gabe
But, my Dad has shown me where it went on countless occassions, and I just marvel at the thought of those 120-car grain trains negotiating those city streets and sharp curves.
I always wondered why the IT was not purchased by the CNW rather than the N&W.
Well, if'n we was dumb, we wasn't quite that dumb.
When the IT failed as a passenger interurban it had developed significant freight markets. Any railroad that bought the failed IT would get those freight markets for a cheap price. Couldn't have that. So 11 railroads or so went together and bought the IT as a group. That kept it "neutral" and kept any one railroad from winning the "prize".
It then became a royal pain in the butt. Abandoning its own track and operating via trackage rights over other railroads, it undercut prices and diverted "our" freight. This wasn't a viable long term strategy on its part, but low balling prices kept the IT running for a while. Eventually, it became a basket case again. What to do?
Sell it to the C&NW? Not on your tintype. I'll use Decatur, IL as an example.
Decatur is a major grain processing center located smack dab in the middle of some of the best farm land in the world. It's also been a major manufacturing center with Caterpillar continuing to have a major presence in the community.
Firestone used to be there too, but they aparently built some bad tires that killed some folks and that "One Little Thing" closed the plant. (I had an Explorer with Firestone tires from Decatur. I took it to the Ford dealer just to see if my tires were on the recall. They literally impounded my truck and immediately changed out the tires at no charge. Ford then "fired" Firestone and the Decatur Firestone plant is no more.)
The ICG and N&W served Decatur. As did the pain in the butt IT. If the ICG and N&W (IT owners) had allowed the C&NW to buy the IT they would have allowed the C&NW into the lucrative Decatur market. As I said, we wasn't that dumb. Since the N&W already served Decatur it was of no never mind if they got the IT.
I'm sure there were other similar examples.
As to the 120 car grain trains running through city streets: I believe those trains came about after the IT had switched to trackage rights on "Regular" railroads that used proper right of ways.
As information, the IT didn't just parallel the GM&O south of Springfield. They "Joined" the GM&O at Lincoln, IL which is around 39 miles railroad north of Springfield.
I sure do wish I could have had a ride on one of those electric cars through that central Illinois farmland.
