Wikipedia

Fox River Trolley Museum

The Fox River Trolley Museum is a railroad museum in South Elgin, Illinois. Incorporated in 1961 as R.E.L.I.C. (Railway Equipment Leasing and Investment Co.), it opened in 1966 and became the Fox River Trolley Museum in 1984.

Fox River Trolley Museum
CNS&M #715 at the museum (2008)
LocaleSouth Elgin, Illinois
Coordinates41°59′27″N 88°17′48″W / 41.99091320°N 88.29672780°W / 41.99091320; -88.29672780
Commercial operations
Built byAurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company
Original gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Closed to passengers1935
Preservation history
1961Railway Equipment Leasing and Investment Corporation (RELIC) founded
1966Began operating
PresentContinues open
Website
www.foxtrolley.org
Route map
Legend
AE&FRE north to
Elgin and Carpentersville
Castlemuir
Freeport Subdivision
(CN)
 Stearns Rd
Blackhawk Station
AE&FRE south to
Aurora and Yorkville

Location

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The museum is located at 365 South LaFox Street (Illinois Route 31), approximately two blocks south of the intersection of LaFox and State Streets.

Heritage railroad

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Since 2002, the museum has operated a heritage railroad over a 4-mile line along the banks of the scenic Fox River to the Jon J. Duerr (formerly Blackhawk[1]) Forest Preserve. Visitors can board at the Castlemuir depot, on the museum grounds at the north end of the line in South Elgin, or at Blackhawk Station, at the south end of the line, adjacent to the picnic grove of the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve. Blackhawk Station is handicapped-accessible.[2]

The museum's right-of-way was originally part of the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric interurban railroad. The track leaves Castlemuir southbound and passes through Coleman, a former interchange with the Illinois Central Railroad. This is part of the last operating section of the interurban, closing in 1972.[3][4] The track then continues south over a section closed in 1935 and then onto a new alignment that curves into the Forest Preserve.

The museum operates its trolley excursions from Mother's Day to the first Sunday in November every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During July and August, the museum excursions operate on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Non-profit organization

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The Fox River Trolley Museum is operated by the Fox River Trolley Association (FRTA). The FRTA is an educational, member-based 501(c)(3) tax exempt Illinois not-for-profit corporation.

Collection

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The museum maintains a collection of 30 antique electric trolleys, railroad cars, and locomotives which range in construction dates from 1887 to 1959. The majority of the museum collection is focused on railways and electric transit lines of the Chicago area. One of the most exceptional cars in this collection is the wooden interurban (inter-city) Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad car #20, purchased directly from CA&E after that railroad discontinued passenger service. Car #20 was constructed in 1902 and is the oldest electric interurban car operating in the United States. The most recent collection acquisitions include the interurban electric railway car, Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric Co. #304, that was built for the Fox River Line in 1923, and ran in daily service between Elgin and Aurora until March 1935. Between 1935 and 1954, it operated in Cleveland over the line best known as the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. The car was then sold, with three other ex-Fox River Line cars, to real estate entrepreneur Gerald E. Brookins, whose family operated Trolleyville USA, in Olmsted Township, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland, until 2002. AE&FRE #304 made its first run over its original railroad on August 21, 2010, over 75 years after it last ran on the line.

Chicago area interurbans

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Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company (AE&FRE)[5]
Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railroad (CA&E)[6]
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (CNS&M)
Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB)

Chicago Transit Authority and predecessors

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Chicago City Railway (CCRy)[7]
Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT)[8]
Chicago Surface Lines (CSL)[9]
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)[10]

Other railroads

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San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI)

Warren and Saline River Railroad (WSRR)

Soo Line (SOO)

Illinois Central Railroad (IC)

Wilson Car Lines (WCL)

Fox River Trolley Museum Equipment Roster

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Name Type Image Builder Built Status Previous Owner Notes
AE&FRE #5 45 Ton Diesel-Electric Switcher
 
 General Electric 1946 Operational, In Occasional Service AE&FRE It was bought in 1946 to replace two electric locos, and hauled coal cars from the Illinois Central Railroad junction at Coleman to the State Hospital in Elgin until 1972
AE&FRE #7 Piggyback Flat Car Standard Steel Car Company 1927 Awaiting Restoration CNS&M, AE&FRE Pioneering Piggyback Car
AE&FRE #304 Lightweight Interurban Car St. Louis Car Company 1923 Operational, In Occasional Service AE&FRE, Shaker Heights Rapid Transit It is one of two pieces of railroad equipment in the Museum’s collection that are original to the line (the other is AE&FRE #5)
CA&E #11 Line Car
 
 J. G. Brill Company 1910, Rebuilt 1947 Awaiting Restoration CA&E This car was used to inspect, repair and construct the overhead trolley wire that is used to power electric railway cars, and it was damaged heavily during the FRTM 2018 vandalism
CA&E #20 Wood Interurban Passenger Car
 
 Niles Car Company 1902 Out Of Service, Pending Wheel Replacement CA&E It is the oldest operable electric interurban car in the United States, to donate to the wheel replacement to get it running for the public again, donate here
CA&E #316 Wood Interurban Passenger Car
 
 Jewett Car Company 1913 Currently Being Restored CA&E It saw service on the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin until the CA&E ceased passenger operations in 1957, when restored it will be the only Coffee-And-Cream painted interurban car operating
CA&E #317 Wood Interurban Passenger Car Jewett Car Company 1913 Awaiting Restoration CA&E It saw service on the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin until the CA&E ceased passenger operations in 1957
CA&E #458 Steel Interurban Passenger Car
 
Note: The #458 is the Red and Gray car in the front 		St. Louis Car Company 1945 Operational, In Regular Service CA&E, Trolleyville USA This car is one of the few CA&E cars preserved that has a toilet inside
CNS&M #715 Steel Interurban Passenger Car
 
 Cincinnati Car Company 1926 Operational, In Regular Service CNS&M One of FRTM's five regular service cars (CNS&M #715, CA&E #458, CTA #4451, CTA #40, and CTA #43)
CNS&M #756 Steel Interurban Passenger Car
 
 Standard Steel Car Company 1930 Awaiting Restoration CNS&M It is painted in CNS&M's "Silverliner" paint scheme, where the interurban cars were painted to look fluted stainless steel
CCRy #L202 Steel Electric Switcher Locomotive
 
 Chicago City Railway 1908 Operational, In Occasional Service CCRy, CTA A steel electric locomotive built by the Chicago City Railway in 1908 and rebuilt by the CTA in 1958 (renumbered S343 at this time), it was used in switching service at CTA shops and material handling yards.
CCRy #S304 Flatcar With Crane Chicago City Railway 1907 Operational, Used For Non-Revenue Maintenance Work CCRy, CTA Latest rebuilt by CTA in 1953
CRT #4103 Steel Center-Door Rapid Transit Car Cincinnati Car Company 1914 Awaiting Restoration CRT, CTA This car is a "Baldy" type, so named because of the lack of trolley poles due to the use of a third rail, and it is a rare example of a Center-Door CTA car
CTA #4451 Steel Rapid Transit Car
 
 Cincinnati Car Company 1924 Operational, In Regular Service CRT, CTA This car is a "Plushie" type with only two doors per side, and trolley pole on the roofs
CTA #4288 Steel Rapid Transit Car Cincinnati Car Company 1922 Currently Being Restored CRT, CTA This car is virtually identical to #4451 except for a few minor differences, and when is it done being restored, it will most likely be used as a partner car to #4451
CSL #6 Street Railway Post Office American Car Company 1891, Modified Circa 1900 Awaiting Restoration CCRy, CSL Rare example of a Street Railway Post Office, oldest trolley car at FRTM, heavily damaged in the FRTM 2018 vandalism
CTA #5001 Steel Rapid Transit Car
 
 Pullman-Standard 1947 Awaiting Restoration CTA Rare example of an articulated CTA 5000 Series
CTA #40 Steel Rapid Transit Car
 
 St. Louis Car Company 1959 Operational, In Regular Service CTA Used for FRTM "Polar Express," one of the newest cars at the museum
CTA #43 Steel Rapid Transit Car
 
 St. Louis Car Company 1959 Operational, In Regular Service CTA Used for FRTM "Polar Express," one of the newest cars at the museum
CTA #45 Steel Rapid Transit Car St. Louis Car Company 1959 Awaiting Restoration CTA One of the newest cars at the museum
CTA #MS-65 25 Ton Diesel-Electric Switcher General Electric 1942 Operational, In Occasional Service CTA
MUNI #1030 Single-Ended PCC Car
 
 St. Louis Car Company 1953 Awaiting Restoration MUNI Only PCC Streetcar at the museum
WSRR #73 70 Ton Diesel-Electric Switcher
 
 Whitcomb Locomotive Works 1948 Awaiting Restoration WSRR
SOO #130 Wooden Caboose Missouri 1887 Currently Being Restored SOO Oldest car in the museum's collection
SOO #117 Steel Caboose International Car Company 1973 Operational, In Occasional Service SOO Newest car in the museum's collection, acquired in 2023
IC #9648 Steel Caboose
 
 IC 1957 Operational, In Occasional Service IC Rare example of an IC Side-Door Caboose

Fox River Trolley Museum Deaccession List

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Name Type Image Builder Built Status New Owner Notes
CSS&SB #7 Steel Interurban Passenger Car
 
 Pullman Car Company 1927 Inoperable Private Owner in Indiana
CSS&SB #14 Steel Interurban Passenger Car
 
(Car On The Left) 		Pullman Car Company Inoperable Private Owner in Indiana
Rio De Janeiro #441 Open-Air Trolley Car
 
 Rio De Janeiro 1909 Operable Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
CTA #6101-6102 Steel Rapid Transit Car
 
 St. Louis Car Company 1950 Operable CTA Heritage Fleet

Notes

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  1. ^ Alt, E. C. (1979). South Elgin: A History of the Village From Its Origin As Clintonville. South Elgin Heritage Commission. p. 40. ISBN 0-9603430-0-8.
  2. ^ Carlson, Norm (2002), "Kane County's Newest Rail Line", First & Fastest, 18 (4): 21–23
  3. ^ Alt (1979), pp. 43–46.
  4. ^ Peffers, Hopkins Stolp (1993). Aurora-Elgin Area Street Cars and Interurbans v.1: Fox River Division. American Slide-Chart. p. 99. ISBN 1-883461-01-4.
  5. ^ Peffers, Hopkins Stolp (1993). Aurora-Elgin Area Street Cars and Interurbans v.2: Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric Company. American Slide-Chart. pp. 62–63, 94–95, 97. ISBN 1-883461-02-2.
  6. ^ Peffers, Hopkins Stolp (1993). Aurora-Elgin Area Street Cars and Interurbans V. 3 The Third Rail Line. American Slide-Chart Corp. pp. 22–23, 31, 42–43, 213. ISBN 1-883461-03-0.
  7. ^ Lind, Alan R. (1979). Chicago Surface Lines, An Illustrated History. Transport History Press. pp. 145, 159. ISBN 0-934732-00-0.
  8. ^ C.E.R.A. (1973). Chicago's Rapid Transit v.1: Rolling Stock/1892-1947. Central Electric Railfans’ Association. pp. 196–199, 202–213, 219–227. ISBN 0-915348-15-2.
  9. ^ Lind (1979), p. 159.
  10. ^ C.E.R.A. (1976). Chicago's Rapid Transit v.2: Rolling Stock/1947-1976. Central Electric Railfans’ Association. pp. 8–71. ISBN 0-915348-15-2.

References

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  • Krambles, George, ed. (1961). The Great Third Rail. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans' Association. OCLC 228664428.
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