The Streamliners were a fleet of three
streamlined
Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow.
They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady flow, steady.
Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the f ...
electric multiple units built by the
St. Louis Car Company for the
Illinois Terminal Railroad in 1948–1949. They operated primarily between
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
and
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...
in the late 1940s and early to mid-1950s. They were the last
interurban
The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...
cars manufactured in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Design
The
St. Louis Car Company constructed all three sets.
Each equipment set comprised three cars. The cars were constructed of fluted aluminum and were painted in a royal blue paint schene.
Each car was independently powered by four General Electric 1240A2 traction motors, producing each, and this allowed for a top speed of .
These traction motors were supplied with traction current via overhead wires, reaching the unit through a trolley pole.
The twin axle bogies for the sets were manufactured by
General Steel Casting's.
Service
The streamliners represented a last attempt by the Illinois Terminal to regain lost passenger traffic and were the first new passenger cars the railroad had ordered since 1918. The Illinois Terminal began teasing the new streamliners in 1947, but did not announce the order until May 1948. Its original plan was to place all three in service between St. Louis and Peoria.
The first new train in service was the ''City of Decatur'', which began operating between
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
and
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur ( ) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
(not Peoria) on November 7, 1948. It was the first through service offered by the Illinois Terminal between those two cities.
By March 1950 all three sets were in operation. The other two, the ''Fort Crevecoeur'' and ''Mound City'', were on the St. Louis–Peoria route as originally planned. All three trains offered
parlor and "
À la carte À, à ( a-grave) is a letter of the Catalan, Emilian-Romagnol, French, Italian, Maltese, Occitan, Portuguese, Sardinian, Scottish Gaelic, Vietnamese, and Welsh languages consisting of the letter A of the ISO basic Latin alphabet and a ...
"
dining
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in a ...
service. The two streamliners made the trip in 4 hours 40 minutes, forty minutes faster than conventional
interurban
The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...
s on the route.
Poor patronage led the Illinois Terminal to withdraw the ''City of Decatur'' in August 1950; the equipment was reassigned to the Peoria run.
The new service was named ''Sangamon'', which was the railroad's original choice in 1947.
All three sets were withdrawn by 1956 when passenger service on the Illinois Terminal ended.
See also
*
Electroliner
Notes
References
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Further reading
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External links
* {{commonscat-inline, Streamliners (Illinois Terminal Railroad)
Illinois Traction Terminal Collection McLean County Museum of History
Electric multiple units of the United States
St. Louis multiple units
North American streamliner trains
Train-related introductions in 1948