Historic Railroads of Will CountyInterurban RailroadsBy 1880, the concept of electric railroads connecting cities and towns had emerged across the United States. These often were built alongside and in competition with existing "steam" railroads, but provided their areas services the existing railroads did not: more frequent passenger service, and freight or express service for customers the steam railroads wouldn't serve. Finally, these electric railroads (often owned by electric utilities) would lead to the electrification of many rural areas.
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A billboard made from a composite photo in Lockport, Illinois, at 10th & State Streets honors (but misidentifies) the interurban that once ran down the middle of the city's main street.
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Electric railroads known as streetcar lines were built to serve cities and larger towns where demand existed for additional local transportation. Electric railroads connecting two or more towns or cities were known as interurban lines. Outside of the towns they served (where they often used city streets), the interurbans would use private rights-of-way that were frequently placed along exiting highways and railways.
Most lines ran from ten to forty miles, providing more frequent service than the competing steam railroads, although at lower overall speed. Most used 600-volt direct current electricity from overhead wires, with electrical substations spaced at regular intervals to keep the power up on the railroad, and often provide electricity to the nearby community.
Interurbans and streetcars were initially constructed of wood, like the railroad passenger cars of the day, but later cars were made of steel and other metals, and later designs like the Electroliner and PCC cars took styling cues from the new streamlined equipment debuting on regular railroads.
Interurban line construction ran as much as $10,000 per mile, and most companies used only a single track, as traffic rarely required more. Passenger earnings were usually essential, as various municipal and infrastructure limitations usually restricted extensive interurban freight operations (although there were exceptions - e.g., South Shore, Sacramento Northern.)
Multiple recessions, World War I, the development of improved highways and inexpensive automobiles, and The Great Depression ended the electric railroad boom. By as early as the 1920s, improved roads and political apathy, along with the electric lines' declining physical plant, pushed almost all of the interurbans out of business. A stubborn few hung on after the end of the "Interurban Era" either because of their utility as commuter carriers, or they had enough freight traffic to survive without passengers.
All of the streetcars and interurbans that ran in Will County were abandoned or replaced with buses, leaving very few clues to their previous existence.
Most lines ran from ten to forty miles, providing more frequent service than the competing steam railroads, although at lower overall speed. Most used 600-volt direct current electricity from overhead wires, with electrical substations spaced at regular intervals to keep the power up on the railroad, and often provide electricity to the nearby community.
Interurbans and streetcars were initially constructed of wood, like the railroad passenger cars of the day, but later cars were made of steel and other metals, and later designs like the Electroliner and PCC cars took styling cues from the new streamlined equipment debuting on regular railroads.
Interurban line construction ran as much as $10,000 per mile, and most companies used only a single track, as traffic rarely required more. Passenger earnings were usually essential, as various municipal and infrastructure limitations usually restricted extensive interurban freight operations (although there were exceptions - e.g., South Shore, Sacramento Northern.)
Multiple recessions, World War I, the development of improved highways and inexpensive automobiles, and The Great Depression ended the electric railroad boom. By as early as the 1920s, improved roads and political apathy, along with the electric lines' declining physical plant, pushed almost all of the interurbans out of business. A stubborn few hung on after the end of the "Interurban Era" either because of their utility as commuter carriers, or they had enough freight traffic to survive without passengers.
All of the streetcars and interurbans that ran in Will County were abandoned or replaced with buses, leaving very few clues to their previous existence.
Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway
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Chicago & Southern Traction Co.
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Chicago, Ottawa & Peoria / Illinois Traction System - Illinois Valley Division / Chicago & Illinois Valley
CO&P depot/substation in Minooka, IL
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Joliet, Plainfield & Aurora Railway
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Joliet & Southern Traction Co. / Joliet & Eastern Traction Co.
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