Issue 02-4, Winter 2002

2002 - The Year in Review

North Shore Line car #715 threads its way through
the Blackhawk Forest Preserve on opening day.

"Is That All There Is . . . ?"

2002 has been a great and busy year in the history of the Fox River Trolley Museum. New ground has been broken, historic new rolling stock acquired, a new one-half mile line opened, a major rehabilitation of locomotive AE&FRE #5, a 100 year anniversary of CA&E #20 celebrated and the list goes on . . . .

The major accomplishment started in 1996, when Senator Doris Karpiel asked member Peter Orum at the opening of the replacement track "Is that all there is?" To which Peter replied "Yes." And Senator Karpiel responded "We'll have to do something about that." Thus began the process of obtaining funding, surveying right of way, acquiring permission to enter the Blackhawk Forest Preserve, laying track, installing trolley wire and building platforms and station shelters, landscaping and a myriad of details large and small that led to the "Grand Opening" of the Blackhawk Line on a beautiful Saturday, June 8. Members, officials, guests and area residents enjoyed strains of appropriate music supplied by the Fox Valley Concert Band as the new one-half mile line was opened for operation. Work on completing the outstanding Blackhawk high level platform by Bob Blaus, Fred Lonnes, Mark Petersen and Ken Ward complemented by the superb brick platform and beautiful landscaping donated by Paul Pedersen of Pederson Inc. and Peter Orum of Midwest Ground Covers made our new "end of line" a great destination. The picture and platform was completed with the attractive "BLACKHAWK" sign donated and placed by Fred Lonnes. Thus began operation of a project supervised, directed and physically worked on by member Fred Lonnes. Kudos, Fred. We look forward to similar results in the future.

Above and below : Dignitaries, guests and visitors
enjoyed free rides on (from left) Chicago, Aurora
and Elgin car #20, North Shore Line car #715,
and Chicago Transit Authority car #43
following the opening ceremonies.

Strains of traditional railroading music from the Fox Valley Concert Band filled the air as CA&E car #20 waited at the new Blackhawk Forest Preserve station.

Major accomplishments would not be complete without mentioning the excellent and exemplary work done by Chuck Galitz, our Chief Lineman and his line crew members, Don Zavacky, Bob Wayman, Fred Lonnes and Ralph Taylor. Picking up where Aldgidge Electric Co. crews left off, Chuck and his crew had the "hot wire" ready for the June 8 Grand Opening.

Mark Petersen and Ken Ward putting the
finishing touches on the Blackhawk platform.

Chicago, Aurora and Elgin car #20 celebrated its
100th anniversry of service to the Fox RiverValley
on September 15, 2002.

Centenarian CA&E #20 was feted at a celebration marking 100 years of service to the Fox River Valley on September 15. This was organized by Bob Rodenkirk. Also in September the members of the Kane County Forest Preserve Commission Facilities Utilization Committee made a weekday inspection trip over the entire museum route observing the facilities that form a part of the working relationship between the Forest Preserve District and the Museum. Another area of cooperation between the Museum and local government was the Village of South Elgin's efforts to facilitate the donation of AE&FRE #5 to the Museum by Abbott Land and Investment Co. (Chicago Gravel Co.)

The Development Department under the able leadership of Fred Lonnes undertook the first major comprehensive fund raising drive to meet some major financial needs of the Museum that totaled $62,000.00 in cash and "In Kind" donations. Quite an accomplishment for the first effort in many years. (See Development Department Report.)

Don MacBean

At the end of the season, it is a good idea to look back, not just back over the past year, but further back to see how our Museum has changed over the years. The September 1967 issue of "Model Railroader" magazine carried an article on a one-man prototype railroad. You guessed it; it was the Fox River Line. The article described the operation of 3.7-mile AE&FR line from the Elgin Hospital to the Illinois Central Railroad interchange at Coleman. It also described the line's three customers that were served by sidings: the hospital, Kerber Packing and a small group working on building a trolley museum. While most of the article described AE&FR operation through text, pictures and map, the most interesting page is a photomontage of the Museum in 1967. Here we see a picture of CA&E 20 while another shot showsCA&E 11 with AE&FRE 5 working on the wire. There is a shot of North Shore 756 and North Shore Tavern Lounge 415—later sold to the Sea Shore Trolley Museum—spotted moving south on the mainline crossing the entrance driveway! Finally, we get a good shot of the Museum's 1967 facilities at Castlemuir—substation, siding and gravel platform. There is nothing else there! Except for track 1, everything that we see and use today at Castlemuir-track, station, platforms, lighting, car barn, maintenance of way building, materials storage—was built by the efforts of our Members in the last 35 years. Quite an accomplishment when you consider the limited resources available to us.

Looking at the collection and the operation, in 1968, the Museum had 9 cars—two privately owned. Flatcar 7 was usually stored at Coleman or elsewhere while the other 8 cars were stored at Castlemuir. The Museum's collection was limited to the size of track 1. In 1968, the Museum operated from Castlemuir to Coleman Grove and return. The 2.4 mile round trip took 20 minutes. We were open Sundays and Holidays May 30 to October 27. Hours were 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May to Septemberand 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October (got dark earlier). Imagine staying open to 7 p.m. The schedule shows what a different world it was 34 years ago when family Sunday drives were the norm and South Elgin was a long ways from the built up part of the metropolitan area. Another significant fact about our schedule—there were no special events! Finally, check out the 1967 prices: adults paid $.50 and children 5 to 12 paid $.25.

Now lets move ahead to 2002. What a difference 35 years makes! Our collection has grown form 8 cars to 25 cars—a factor of three. Our facilities have expanded so that we can store 8 cars indoors and store the others 17 at Castlemuir on storage tracks 0, 1, 2 north, 3 north and car barn leads 4 and 5. We provide more hours, offer more rides, and have special events to help people discover the excitement and educational experience of our Museum. In the early 90's, the Museum adopted along-range capital development plan calling for the construction of a public equipment display building, an education and visitor's center, a complete restoration shop and an extension into the Blackhawk Forest. Our extension to Blackhawk is complete and recently, the Board of Directors authorized the start of engineering for the display building. We are moving forward to achieve our goals.

How did we get this far? There is a simple answer. It happened because of the teamwork, dedication, effort and contribution of each and every member of ourMuseum. You make the difference—yesterday, today, and especially tomorrow. We have many challenges ahead of us, but by working together, just imagine the difference we will see.

Ed Konecki

Mission

To preserve and interpret Chicago's electric transport era that began in the 1890s and peaked before 1950. The electric transport era is significant because electric railways, including interurban, rapid transit, and streetcars, helped the Chicago region grow to be one of North America's great metropolitan areas. The Museum strives to show that electric railways were more than convenient, they were and are a way of life for generations of people from all walks of life.

The Museum fulfills this mission by preserving, interpreting, and operating historic railway vehicles on its demonstration electric railway, over the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric route at South Elgin, Illinois. Furthermore, the museum preserves, displays and interprets smaller artifacts, photos, oral histories, and documents which help relate the importance of electric transport in and around the Chicago Metropolitan Area, putting them in context with their surroundings and era.

From the Secretary's Desk

The operational season may close at the museum on the first Sunday in November but the work at the museum continues as noted on November 10. Marty Tuohy was working on preservation of the roofs of South Shore cars 7 and 14 and then took the time to replace the two broken windows on South Shore car 7. Bill Minerly made mechanical repairs to CTA car 43's south motorman's' door and fixed the electrical problem with the south motorman's door controls. Don MacCorquodale was under CTA car 4451 making needed repairs to the brake system. Janet Gonyo was continuing her work on the interior restoration of the Chicago North Shore car 756.

Ralph Taylor, assisted by Bill Minerly and his son Jim, were doing electrical work on CTA car 40 and 43 making them ready for the upcoming charters. The day was topped off when an 87-year-old man that was a past employee of the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin stopped by to visit. He worked in the shops (called it the roundhouse) at Wheaton operating the crane that lifted the cars off the truck bodies for maintenance. We showed him the collection of cars and watched his excitement when he climbed aboard car 20 to relive some old memories. What a day!

Jim Gonyo

Car Department

2002 has been a busy year but not with much to outwardly show for it. Many necessary repairs have been made, often times by Ralph Taylor and Bill Minerly, as needed. Don MacCorquodale has lent his skills to several necessary air brake problems such as: a stuck governor, out-of-adjustment feed valve, and cleaning several gauges and brake stands. This is not to mention cleaning and adjusting trolley retrievers and installing new trolley ropes. Pat Doyle made a professional job change and is now readying his home wood shop for several museum car projects on 715 and 20. Pat and myself are getting the pieces together for his steam bender which will allow us to make repairs to 715's roof and eventually start the 4288 roof rebuilding project.
AE&FR #5's South truck has returned with new wheels. Once installed we will then have motive power we can use all year round. Fred Lonnes has overseen this project and has also acquired an Ohio Brass Form 5 coupler that can be substituted on one end in order to tow S-314, the flat car w/crane and move other postwar CTA PCC type rapid transit cars when needed without 600 volts.

The diesel crew has also seen that 73 has been drained of cooling water to prevent freezing damage. It will have to be refilled and then drained again so that they may use its air compressor to supply pressure to our pneumatic car jacks to raise #5 up to reinstall the South truck.

Marty Tuohy has finally been able to free up enough time to head up the stabilization process on South Shore cars 14 and 7. He sure would be glad for any and all assistance. Bill Minerly and Ralph Taylor are working on a system to get car 40 running with car 43 by busing power. Joe Hazinski, Fred Lonnes and Chuck Galitz will work on 5001 to test it and see if it will run successfully with three MG's and the one set of recently installed batteries. In theory it should work but trials are necessary. Planing is starting on off-season projects. Bill Minerly will continue his 715 upper sash rebuilding project. Ralph Taylor will work on rebuilding Edison cell battery trays for 5001 and spares for the 4000's and 715. I along with Fred Lonnes and other's help will work towards getting car 40 into independent trolley pole operation and hopefully a new paint job. A number of trolley poles will have to be removed, inspected, straightened, de-rusted, primed and painted. Body work and painting is always a challenge as body filler, paints and reducers need to be on hand when the weather is favorable and volunteers are available, along with the unit being held out from the Operating Department's training runs. I most likely missed somebody and don't want to leave the impression that any of the named parties would not welcome assistance. We can do good work but we have a long way to go to develop and pass on skills that can be used to increase the number and quality of operating and display cars at the museum. And while this is being done, it is Safety First.

Joseph Hazinski

Development Department

2002 was a banner year for the Fox River Trolley Museum and the Development Department. As of the end of the year the Museum received about $62,000. It was the first major fund solicitation effort by the Museum to raise funds for the development of the Museum. Statistics can be dull, but the table below contains some very interesting numbers. The figures indicate that those activities, the Blackhawk Forest Preserve extension and the refurbishing of AE&FRE #5, garnered the support they did because people were interested in the success of these projects and therefore gave because they "wanted to." Also noteworthy is the very substantial amount of "Inkind" dollars given to build the extension.

For instance some active members contributed the most in dollars in both "Cash" and "Inkind" categories. On the other hand non-members made one-fourth of the number of donations which amounted to three fourths of the cash or "In Kind" value. This demonstrates a strong interest to advance the Museum by those who are not members and active in the Museum. In this same connection one-fourth of the people donating lived outside Illinois. The average size of the donation of nearly $500 is significant. People gave generously.

While we have had a very successful year, this success places a responsibility on the Museum membership to expend the funds expeditiously according to the donors wishes. Required is informing our constituencies pro-actively of what we are doing with these funds while at the same time encouraging further giving by developing an ongoing campaign by the Capital Campaign Committee. Part of the strategy will include making the Museum a more attractive environment for our constituents, a goal all of us can help to achieve.

Here's to an even better 2003!

Fred Lonnes

Trainmaster

Last month has seen a great effort by all in bringing the Fox River Trolley Museum forward in train operations, track work and moving forward on needed car work. Special thanks go out to all who assisted the Roadmaster (Ed Konecki) and the Operations Manager (Ralph Taylor) in restoring the Coleman yard siding into a usable track for revenue operation. Many rail fans and passengers were happy to see two trains passing at Coleman on a regular schedule of every 20 minutes over the last two weekends of October at the annual Pumpkin Trolley event. If you were there, you probably noticed the excellent job being accomplished by the operating crews during these weekends.

The actual operation over the Pumpkin Trolley weekends was governed by special dispatch orders and the use of a baton. Many passengers asked why the southbound train was passing the baton to the northbound train at Coleman yard. My usual response was that the kids, by the time they got their pumpkins, had gone to Blackhawk, and were returning, were getting rowdy and we needed some control for the last mile and a half and only had one bat, I mean baton. The actual truth is that the northbound train could not leave Coleman yard until given the baton from the southbound train operating from Castlemuir to Coleman yard. One baton, one train on the track between those two locations at a time.

The Take The Throttle program has been very successful to the public and members that have participated. I believe this in part due to the time that we spend in the initial training of the individual before operating the train instead of here you are, have at it.

We are always in need of more people to add to the operating crew and help in the depot to sell gift shop items and tickets. New crew testing and training will start in March of 2003. Please mark your calendars and give me a call if you would like to be part of our operating crew or depot sales, please contact Jim Gonyo at (630) 964-4366 for information.

Jim Gonyo

Contributors to the Track Fund - 2002

TOTAL $7,496.00

Jane Anderson
Ted Anderson
Homer Bishop
Stanley Bristol
David Brown
Daniel Buck
Harold Bullington
William Choronzak
Paul Collins
John Doherty

Bob Erlandson
William Forsek, Jr.
Joe Hazinski
Ralph Johnson
Edward Kedzie
Hubert Lattan
Stan Nettis
Richard Noeller
Roger Olinski
Peter Orum

Ronald Pytel
Thomas Seputis
Jeffrey Sorenson
Edward Steinhauser
Sherman Swanson
Brad Taylor
Ralph Taylor
Ed Tredup
Martin Tuohy
Bob Wayman

Fred Lonnes

Contributors of "In Kind" Donations - 2002

TOTAL: $32,936.68

Ed Konecki
Fred Lonnes

Stan Nettis
Peter Orum

Paul Pedersen
Theodore Swanson

Fred Lonnes

Contributors to the General Fund - 2002

TOTAL $8,814.67

Edward Anderson
Norm Berg
Homer Bishop
Stanley Bristol
David Brown
Daniel Buck
Harold Bullington
Paul Collins
T. J. Davenport
Mike Deeble
Robert Emerson
Bob Erlandson
Depot Farebox
Chuck Galitz
Patrick Garry
Jim Gonyo
Jack Grasso

Dan Gura
Tony Gura
Joe Hazinski
Glenn Heck
Robert Hillman
John Japuntich
David Kane
Paul Kott
Kermit Krueger
Robert Ley
Bill Long, Jr.
George Miller
Roger Olinski
Keith Olson
Peter Orum
Mark Petersen
Robert Piatt

Ronald Pytel
Frank Reese
Chris Rohlfing
Doug Rundell
Salt Creek Model Group
Walter Schalk
Thomas Seputis
Joseph Smith
Jeffrey Sorenson
Edward Steinhauser
Brad Taylor
Ed Tredup
Martin Tuohy
Unknown
George Wallace
Ronald Wasem
Frank Wischler

Fred Lonnes

Contributors to AE&FRE #5 Fund - 2002

TOTAL $12,738.00

Ed Allen
Donald Anderson
Edward Anderson
Jane Anderson
Don Bero
Homer Bishop
Stanley Bristol
David Brown
Daniel Buck
Harold Bullington
Norman Carlson
William Choronzak
Paul Collins
Ray DeGroote, Jr.

Pamela DeYoung
John Doherty
Chuck Galitz
Joe Hazinski
Bonnie Heffernan
Brian Heffernan
Ruthanne Johnson
Larry Jones
Edward Kedzie
Fred Lonnes
Jim Mc Alpin
Stan Nettis
Alma Offenkrantz
Roger Olinski

Gwen Oliver
Ronald Pytel
Doug Rundell
Thomas Seputis
Jeffrey Sorenson
Edward Steinhauser
Brad Taylor
Matthew Theroux
Ed Tredup
Lorraine Tredup
Martin Tuohy
Bob-O Walesa
Ken Ward
Bob Wayman

Fred Lonnes

A recent story developed the history of the railroad "Observation Car." Starting out in the late 1800's these cars were found on the rear end of passenger trains and were "Open Platform." The cars were usually but not always for passengers holding "first class" tickets for accommodations in parlor or sleeping cars. They continued in operation until the first half of the last century. At higher train speeds the ride was dusty and passengers were required to avail themselves of washrooms to clean up after a ride. Currently a number of "business cars" have "open platforms." As passenger trains increased in speed during the Streamliner era, the platforms were enclosed. The newest "Obs Cars" are the "Theater Cars" used mostly by railroad officials. The purpose of the cars was to afford passengers a superior view of the passing scenery and for railroad officials the right of way and track.

It was and is a good way to see what is and what was . . . and to observe for future recollection. A ride in an observation car on the Museum's two miles of track over the past 36 years would reveal a vast number of "observable" changes, problems and improvements AND what may need to be done to improve the physical plant and equipment as well to appreciate the ambiance. It provides, like a mirror, a picture of us . . . "warts and all." And like a mirror it helps in providing a view as to what and where improvements can be applied or made. The view is generally pleasing and also points to needs.

As we ride our trains what do we see as needed improvements and changes and deletions? The observation platform can also provide a place to excite anticipation of what is coming next as in arriving at the terminal station or what would make the ride/vision better. After all the destination or intermediate stop(s) are part of the ride. How do you see a ride in the Observation Car helping the Museum? Does it give a clue as to who is to be thanked, as to what needs to be done, who will do it AND where you fit in the view?

Don MacBean

Fox River Lines Staff

Managing Editor—Don MacBean, 817 College Ave. #5, Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 665-2581 E-mail DMacbRR@aol.com

Layout and Graphics— Jack Sowchin

Fox River Lines is the official publication of the Fox River Trolley Association, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. It is published four times per calendar year for distribution to members and friends of the museum. Reproduction of Fox River Lines, either in part or in its entirety, is strictly prohibited without prior permission from the editorial staff or the FRTM board of directors. Entire contents Copyright © 2003 Fox River Trolley Association, Inc.

Submissions: Submission of stories from members and others is necessary to publish Fox River Lines. Feature length articles are always welcome and considered. Please contact the staff before undergoing a project. Contributors submit materials with the understanding that no monetary compensation is provided.

Correspondence: Comments, suggestions, and corrections relating to Fox River Lines should be directed to Managing Editor Don MacBean at the address listed above. The editorial staff appreciates your feedback.