Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company is a Class III railroad
serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana.
trackage between Kankakee
and Sheldon, Illinois
, when instead it was purchased by Beaverville
businessman Fey Orr to service his lumber and agricultural products industry based there. Eighty miles of the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
's trackage from just north of Donovan
and Danville
were purchased in 1981. These two lines cross near Iroquois
. The Norfolk Southern abandoned its ex-New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
trackage between Cheneyville, Illinois
(north of Danville) and Lafayette, Indiana
, which KBSR purchased in 1991. Several other abandonments occurred in the area by Class I railroad
s which the Kankakee, Beaverville were able to capitalize on. Currently, the KBSR operates about 155 miles (249.4 km) of trackage in a vaguely triangular shape between Kankakee, Danville, and Lafayette, with numerous sidings.
On July 16, 1997, company founder Fey Orr died at 85. VP Kevin Stroo took over as President of the KB&S and remains at that post today.
The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern is privately owned, and serves the various small communities it passes through and their primarily agricultural industries. In recent years it was considered unusual in that it continued to roster Alco
diesel locomotive
s decades after their builder's demise, and became all the more popular amongst railfans for it. However, in December 2003, the KB&S received a group of six EMD GP38-2M
locomotives rebuilt from ex-Chicago and North Western GP40s
. The railroad named each of these engines after employees.
The KB&S makes numerous connections to other railroads:
Locomotive maintenance is conducted at the road shops at Iroquois Junction.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana.
History
In December 1977, Conrail was set to abandon 25 miles (40.2 km) of their ex-New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
trackage between Kankakee
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
and Sheldon, Illinois
Sheldon, Illinois
Sheldon is a village in Sheldon Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,232 at the 2000 census, and 1,130 in 2009.-Geography:Sheldon is located at ....
, when instead it was purchased by Beaverville
Beaverville, Illinois
Beaverville is a village in Beaverville Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 391 at the 2000 census.-History:...
businessman Fey Orr to service his lumber and agricultural products industry based there. Eighty miles of the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
's trackage from just north of Donovan
Donovan, Illinois
Donovan is a village in Beaver Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 351 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Donovan is located at ....
and Danville
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
were purchased in 1981. These two lines cross near Iroquois
Iroquois, Illinois
Iroquois is a village in Concord Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States, along the Iroquois River. In the 2000 census, the village had a population of 207.-Geography:Iroquois is at 40°49'40" North, 87°35'1" West ....
. The Norfolk Southern abandoned its ex-New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
trackage between Cheneyville, Illinois
Cheneyville, Illinois
Cheneyville is an unincorporated community in Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois.-History:Cheneyville was founded in 1871 and platted in 1880. It was named for J. H. Cheney, the vice-president of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad...
(north of Danville) and Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, which KBSR purchased in 1991. Several other abandonments occurred in the area by Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s which the Kankakee, Beaverville were able to capitalize on. Currently, the KBSR operates about 155 miles (249.4 km) of trackage in a vaguely triangular shape between Kankakee, Danville, and Lafayette, with numerous sidings.
On July 16, 1997, company founder Fey Orr died at 85. VP Kevin Stroo took over as President of the KB&S and remains at that post today.
Operations
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s decades after their builder's demise, and became all the more popular amongst railfans for it. However, in December 2003, the KB&S received a group of six EMD GP38-2M
EMD GP38-2
An EMD GP38-2 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38...
locomotives rebuilt from ex-Chicago and North Western GP40s
EMD GP40
The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971...
. The railroad named each of these engines after employees.
The KB&S makes numerous connections to other railroads:
- Bee Line RailroadBee Line RailroadThe Bee Line Railroad is a short-line railroad operated by the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad, serving agricultural communities in northwestern Warren County and southwestern Benton County in Indiana, USA...
- at Handy, east of Ambia, IndianaAmbia, IndianaAmbia is a town in Hickory Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... - Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
- at Kankakee - CSX TransportationCSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
- at Danville and Lafayette - Norfolk Southern - at Danville, Kankakee and Lafayette
- Toledo, Peoria and Western RailwayToledo, Peoria and Western RailwayThe Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Mapleton, Illinois, through Peoria across Illinois to Logansport, Indiana, and includes a branch line between Logansport to Winamac, Indiana...
- at WebsterWebster, IllinoisWebster is an unincorporated community in Fountain Green Township, Hancock County, Illinois. It was originally known as Ramus and was settled under the direction of Joel H. Johnson....
and Sheldon - Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
- at St. Anne, IllinoisSt. Anne, IllinoisSt. Anne is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,212 at the 2000 census, and 1,247 in 2009. It is part of the Kankakee–Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical...
Locomotive maintenance is conducted at the road shops at Iroquois Junction.