All-
Rupert’s list is pretty much the mainstay sites.
If your local library has a subscription the Chicago Tribune Historic newspapers from PROQUEST can be a good source for information.
Sometimes general interest magazines such as Leslie’s, Scientific American, Popular Science, Mechanic’s Illustrated, Life, etc. also have material.
County Atlases often have local histories that can be helpful. Local Historical Societies are a good source for photos but caution on even historic recording of railroad events from residents…they can be…interesting.
Watch Facebook and Groups.IO general city and railroad history postings….sometimes a photo pops up that is from somebody’s family photo album. Post Car collections also can yield good photos.
Again, if anyone comes across experts on Stereopticon images I am still looking for P.B. Greene Photographer “Views of Chicago & Vicinity….No. 126 Gems at Riverside” and similar views which were taken prior to 1872 along the CB&Q Aurora-Chicago line. The Riverside Historical Society has three such cards showing the single track iron bridge across the Des Plaines River and the brick original combination freight and passenger depot.
Also, there is a series of microfilms "101 Years of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Official Minute Books and Records on 35mm Microfilm 1849 to 1950”. The institutions that originally got the copies (Colorado Historical Society, Denver Public Library, Newberry Library, and the CB&Q) cannot find the films. About a year ago I found an online listing for the complete contents of each roll of film and additional films from the Perkins letter collection but I lost the link and have not been able to find it again. These films would be very valuable as the original documents at the Newberry are hard to read tissue copy pages and also are very fragile. If anyone finds it I would like to know who had it in their online catalog!!
Charlie Vlk