(rshsdepot) Plainfield, IL

["J. Henry Priebe Jr." <root_@_bluemoon.net>]

Railroad cars to sit by Plainfield depot

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1684346,4_1_JO25_TRAIN_S1-090725.article

Thanks to Alco83 in the railfan.net forum for the heads up.

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr.    Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator
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Railroad cars to sit by Plainfield depot

July 25, 2009 

By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist_@_scn1.com
PLAINFIELD -- The historic railroad depot on Lockport Street is getting some
company.

After years of planning and negotiation, the Plainfield Historical Society has
organized the move of a boxcar and caboose that will be placed near the depot
on Lockport Street.

The boxcar and caboose were scheduled to be moved early Saturday.

The depot is the last wood-framed depot associated with the Elgin, Joliet and
Eastern Railroad that is situated near active railroad tracks, said Michael
Lambert, president of the Plainfield Historical Society.

The depot dates back to 1887, but could be older, Lambert said.

He credited two volunteers in particular who spent a lot of time working on
the project.

"Besides all the people who have donated money, time and energy ... I really
think a big hand goes to George Young for first suggesting the idea, then to
Ed Brown for coordinating the effort," Lambert said.

The cars will be situated on rails as if they were connecting to the adjacent
EJ&E spur line.

"That will give some real context to the depot site," Lambert said.

In September 1999, the historical society moved the depot from its original
home on the south side of the railroad tracks on Center Street to its current
location. Volunteers have restored the depot so it can be used as a museum.

The building was mainly used as a freight depot, but did serve passengers for
several years in the early part of the 20th century. 

The Plainfield Grain Co., which built the tower northeast of routes 126 and
59, relied heavily on the depot. As road networks built out and trucking
became the favored mode of transportation, the depot was used less frequently.

It was considered an active depot through 1978, but mostly it was used as a
check post for the EJ&E workers.

Since the move, volunteers have restored the depot and installed exhibits and
displays.

"We tried to do something pretty faithful to what a depot of this era would've
looked like," Lambert said.

The depot isn't open regularly now, but Lambert hopes that will change in the
near future. This spring the society's museum at 217 E. Main St. reopened
after nearly two years of renovation. Now open regularly, volunteers hope to
expand the hours.

Ultimately, historical society members hope to build a larger, stand-alone
museum near the depot.

"We really are outgrowing our current space," Lambert said. "Our dream is to
have a state-of-the-art facility near the depot so we can really do more
justice to Plainfield's history."



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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1922
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org