Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Fox River Trolley Museum

South Elgin, Illinois:
Fox River Trolley Museum

Description and History

The Fox River Trolley Museum operates on a remnant of the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric Company's interurban line, which ran north and south along the Fox River, connecting its namesake towns west of Chicago. Passenger service ended in 1935, but freight service continued on a short section to the State Mental Hospital in Elgin (electrically powered until 1946, diesel afterwards). Museum operations began in 1966. Freight service ended in 1971, after which the museum had the line to itself.

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Pictures

The following pictures were taken in July 1991, during the museum's annual summer Trolley Festival.

[picture] A view of the grounds looking back towards the car barn. The yellow steeplecab electric locomotive at left was built in 1908 by the Chicago City Railways.

[picture] Wooden car #20 of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway was built in 1902 by Niles Car Company.

[picture] Interior of #20. This was the car that I rode on my visit.

[picture] Car #7 of the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad (South Shore Line) was built by Pullman in 1926.

[picture] Car #715 of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee (North Shore Line) was built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1930.

[picture] In front, Chicago Rapid Transit car #4451 was built in 1924 by the Cincinnati Car Company; behind it, CRT's steel-aluminum car #5001 was built in 1947 by Pullman-Standard as a prototype for later cars.

This page was last updated on 20 April 2006, and reviewed on 25 January 2008.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Fox River Trolley Museum

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