Terrific footage of the long gone I.T! Love the shots of not only the interurban cars, but the period autos and businesses seen along the street right-of-way such as the passenger stations and even the gas stations. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the footage! I'm a steam fan at heart, but ever since I saw the photo stories and occasional shots of Bill Clouser's O scale traction models in _Model Railroader_ magazine, I've been a fan of the ITR. I really liked the cars and traction locomotives with arched end windows, particularly the older ones with the tall windows. Clouser's cars were so realistic (some people first thought they were photos of the real thing) that you could practically smell the ozone from the trolley pole's contact with the overheard wire!
Saw and talked with Bill Clouser many times at Henze's Hobby shop St Louis Mo.Long ago best hobby shop in st louis area.Considered Bill Henze and wife Thelma good friends . RIP.
At 5:00, wakling between the cars without a foot plate over the couplers...never happen today, but for me, way cool! I wonder if they permitted passengers to do that as well?
No narration and background context? Who the heck can tell just what is going on? Illinois Terminal Railroad, where? Serving what towns? A video is no good without giving some explaination on its subject. Next to worthless.
Here is the chatGPT narrative: The Illinois Terminal Railroad (ITR) was an electric railroad that operated in the central part of the United States from the early 1900s until the mid-1980s. The railroad was based in Springfield, Illinois, and served a large portion of Illinois, as well as parts of Missouri and Indiana. The Illinois Terminal Railroad was unique in that it was an interurban electric railroad that also operated freight service. Its primary purpose was to transport passengers and goods between rural areas and urban centers, and it did so using a system of electric traction. The railroad was able to move quickly and efficiently due to its use of electricity, and it was also more environmentally friendly than other forms of transportation. The ITR was originally created in 1902 through the consolidation of several smaller interurban electric railroads. Over time, the railroad expanded its network to serve more communities, and it even operated a fleet of buses to connect with areas beyond its rail lines. One of the key factors in the success of the Illinois Terminal Railroad was its ability to adapt to changing market conditions. As the automobile became more popular, the railroad shifted its focus to freight transportation, which proved to be a successful niche for many years. The railroad was also able to weather the Great Depression and World War II, although it did face financial challenges in the post-war era. The Illinois Terminal Railroad ultimately ceased operations in 1982, with its assets being sold to other transportation companies. Today, much of the former ITR network has been abandoned or repurposed, but the legacy of the electric interurban railroad lives on as a testament to the ingenuity and innovation of early 20th-century transportation.
Terrific footage of the long gone I.T! Love the shots of not only the interurban cars, but the period autos and businesses seen along the street right-of-way such as the passenger stations and even the gas stations. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for posting! Extremely helpful in many ways.
Thanks for the footage! I'm a steam fan at heart, but ever since I saw the photo stories and occasional shots of Bill Clouser's O scale traction models in _Model Railroader_ magazine, I've been a fan of the ITR. I really liked the cars and traction locomotives with arched end windows, particularly the older ones with the tall windows. Clouser's cars were so realistic (some people first thought they were photos of the real thing) that you could practically smell the ozone from the trolley pole's contact with the overheard wire!
Beautiful footage. 5:29 is the money shot.......that blue and silver just goes so well together
Saw and talked with Bill Clouser many times at Henze's Hobby shop St Louis Mo.Long ago best hobby shop in st louis area.Considered Bill Henze and wife Thelma good friends . RIP.
I think this film was made in the 1940s. Steam-powered trains were shown on the GM&O, but GM&O was dieselized before 1950.
At 5:00, wakling between the cars without a foot plate over the couplers...never happen today, but for me, way cool! I wonder if they permitted passengers to do that as well?
This is really neat! 🤗
Wow nice footage gotta loved IT :)
Great video. I miss the IT.
Please... something. Commentary, sound track, something!!!!
No narration and background context? Who the heck can tell just what is going on? Illinois Terminal Railroad, where? Serving what towns? A video is no good without giving some explaination on its subject. Next to worthless.
Here is the chatGPT narrative:
The Illinois Terminal Railroad (ITR) was an electric railroad that operated in the central part of the United States from the early 1900s until the mid-1980s. The railroad was based in Springfield, Illinois, and served a large portion of Illinois, as well as parts of Missouri and Indiana.
The Illinois Terminal Railroad was unique in that it was an interurban electric railroad that also operated freight service. Its primary purpose was to transport passengers and goods between rural areas and urban centers, and it did so using a system of electric traction. The railroad was able to move quickly and efficiently due to its use of electricity, and it was also more environmentally friendly than other forms of transportation.
The ITR was originally created in 1902 through the consolidation of several smaller interurban electric railroads. Over time, the railroad expanded its network to serve more communities, and it even operated a fleet of buses to connect with areas beyond its rail lines.
One of the key factors in the success of the Illinois Terminal Railroad was its ability to adapt to changing market conditions. As the automobile became more popular, the railroad shifted its focus to freight transportation, which proved to be a successful niche for many years. The railroad was also able to weather the Great Depression and World War II, although it did face financial challenges in the post-war era.
The Illinois Terminal Railroad ultimately ceased operations in 1982, with its assets being sold to other transportation companies. Today, much of the former ITR network has been abandoned or repurposed, but the legacy of the electric interurban railroad lives on as a testament to the ingenuity and innovation of early 20th-century transportation.