutlx1@aol.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Scott,

The ROW you are referring to was the inter urban from Aurora to Yorkville. The line came down from Aurora on the west side of the River and crossed near what today is the Rte 34 bridge. From Oswego west the tracks were along what is Rte 71. At what is still the gun club the ROW turned to parallel the Q's Fox River Branch and the Fox River into Yorkville. Even today along Van Emmon road between the road and the old Q tracks you can still find the bridge abutments.

You are correct there were pits in the area. The were just east of where you describing. It was called Yagan (sp) pit. Developed originally by the Q and later managed by contractors. Very large operation. I have been told the Q had a carman on site to inspect and close car doors. There were also pit engines on site for switching. It's rumored the engine skeletons are on site.

It was a Yagan Pit extra,running lite from Montgomery to p/u a train of loads that collided head on with the motor car between Oswego and Montgomery. 

Today Yagan pit is a target shooting range for local law enforcement agencies. Access is off Rt 71 on a long gravel road. 

There were also very large puts at Sheridan farther down the line. The Q had originally started and owned one of them.

Leo Phillipp

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 4, 2014, at 9:17 AM, "Scott Stearns scott_b_stearns@hotmail.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

While you were talking about quarries - another question came to mind. (go figure!).  My Dad was part owner of Knollwood Gun Club about 2 1/2 miles out of Oswego.  Next to the Club entrance off of IL71 was a railroad bed that came from back in the trees (presumably from the Streator line along the river). Way back in the trees between 71 and the river was an old bridge. Once the roadbed hit  71 it was not visible across the road (the was a Verona Fathers building there when I was growing up. Does anyone know what this line may have been. There were farm fields there suiting the time I remember. Could this have been quarries at one time?

Scott

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On Jul 3, 2014, at 7:33 PM, "Leo qutlx1@aol.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Scott,

Based on various conversations at the BRHS meets you know thats not a problem.

As long as we're on the subject of the CMG/Q here's a subject not many are aware of  and I would love to hear from anyone on the Milw side who can shed some light.

Here we go:

At some point the Q ran a spur up from the C&I on the west edge of Sugar Grove straight North to a point where it crossed present day rte 47 where it turns east/west North of Sugar Grove. I know this from several Kane County plat maps.

This Q spur is not Listed in any ETTs, I have a pretty extensive collection,due to other BRHS members generosity. This spur was headed for the Eskers that existed on what is now the Waubonsee Community College campus. If you turn off Rte 47 where all the new commercial development has taken place and go west you will come to a line of tre es, in that line of trees is the Q roadbed.

So I am wondering what kind of xing would have existed where basically a pit or mine spur crossed the CMG ?

What's an esker ? That's where a glacier dumps it's load of accumulated rock,gravel,etc as it retraces it's route. If you want to see first hand a preserved example go west on Harter road from The WCC campus where  it veers east/west where rte 47 turns North. Appprox a mile or so on the left you will come to a perfect example that is now a preserved esker by the Kane County forest preserve.

The spur to these eskers were for gravel for ballast and probably for the Aurora elevation. After the 1998(?) monsoon of 17 inches that washed out the former Aurora lead and undercut the mainline the gravel was clearly visible.

Charlie after reviewing the BRHS Bulletin on the elevation there's little doubt in my mind that the post card showing a train of flats headed west on the North Ave bridge is headed for either the pits North of Sugar Grove or West of Montgomery(a whole separate story)

Leo Phillipp

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Posted by: STEVEN HOLDING <sholding@sbcglobal.net>

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