Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Railway
Encyclopedia
The Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Railway, or CO&P, was an electric interurban
railway running along the Illinois River
Valley between Joliet
and Princeton
. It was one of the longest lines in the state and was unique as an isolated section of the Illinois Traction System. Intended to be a part of the planned Chicago
-Peoria
-St. Louis system, the section between the CO&P at Streator
and the ITS at Mackinaw Junction was never built, leaving the former line separate from the rest of the ITS. The CO&P provided regular service to the cities along the Illinois Valley until its failure at the height of the Great Depression
.
through Peru
and LaSalle to Ottawa
, was constructed in 1904, with an extension from Ottawa east to Marseilles
completed later that year. Two years later the line was extended in both directions, west from Marquette
to Princeton and east from Marseilles to Seneca
. Construction continued eastward, the route reaching Morris
in 1909 and Joliet in 1912, where it connected with the Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
. A branch to Streator was built in 1908.
In 1923 the CO&P became the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois Traction System, and beginning in 1924 the rolling stock used was modernized from heavy wooden combines to lightweight steel coaches. The line was lightly built and never carried much freight, depending almost entirely on passenger service. Service out of Joliet was hourly with alternating trains west of Spring Valley
terminating at Princeton and Ladd, plus two-hour service to Streator.
The first abandonment along the Illinois Valley Division ("Iv-Div") was the branch from Spring Valley to Ladd, which was abandoned in 1924. In 1929 the Streator branch was abandoned and the west end of the main line was cut back to Depue. The Great Depression proved too much for the railway to bear, and in 1934 the entire route was abandoned.
Several of the lightweight cars used during the final decade of service on the Illinois Valley Division were transferred to the suburban operations in St. Louis run by the Illinois Terminal Railroad
, successor to the ITS, and these cars operated in this service until 1958. Two of the former Illinois Valley Division lightweights, cars 62 and 64 (later ITRR 410 and 410 respectively) are preserved, 62/410 at the Museum of Transportation
and 64/415 at the Illinois Railway Museum
.
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railway running along the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
Valley between Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
and Princeton
Princeton, Illinois
Princeton is a city in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,501 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bureau County.Princeton is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. It was one of the longest lines in the state and was unique as an isolated section of the Illinois Traction System. Intended to be a part of the planned Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
-St. Louis system, the section between the CO&P at Streator
Streator, Illinois
Streator is a city in LaSalle and partially in Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as...
and the ITS at Mackinaw Junction was never built, leaving the former line separate from the rest of the ITS. The CO&P provided regular service to the cities along the Illinois Valley until its failure at the height of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
History
The CO&P was constructed in several different sections. The first segment, from LaddLadd, Illinois
Ladd is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
through Peru
Peru, Illinois
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
and LaSalle to Ottawa
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
, was constructed in 1904, with an extension from Ottawa east to Marseilles
Marseilles, Illinois
Marseilles is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,655 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
completed later that year. Two years later the line was extended in both directions, west from Marquette
Marquette, Illinois
Marquette is an unincorporated community in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. Marquette is located on Illinois Route 29 east of De Pue....
to Princeton and east from Marseilles to Seneca
Seneca, Illinois
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census.The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the...
. Construction continued eastward, the route reaching Morris
Morris, Illinois
Morris is a city in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,636 at the 2010 census.Morris is home to the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, which provides a substantial portion of the electricity supply for the Chicago metropolitan area...
in 1909 and Joliet in 1912, where it connected with the Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
The Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway, or C&JE, was an electric interurban railway linking the cities of Chicago and Joliet, Illinois. It was the only interurban between those cities and provided a link between the streetcar network of Chicago and the cities along the Illinois River Valley in...
. A branch to Streator was built in 1908.
In 1923 the CO&P became the Illinois Valley Division of the Illinois Traction System, and beginning in 1924 the rolling stock used was modernized from heavy wooden combines to lightweight steel coaches. The line was lightly built and never carried much freight, depending almost entirely on passenger service. Service out of Joliet was hourly with alternating trains west of Spring Valley
Spring Valley, Illinois
Spring Valley is a city situated on the Illinois River in Bureau County, Illinois. The population was 5,398 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
terminating at Princeton and Ladd, plus two-hour service to Streator.
The first abandonment along the Illinois Valley Division ("Iv-Div") was the branch from Spring Valley to Ladd, which was abandoned in 1924. In 1929 the Streator branch was abandoned and the west end of the main line was cut back to Depue. The Great Depression proved too much for the railway to bear, and in 1934 the entire route was abandoned.
Several of the lightweight cars used during the final decade of service on the Illinois Valley Division were transferred to the suburban operations in St. Louis run by the Illinois Terminal Railroad
Illinois Terminal Railroad
The Illinois Terminal Railroad, known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 1896 to 1982...
, successor to the ITS, and these cars operated in this service until 1958. Two of the former Illinois Valley Division lightweights, cars 62 and 64 (later ITRR 410 and 410 respectively) are preserved, 62/410 at the Museum of Transportation
Museum of Transportation
The Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
and 64/415 at the Illinois Railway Museum
Illinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
.