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A collection of useful resources, email links for officers of the society,
and links to web pages related to the Illinois Terminal.

Quick Links

Officers of the Society

Discussion Groups

Books In Print

Books Out of Print

  • The Illinois Terminal Railroad: The Road of Personalized Services by Dale Jenkins
  • The Lincoln Land Traction by James D. Johnson
  • Illinois Traction System: The Electric Years, Paul Stringham
  • Traction Guidebook For Model Railroaders Edited by Mike Schafer
  • Traction Planbook Edited by Hal Carstens
  • Album of Cars 270 & 271 by John Harrigan (Reproduction Fuzzy)

CERA Bulletins (In Print and Out of Print)

  • CERA Bulletin 7 – Annual Report of CERA for 1939 (Early Years reprint)  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 19 – Annual Report of CERA for 1940 (Early Years reprint)  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 28 – Illinois Terminal RR, Class D Locomotive
  • CERA Bulletin 31 – Annual Report of CERA for 1941  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 32 – Map of Traction Lines, Central States  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 34 – Springfield (Ill) Transportation Co.
  • CERA Bulletin 43 – Annual Report of CERA for 1942
    (Included in Modernization of Car 15 and Other Early CERA Bulletins)  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 49 – Annual Report of CERA for 1943  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 55 – Album of Illinois Traction Cars 270-271
  • CERA Bulletin 58 – Annual Report of CERA 1944  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 59 – Timetables, Electric Railways of the Central States  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 77 - The Illini Trail: CERA Annual Report of 1947  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 78 - Electric Car Trucks  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 80 - Electric Car Orders, 1906-1947  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 82 – Illinois Terminal Railroad Streamliners
  • CERA Bulletin 83 – Illinois Terminal Railroad Streamliners Part II
  • CERA Bulletin 87 - CERA Album of 1949  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 92 - New Developments of 1950  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 98 – The Illinois Traction System
  • CERA Bulletin 99 – The Smaller Electric Railways of Illinois
  • CERA Bulletin 125 - The Colorful Streetcars We Rode    ???
  • CERA Bulletin 126 - A Rainbow of Traction  ???
  • CERA Bulletin 129 - Not Only Passengers; How the Electric Railways Carried Freight, Express and Baggage

Historical Sites – Locations Along the IT

  • The Decatur Transfer House
    (Illinois Traction Society member and author, H. George Friedman, Jr.'s, web site tracing the history of the Decatur Transfer House.)
  • Illinois Traction Trail
    (The ITS Trail will extend from Staunton through Sawyerville to Benld.  The trail will connect with the existing Benld - Gillespie trail and with the trail now being built from Edwardsville to Staunton.  It is envisioned that the ITS Trail wil stretch generally along the former Illinois Traction System right-of-way. It is also a vital link in the stae-wide attempt to link St. Louis and Springfield by trail.)
  • Leclaire Rail
    (This was a terrific collection of rail photos from the Edwardsville, Illinois area including many rare views.  There were some real gems on this site. If anyone has any leads on the original source photos, we would be happy to host them!)
  • Twin Cities Traction
    (Illinois Traction Society Member and Author, H. George Friedman, Jr.'s, web site in progress discussing the street railways of Urbana and Champaign, Illinois.  His research into the early career of Illinois Traction System founder and visionary, William B. McKinley, makes for fascinating reading.)

Historical Societies –Interchange Carriers with the IT

    Auburn

    • Chicago & Illinois Midland (née Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis)

Magazines

Museums

  • Connecticut Trolley Museum
    (Illinois Terminal PCC 451)
  • Illinois Railway Museum
    (One of the premier operating museums in the country and repository of several Illinois Terminal artifacts including Mainline Combine 277, Coach 518, Sleeper "Peoria", Business Combine 233, Business Observation 234, Class "B" 1565, Alton car 101, Illinois Valley car 415 and Line Car 1702.  The museum boasts of two operating demonstration railroads: the 5-mile long mainline laid on the vacant right-of-way of the Elgin & Belvidere Electric railway, and the mile-long streetcar loop.
    The museum also hosts their Annual Trolley Pageant. On July 4th, 2004, they ran an IT train with Class B 1565 and Office Cars 233 & 234.  View images and videos from the Pageant. )
  • Monticello Railway Museum
    (Illinois Terminal Speeders and partially built on the IT right-of-way.)
  • Museum of Transportation
    (Mainline combine 241, Class "B" 1575, Class "C" 1595, Alton car 104, Illinois Valley car 410, Grafton railbus. The museum now boasts an operational demonstration line detailed in the volunteers site.)
  • Museum of Transportation - Trolley Volunteers
  • Ohio Railway Museum
    (Illinois Terminal PCC 450)

Photos & Postcards– Online

Photos – Commercial

Sounds – CDs and Records

  • Railroad Record Club
  • Stan Griffith CD

Movies – Videos, DVDs & Film

  • "Mid-America at Mid-Century", 40s – 50s Memories of Raymond Vecchie
    (IT Section & Lambert Airfield).  They also have three other videos of
    interest to Central Illinois railfans.  All are available from:

    • Revelation Video
    P.O. Box 129
    Tallmadge, Ohio  44278
    Phone: 330-630-9817 (9am - 9pm Eastern time)

  • Illinois Terminal Railroad - Pentrex
©Illinois Traction Society, This Page Updated July 9, 2022