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Old PRR banch to Pekin via Mackinaw.
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Moderator: railohio
I know the ITS line ducked under both the P&E and the PRR. I am sure the PRR crossed the P&E at grade on the southeast side of town. The IT's Bloomington line, branched off the ITS line at Mackinaw Jct. and ran across the north side of town, passing on the north side of the station, which still stands today as a museum.
>I know the IT began using the PRR Secondary as a through route in >1977, after the ITS line was severed by the derailment. But what did IT >use it for before that? Were they planning on using it to supercede the >ITS line eventually?
That seems to have been the plan along - replace the original ITS main between North Lincoln and Allentown. Also, there was a plan to use the Maroa - Kenney portion as part of a new route between Decatur and Springfield to avoid mainline and terminal congestion on the Norfolk & Western.
I came across an article in the Peoria Journal Star from sometime in October 1977 (about one of two major derailments in as many days around Mackinaw) that said a tri-weekly local ran north out of Decatur while other sources say it could operate as far as Allentown before returning to Decatur. There may have been enough grain elevators and fertilizer dealers to justify regular local trains from the time the railroad purchased the line from the USRA on April 1, 1976. Purchasing the line passed common-carrier obligations from Penn Central to Illinois Terminal. I guess they had to provide service even though the track was in poor condition (Atlanta - Waynesville had been embargoed in 1973). There were some customers that remained, though I believe Penn Central had petitioned the ICC for abandonment in 1974 (ITC offered ot purchase this line as early as 1973).
Yeah, steam was gone but the 1970's seem pretty fascinating today! Too bad I was born that decade (and thus too young to remember much of the decade's railroading)!
That seems to have been the plan along - replace the original ITS main between North Lincoln and Allentown. Also, there was a plan to use the Maroa - Kenney portion as part of a new route between Decatur and Springfield to avoid mainline and terminal congestion on the Norfolk & Western.
I came across an article in the Peoria Journal Star from sometime in October 1977 (about one of two major derailments in as many days around Mackinaw) that said a tri-weekly local ran north out of Decatur while other sources say it could operate as far as Allentown before returning to Decatur. There may have been enough grain elevators and fertilizer dealers to justify regular local trains from the time the railroad purchased the line from the USRA on April 1, 1976. Purchasing the line passed common-carrier obligations from Penn Central to Illinois Terminal. I guess they had to provide service even though the track was in poor condition (Atlanta - Waynesville had been embargoed in 1973). There were some customers that remained, though I believe Penn Central had petitioned the ICC for abandonment in 1974 (ITC offered ot purchase this line as early as 1973).
Yeah, steam was gone but the 1970's seem pretty fascinating today! Too bad I was born that decade (and thus too young to remember much of the decade's railroading)!
>IT under my belt. Are there any PRR books that show this line in detail?
I don't know of any. Jerry Taylor's A SAMPLING OF PENN CENTRAL does have a 1972 photo of a Decatur-bound freight near Oakland, Illinois.
>Also, since the line was bought on 4/1/76, wasn't it bought from Conrail?
I think the purchase was made from the USRA because the Peoria Secondary was not included in the Conrail system at startup.
I don't know of any. Jerry Taylor's A SAMPLING OF PENN CENTRAL does have a 1972 photo of a Decatur-bound freight near Oakland, Illinois.
>Also, since the line was bought on 4/1/76, wasn't it bought from Conrail?
I think the purchase was made from the USRA because the Peoria Secondary was not included in the Conrail system at startup.