A portion of the Alley Track - Edmund St. to Persimmon St., plus the connection from the old BNSF "uptown" yard, saw its last revenue carload in January 2002. Two scrap metal loads were shipped from A. Miller & Co. that month. TP&W did switching here for BNSF the final six years. Dismantling began a few years ago.
David's answer to the question of what businesses were served by it provides an excellent insight as to how important rail service was for industries before Interstate highways were built. Most of these industries had their own spur off the CB&Q industrial branch.
Per addresses matching those listed in the Illinois Terminal Railroad Directory of Industries (1947), here's what I have:
Allen Lumber Co. (1807 S. Washington St.)
Beatrice Foods Co. (1000 S. Adams St.)
Block & Kuhl Co. Whse (801-809 S. Washington St.)
I. Bork & Son (2000 S. Adams St.)
Boss Mfg. Co. (3012 S. Adams St.)
Carr & Johnston Co. (1219 S. Washington St.)
Church's Creamery (1604 S. Adams St.)
Cities Service Stores (906 S. Adams St.)
Cohen Auto Parts Co. scrap yard (1800 S. Adams St.)
Consolidated Beverage Co. (2312 S. Adams St.)
Couch & Heyle (1016 S. Adams St.)
Dooley Bros. Co. (1201-3 S. Washington St.)
Federal Warehouse Co. (800 S. Adams St.)
Fleming-Potter Co. (1028 S. Adams St.)
Hitchcock Sprinkler & Heating Co. (813-15 S. Washington St.)
Chris Hoerr & Son (1321-35 S. Washington St.)
Inland Peoria Supply Co. (1827 S. Washington St.)
International Harvester Co. (1301-09 S. Washington St.)
Kinkade Supply Co. (705 S. Washington St.)
H. R. Mandel Co. (1900 S. Adams St.)
A. Miller & Co. (1610-12 S. Adams St.)
National Biscuit Co. (707 S. Washington St.)
National Storage Co. (800 S. Adams St.)
L. R. Nelson Mfg. Co. (1725 S. Washington St.)
Peoria Candy Co. (1001 S. Washington St.)
Peoria Hires Bottling Co. (1011 S. Washington St.)
Peoria Lumber Co. (3100 S. Adams St.)
Peoria Metal Specialty Co. (2501-09 S. Washington St.)
Peoria Service Co. Plant #1 (1122 S. Adams St.)
Piggly Wiggly Stores Co. (725 S. Washington St.)
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. (915 S. Washington St.)
Shehan & Co. (2301 S. Washington St.)
Stuber & Kuck (2800 S. Adams St.)
Wahlfeld Mfg. Co. 1101-29 S. Washington St.)
Wahlfeld Mfg. Co. Switch #3 (1021 S. Washington St.)
Walter & Parrish Inc. (820 S. Adams St.)
Western Coal & Fuel Co. (2604-14 S. Adams St.)
***Several were located on the connection between the yard and SW Washington St.***
Brewer's Distributing Co. (1220 S. Washington St.)
A. Lucas & Sons (1318-28 S. Washington St.)
Meyer Furnace Co. (1313 Meyer Ave.)
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| Roger Kujawa posted Someone was looking for a picture of this switch trackage on the Burlington BN track from the Peoria Yard to the Alley track that ran in the alley north of Adams St. Karl Burmeister photo. Harold J. Krewer These are lapped switches, they are two completely different switches that overlap each other. Roger Kujawa shared David Jordan Original post from 2015 says this shot was processed in December 1981. David Jordan The track curving sharply to the right was the spur serving A. Lucas & Sons. Larry Graham A simple puzzle switch. Doing the work of two turnouts in a tight area. There were some that were a lot more complicated depending on the routings involved. The J had one at South Chicago that routed off to the BRC, the J to Kirk and a couple of yard tracks. Erik Coleman Champaign had a single slip puzzle switch at Champaign Tower that connected the wye to the Wabash and the southbound main with the leads to the freight house. This is even simpler than that, with only one straight route possible. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post So there were two connections to the Alley Branch. One at its southern end and this one by Pecan Street. https://www.google.com/.../@40.6814169,-89.../data=!3m1!1e3 Google Maps labels the bridge Cedar Street. But I see it connects with McArthur Highway. The tanks and brick wall in the background indicates that ADM has rebuilt their plant since Dec. 1981. |
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| 1949 Peoria East Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post I just discovered there used to be a little roundhouse down there. https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bxf02046.jpg |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post 1949 Peoria East Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 Roger Kujawa Dennis DeBruler That was the Burlington roundhouse. They parked the switchers there but not in the house in latter days. They also had some GP7/9 they parked there when they ran the Rock Island to Henry and the Heights for a while. Dennis DeBruler Roger Kujawa Henry is a town up North. Where was the "Heights?" Roger Kujawa Dennis DeBruler Peoria Heights. The Rock has a branch line that went up to the Pabst Brewery there and farther to Pioneer Industrial Park. |
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| 1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
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| Dennis DeBruler posted I just did some more research on the CB&Q Alley Branch that used to run behind riverfront businesses in Peoria, IL. In particular, it had two connections back to the "mainline." Please scroll past the business list in these notes for routing details.
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Roger Kujawa posted four photos with the comments:
Hi everyone. I’ve always been fascinated with the Peoria Alley track. This was built a half block north of Washington St when the City forced the removal of the interurban tracks from Washington St once passenger service ended. The Q built part of the Alley track to serve these customers.I’m looking for a detailed track map or if anyone knows where I can access the 1940-50’s Sanborn maps that would show this area. I have Bud Linroth’s Peoria book which has a small section on this line but it just brings up more questions.It ran from Oak St near the Police Station to Spruce St.Any help would be appreciated.ThanksRoger KujawaMorton, Illinois
Roger Kujawa shared
Roger Kujawa shared
Seth Lakin: Post 1932 Sanborn maps are protected under copyright, and are not online. And it seems like the copyright holder has a tight leash on them. Larger libraries have have access.
Roger Kujawa shared
David Jordan: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy In Color Vol. 4 by Michael J. Spoor contains a schematic of CB&Q's Peoria trackage as of Dec. 24, 1968. This includes the Alley Track and the Commercial Street Alley Track.
Some history on the Alley Track:
The north end was first constructed in 1905. It ran from Pecan almost to Chestnut Street. Wahlfeld Mfg. Co. was the first industry to locate on it. In later years, this track was extended to Cedar Street.
In 1907, CB&Q installed a switch near the Burlington Elevator, and laid track across S. Washington Street. It was built to serve the Stuber & Kuck Factory at S. Adams and Blaine streets.
Then in 1915, the Q installed its Alley Track from S. Water Street onto Commercial Street to serve the Oakford & Fahnestock grocery warehouse.
The Peoria Railway Terminal closed down passenger service September 1, 1924 and Illinois Traction Company took over service to customers served on the S. Washington Street line. After nearly a year, the CB&Q assumed this role, but street running wasn't to last long. After winning the franchise mid-1925 to lay track, the Q filled in the gap between Blaine and Cedar Streets, adding spur tracks to serve former PRT customers.
As late as the 1950s, many of CB&Q's largest Peoria customers were located on the main Alley Track - Federal Warehouse, Peoria Service Co., Hagerty Bros., Chris Hoerr & Son, Walhfeld Mfg. Co., Fleming Potter and United Facilities. Most relocated their main operations to TP&W-served sites in East Peoria between 1959 and 1966. Wahlfeld Mfg. and Fleming Potter remained, though the former built a new factory at the former freight house site in 1965.
By the Burlington Northern era (March 2, 1970), activity on the Alley Track had declined considerably. There are some descrepencies as to when BN abolished its last Peoria switch job (dates range from 1982 to 1983), but whatever the actual date, it marked the end of an era. CB&Q served nearly 80 firms in Peoria c. 1947. By 1983, BN served less than ten.
All but the section between Edmund Street and Oak Street was removed in 1985 or 1986. It was eventually stubbed in the Fleming-Potter parking lot above Persimmon Street, providing just enough track to reach A. Miller & Co's scrap yard at the other end of the track.
It is amazing that A. Miller & Co. loaded scrap metal into railcars as late as it did. TP&W assumed switching duties for BN in early 1996. The last revenue movement was in 2001, but the last gons were spotted there in January 2002. After a decade of disuse, much of the track came up in 2012-2013.
Michael Broshears: David Jordan I think the map I’m looking at is 1927-1956 sheet 16 shows alley track almost to State St. One building short of State St. Roswell’s has a building for Raw Stock.
[I searched the LoC Sanborns. It has 1902, but the alley track had yet to be built.]
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post It shows the alley track went six blocks past MacArthur Hwy, which puts it at Oak Street. In addition to the connection down by Spruce Street, it shows the connection between MacArthur and Persimmon St. The loading dock that now blocks the RoW was obviously added after 1949. 1949 Peoria East Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post This 1939 aerial photo shows boxcars past Maple Street. It also shows that the alley was wider all the way to Oak Street. Buildings facing State Street would force it to end before State Street. Update: Michael Broshears commented on a share that a Sanborn map shows that the track crossed Oak Street and stopped when it reached the State Street buildings. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Michael's comment The track extending one building shy of State Street is consistent with this 1939 aerial photo. It looks like two buildings that are facing State Street left just a skinny alley. |
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