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Illinois Traction System - Sleeper "Edwardsville"

built 1913 

by William Hall, Chuck Zeiler, and Paul DeVerter.

 Copyright (C) 2002 William Hall. A product of Port City Car Company.

HISTORY:

        The Illinois Traction System (later Illinois Terminal Rail Road) was one of only three interurban roads to provide sleeper service. The ITS was the most successful, and provided this service for almost 35 years.             

        Originally, service was provided between St. Louis and Peoria. The "Edwardsville" weighed 74,000 pounds, and was 52'6" long with 10 sections, providing 10 upper and 10 lower berths. The car was always a trailer, and never motorized. Each section had 2 large windows, and each upper also had 2 small windows, as built. The arched portion of the lower berth windows were merely for show, as they were blocked off in the interior.

        The car had standard air brakes and knuckle couplers, and was able to be entrained with steam railroad cars. The center aisle ran the length of the car, with a men's toilet and smoking room at one end, and the other end had the women's powder room, linen closet, coffee pot, and car heating stove. The interior was dark mahogany veneer, with decorative gold leaf linings. The berths were 6'3" long. The Edwardsville differed from the other sleepers by having short end windows. The Edwardsville was badly damaged by fire in 1931, and sold for scrap in 1933. Remaining sleepers continued the service until August 1940.

Further information may be found the books THE LINCOLN LAND TRACTION by James D. Johnson (1965 author) and ILLINOIS TERMINAL-THE ELECTRIC YEARS by Paul H Stringham (1989 Interurban Press)


We hope you enjoy the ITS Sleeper Car.

3D Graphics and textures by William H. Hall
.wag files and technical research by Paul DeVerter
bounding box, .wag changes and physics by Chuck Zeiler



railway@paradesquare.ca
http://www.paradesquare.ca/railway

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