To BRHS members and everyone interested in the Burlington Route. Because the
BRHS web site news feature is down due to technical issues and for any BRHS
members who haven't yet looked at the May 2026 page of your calendar I’m
posting this message.
The spring meet is May 2,2026 at Ottawa,IL. I’m posting this because I am
really exited about the meet. In its almost 47 years of existence the BRHS has
never held a meet at Ottawa.
For those unfamiliar with Ottawa it is at M.P. 83 on the branch from Montgomery
to Streator,IL. The crews referred to the line as the “Fox river branch”
because for a large part of the route the line is alongside the river. While
the branch was a typical agrarian branch with grain elevators,stock yards ,etc
it was also a heavy tonnage line.
Ottawa alone routinely handled 80,000 plus cars a year(loads and empty’s). It
was home to Ottawa Sand and National Plate Glass. Streator was home to many
glass plants and known as the bottle capital of the country. Wedron,besides
being the site of a Lindbergh crash was home to Wedron Silica. All of this and
much more will be covered by the afternoon clinics and the evening after dinner
presentation. You’ll learn about railroading that involved hills with grades of
.75 and .8 and all about doubling those hills. Extra trains of up to 200
cars,yes 200 cars in steam days with an O1. Those Q gravel pits at Sheridan and
then Yagan were the impetus for those massive extras.
Here’s a little know operating fact that i found in the Aurora trainman’s union
files. It was somewhat routine to stop an eastbound freight from Galesburg at
Montgomery and have the crew run down all the way to Yagan pit and bring back a
large block of gravel loads to add to their eastbound train. It was even done
to an eastbound C&I crew upon occasion. Cut off west of the Aurora depot and
run down to Yagan pit. There lots of penalty time claims for these side trips
and the arguments involved in settling them made an old former “griever” smile.
Our meet facility will be the K of C hall in downtown Ottawa. It routinely
hosts wedding receptions for up to 300 folks so let’s see if we cant fill the
place. There is more than enough parking right outside the front door. There
are no steps anywhere in the facility so don’t worry about accessibility.
The former Q branch mainline is at the edge of the parking lot,the Q Illinois
river bridge is about one block south,the Q depot is about 2 blocks north,the
former Q engine facility is less than 1/2 a mile away and still being utilized
by Illinois Railway. Keep in mind that all the above is an active RR so do not
trespass. There are public spaces close to each for photos and railfanning. The
CSX operates during the day on the former Rock Island line. The Iowa Interstate
operates at night on the same line.
If you think you might come to the meet,while its a one day event there are so
many things to see and do in the Illinois river valley you should plan to spend
a couple or more days . To list just a few, there’s Starved Rock State park(the
most visited state park in Illinois),bring your hiking shoes. It was near
Starve Rock that the first coal in Illinois was found. There are several other
state parks nearby too.
Utica,IL is just down route 6 with its quaint downtown with shopping and
dinning.
Downtown La Salle is very nice and has shopping and dining.
We havent yet selected the meet hotel but we are working on it. There are
several as there are numerous good restaurants around Ottawa,Naplatte,La
Salle,Utica,etc.
There’s numerous Illinois & Michigan canal sites in the area. It was the I & M
canal from La Salle to just west of Chicago that started that town on its path
as a transportation hub. There also the Chicago,Ottawa and Peoria former ROW
that at spots in Ottawa and La Salle parallels the former Q ROW. You could do
some railfanning between La Salle and Zearing along the former Q line that
started out as the Illinois Valley and Northern. It’s another Illinois railway
operation. If you travel along the line and weren’t at the 2024 annual meet
then stop for fried chicken at Rips in Ladd. There’s also the abandoned portion
from La Salle to Streator along the Little Vermillion river. Oglesby with the
former cement plants and limestone pits is very interesting as the Q,MILW and
I.C all had spaghetti all over the place. The former I.C. Illinois river bridge
is massive. It’s still in use as today cement is brought into Oglesby rather
than shipped out.
There will be further updates as we get closer to the date in the Zephyr,our
web site and then the flier to members.
Looking forward to seeing a record setting turnout at Ottawa.
Leo Phillipp
BRHS
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