BLACKHAWK RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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      • Joliet >
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      • EJ&E Documents
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      • Regional, Short Line and Industrial Railroads
    • Santa Trains
  • Store

ABout blackhawk

Blackhawk holds monthly meetings that are open to the public and feature programs about railroading's fascinating past, interesting present and encouraging future. We also publish a bimonthly newsletter, the Spike & Tie, that covers local railroad news and history, along with updates on Blackhawk meetings, projects, special events, news and business.

A chapter of the National Railway Historical Society since 1969, Blackhawk includes working and retired professional railroaders, historians, railfans and those who simply enjoy trains. If this describes you, we invite you to join us.

We work with local communities, groups, historical societies, other organizations and the press in developing and promoting events and projects that recognize the railroad's significance and history. See our projects page to see what Blackhawk is doing to preserve railroad history and promote railroading's future.

All correspondence (other than membership) should be addressed to:
  • Blackhawk Railway Historical Society
    2009 Boehme St.
    Lockport, IL 60441-4611
or please E-mail us.

Board of Directors, Appointed and Elected Officers
  • Bill Molony - President
  • open - Vice-president, Program Director
  • Bobbie Molony - Secretary
  • Michael Riha - Treasurer, Webmaster
  • Bruce Haffner - Director at Large
  • John Eagan - Director at Large
  • Peter Viall - Membership Chair
  • Bill and Bobbie Molony - Newsletter Editors​

About our name...

Picture
CB&Q's streamlined "Aeolus" departing Chicago Union Station with the "Blackhawk"
When founded in 1969, the original members decided to use the name Blackhawk in reference to the 19th century Native American tribal  leader of the Sauk named Black Hawk, who led a defense of their territory covering a wide stretch of North and Northwest Illinois, Southern Wisconsin, and a part of Eastern Missouri;  as well as a nod to the mid-20th century Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger train of the same name, as the group interests did not only apply to the immediate Chicago area, but also to the vast network of railroads throughout the Midwest that fed into Chicago, making it the "Railroad Capital of the World."
Picture
Picture
Amtrak, resurrected the Black Hawk name for a state-sponsored service that ran through Rockford, Illinois to Dubuque, Iowa on ICG's Iowa Division from 1974 to 1981.  Efforts to restore service began in 2007 and continue to this day, with the Illinois Department of Transportation looking to establish a new Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque route using Metra's Milwaukee Road-West district and a connection to Union Pacific's ex-C&NW line through Belvidere, IL to get to Rockford.  (Amtrak photos by John T. Riha)

We support IDOT and Amtrak's efforts to restore this service.

About Chicago Railroad History Month...

In 2018 the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS), embarked on an effort to recognize October as “Chicago Railroad History Month”.  On October 24th of 1848 the first railroad train piloted by the locomotive “Pioneer” left the foot of Kinzie and Canal Streets traveling west to the Des Plaines River.   Our goal was to recognize that pivotal moment in the city’s history and to promote the idea of a greater celebration in 2023, the 175th anniversary of that first train.
Click on the link below to download our letter explaining our role in promoting Chicago Railroad History Month.
2023_information_letter.pdf
File Size: 278 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For more about Chicago Railroad History Month, click here

Find out more about Blackhawk...

Join Us
Newsletter
Meetings
Indiana Swap Meet and Program
50th Anniversary Gallery
The Railroads of Will County
Contents © 2022 Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, Inc. - an Illinois not-for-profit corporation.  
The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, Inc. is a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society  and  is not affiliated with the former Blackhawk Films or the ​Chicago franchise of the National Hockey League.  

Contact Us

  • Home
  • Schedule
  • About Us
    • Join Us
    • Newsletter
    • Meetings
    • Chicago Railroad History Month
    • Indiana Swap Meet and Program
    • 50th Anniversary Gallery
    • The Railroads of Will County >
      • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
      • Chicago & Alton
      • Chicago & Eastern Illinois
      • Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
      • Elgin, Joliet & Eastern
      • Illinois Central
      • Michigan Central
      • The Milwaukee Road (CM&G/CTH&SE)
      • Wabash
      • Shortlines and Industrials
      • Proposed Railroads
      • Interurban Railroads
  • Projects
    • Chicago Railroad History Month
    • Depots >
      • Joliet >
        • History
        • Passenger
        • Railfan
        • UD Tower
      • Symerton
      • Lockport
    • Museums
    • Publications and Documents >
      • EJ&E Documents
    • Community
    • Equipment
  • Connections
    • Railroad History Partners
    • Local Railroad Attractions
    • Regional Museums & Heritage Railroads
    • Model and Garden Railroading
    • Operating Steam Locomotives
    • Today's Railroads >
      • Regional, Short Line and Industrial Railroads
    • Santa Trains
  • Store