"Prairie Thunder" stops at Bloomington

In the heat of the day, Illinois Central 908, with the local Kankakee, stops to take water at Colfax, Illinois. The crew is taking a little time to chat with the IC agent. In 1956 there was agent and a small station in all the little towns on the branch.

By Jeff Woodward

The enthusiasm of railroading fans, researchers, and collectors shows no signs of wavering, and the change in season signals no exception to the rule. Excursion trains are all the locomotive rage and rail museums are operating in all parts of the country. In Bloomington, site of the Chicago and & Alton Railroad's main shops from 1934 to 1950 and once the city's largest employer, folks are taking a locomotive trip into the past by way of an exhibit, recalling the rich history of the railroad here on the prairie. The McLean County Museum of History offers a great opportunity to relive the magic of the rails.

The exhibit, "Prairie Thunder: 80 Years of Midwestern Railroad Photography," presents images that convey a Midwestern story. The photos "are not simply train pictures, but aesthetically captured moments of human and historical interest," says Mike Matejka, guest curator.

Illinois Central 908 heads east from Bloomington, on the branch to Kankakee, near Barnes, Illinois. This is a typical branch line train, crossing the cornfields and connecting small towns at a very moderate speed.         photographs by Bruce Meyer, copyright 2005.

The photos are from the Pantagraph newspaper archives, taken by Steve Smedley, photojournalist. Photos taken by Bruce Meyer, a Chicago electrical engineer retired from famed locomotive builder Electro-Motive Corp., chronicle the 1950s. To the delight of curator Susan Hartzold, the museum has seen a steady flow of patrons through the exhibit since it opened in late September. To coincide with the opening, the museum hosted Craig Pfannkuche, genealogy archivist for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Historical Society. Said Pfannkuche, "Sadly, the tracks are now almost gone. The only way I can keep that time alive is through history and historical archives research." Dr. Linda Nieman, author of two compelling railroad memoirs, also talked about her 22-year career as a railroad conductor on the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Amtrak Railroads.

Yes, railroading is alive in Illinois, even today. The Prairie Thunder railroad exhibit will be open through January 29, 2006. All aboard!

22 |ILLINOIS HERITAGE