Friday, April 26, 2024

Minier, IL: "Smash Gate" Junction: GM&O vs. Pennsy

(Satellite)

John Woodrow posted
Pennsylvania northbound crossing GM&0 jackline at Minier Illinois may 30 1967 (Edward Wayne Bridges photo)
Winston Dunbar: I wonder which line generally had the clear signal?
Springfield Model Railroad Club posted
Pennsylvania Railroad in central Illinois!? Yes! The PRR was a huge competitor for the IC right here in central IL. If you look at a system map of the IC and PRR for central IL in the 1950s you'll see an interlocking spiderweb of branch lines. Mostly it was the IC trying to keep the Pennsy from encroaching further into their territory. Here we see a PRR freight crossing the GM&O "Jack Line" (line to Jacksonville) at Minier, Illinois.
Roger Kujawa shared
David Jordan: PRR's market was more east-west, and jointly-owned with the Illinois Central Railroad the Hervey City-Decatur Junction portion of the Peoria District. Competition with ICRR was minimal.
Wes Birkey: I remember as a kid in living in Morton, Pennsylvania had some big freights going through town.
David Jordan: Wes Birkey PRR apparently reduced operations c. 1960, eliminating daily freights between East Peoria and Indianapolis, replacing them with Decatur-East Peoria locals operating six-days-a-week (which previously didn't operate west of Morton). Later, a Terre Haute-East Peoria turn handled through business, and performed local work north of Decatur. I imagine that despite half-ownership of the TP&W, which promoted the Effner routing, PRR still handled lots of Peoria-Pekin industrial traffic, and some Peoria Gateway business such as with the CB&Q. Penn Central's freight service brochure dated December 31, 1968 even shows restoration of East Peoria-Indianapolis through freights!
Dennis DeBruler: David Jordan I learned that Pennsy had trackage rights on the IC between Maroa and Decatur.

Harold J. Krewer answered Winston's question
Looks like the gate position was however it was last used....from Penn Central Southern Region Employee Timetable No. 7, effective May 1, 1975:

David Thompson answered Winston's question
The 1954 GM&O Western Division had the GM&O holding the Normal Position. Perhaps legacy from 9-10 still running.

Dennis DeBruler commented on John's post
Pennsylvania Ave. now occupies the RoW of the Pennsy route.
1952 Minier Quad @ 62,500

Dennis DeBruler commented on John's post
I wondered how Pennsy got here, so I accessed a larger scale map. I confirmed that what is labelled Illinois Terminal on this map used to be a Pennsy route. Pennsy had trackage rights on the IC between Maroa and Decatur. When I learned that the old grain elevator in Atlanta, https://maps.app.goo.gl/eyo9VuBzKuKHWJ4K7, was on a Pennsy branch, I wondered how the Pennsy got there. Now I Know. 1958 Peoria Quad @ 250,000


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