[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: 1903 Locomotive



As Tom Berry noted, the Chicago Rock Island & Gulf Railway (CRI&G) was indeed
part of the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific (CRI&P), rather than the Chicago &
Northwestern.  The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) valuation docket for the
CRI&P includes the CRI&G with the other companies associated with the Rock
Island system as part of the system-wide valuation.  See Valuation Docket No.
152, in ICC Valuation Reports, vol. 24, pp. 709 - 1084.  Pp. 1066 - 1075
specifically deal with the CRI&G.

The ICC reports are held by many research libraries, and unfortunately, they
won't do much to provide information about the specific locomotives used by the
railroad.  However, the raw data is probably at the National Archives, since the
ICC turned over much of the inactive records from its valuation office.  Copies
of the carbon copies of equipment lists for most of the major common carrier
railroads have been available from the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society
for many years.  I've found these to be very helpful for this sort of research.
If you have the locomotive number (from a newspaper or other first-hand
account), you might be able to check the CRI&P valuation lists, and find out
more about the type of locomotive that pulled the first train into town.  The
ICC list shows the wheel arrangement, builder, and date of construction.  You
may be able to get a builder's photo of that type of locomotive from one of the
archives that holds collections of builder's photos.  Or even a photo of the
specific locomotive in question.  Otto C. Perry, a Denver, Colorado mail man,
took something like 10,000 photos of railroads around the world, circa 1918 -
1965.  Denver Public Library has his photos, and has cataloged them.  If you
know the railroad and locomotive number, it will be easy to see if he took a
photo of it.

Good Hunting!

Charlie "Mikados 'r' Us"
Charles V. Mutschler, Ph.D.
University Archivist
Eastern Washington University
-30-

Jan Hart wrote:

> We have been asked to find out what kind of locomotive came to Irving,
> Texas, the day the town was founded, December 19, 1903.  It was a special
> train from Dallas.  The track belonged to the Chicago, Rock Island & Gulf
> Railway.  We have begun looking for this, but no luck so far.  Any pointers?
>
> Thanks for any thoughts you may have.  Best wishes!
>
> Jan Hart, CA, CRM
> Irving Archives, Irving Public Library
> P.O. Box 152288
> Irving, Texas 75015-2288
> Voice: 972-721-3729
> Fax: 972-721-8056
> E-mail:  jhart@irvinglibrary.org
> www.irving.lib.tx.us
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
> To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
> Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>