The Silvis Locomotive Shops: From World Class To Near Abandonment 

Hopefully we can see some new railroads be created in the future, weather they be shortlines or class 1’s. You’re welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Really enjoyed this video! I am a nostalgia railfan, missing the ICG, GM&O, Seaboard System, KCS amd others. I used to railfan with a now departed friend from Austin, Bob Hicks. He was a RAILFAN, and he taught me much about railroads. I still like to catch stuff like this. Thanks again.

@@markmccord1876 You're very welcome. Glad I was able to provide you with a blast from the past, and I'm happy you enjoyed this video!

​@@Southern_Plains_RailfanUP and SP merger needs to be broken up

What amazing memories to have. Thank you for sharing!

HELLO NASTY JOE from "supercarman/engr rodgers

Thank you, I'm glad you liked the script. I hope to see the shops be revived too; what an amazing thing that would be!

Could you please tell me more about what its like to be a diesel mechanic working for a railroad, because that is what I want my career to be someday.

It was the hottest, dirtiest, coldest, heaviest, most dangerous work I have ever done. And I have worked on everything from lawn mowers to cars and trucks, farm equipment to material handling, semis to locomotives. If you have the passion, get as much training as you can. There may be apprenticeships available. Working for an actual rail line likely has better pay and benefits as well as working conditions. I basically worked in a junkyard salvaging useable parts. Hope that helps and I didn’t turn you off to your dream.

@@deanmeyer1815 No, you haven’t turned me away. I’m actually going to college for diesel mechanics right now, and I do hope to work for an actual railroad not a salvage company.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Working for an actual rail line should have a lot better conditions and proper tools and training. I wish you all the best. Maybe we'll run across each other some day at the Silvis yard when they have the museum going.

@@deanmeyer1815 Thank you. Wouldn’t that be something!

If I understood the video correctly, it was not lost but abandoned and recently purchased for restoration.

@@marioxerxescastelancastro8019 The site has been purchased for restoration, but millions of dollars will almost certainly be required just for environmental damage mitigation. The ground is saturated with diesel fuel, and more than a century of old lubricants, both liquid and solid, with have to be dealt with. There will also be asbestos from old tubing, lead, and mercury residue from coal. Those are the most obvious things. I am sure there will be other issues as well. As I said in my first post, I wish the restorers well. I would love to see them succeed.

@@randyrobey5643 I hope they do not waste money on environmentalism and focus it on repairing the locomotives and infrastructure.

@@marioxerxescastelancastro8019 They will have to fix the environmental issues by Federal and state law. Environmental laws vary from country to country. In the United States, trying to open and operate a business on a site like this without addressing environmental issues will prevent them from getting permits to do any other work.

@@randyrobey5643 Then USA sucks.

You’re very welcome!

Yeah, it can’t all be saved unfortunately.

So the point end of the wye went out over the ocean? That’s so cool! The tracks might be gone in real life but at least you’re preserving what used to be there. Have you thought about making two models; one for you and one that could be donated to a local museum. I’m sure lots of people would like to see sights of yesteryear as well.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan so. It’s a triple decker that includes two branch lines operated by the gulf coast lines (at Louis Brownsville and Mexico) era 1910-1935, with them being connected by the Brownsville sub Bloomington yard, which the third branch line interchanges the brownie and is served by southern pacific. I actually have three wharfs that go out into the bay and one the prototype was over a half mile long. My main freight moved is seafood, cattle, and cotton, and it’s entirely all small steam, in fact two of the branch lines were served by the latest running 4-4-0 either in the state or country finishing its career sadly in a wreck in 1946. The layout takes up half my home, and has another room that’s my depot and operations office, I want to move out of this home and eventually reconfiguring and turning the entire home into a musuem/club layout. But hey I’m young and it’s been a next to 0% progress because the money hasn’t been there lately.

Me too, I’d love to see it renovated!

I've got Rock Island decals on my miniature railroad cars passed down from my father. I'm compelled to have one autographed by someone at the current yard for the sake of respecting the perpetuity of a historical American icon.

That’s really cool! Do you think NRE will take them down, or do they not really care?

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan they probably havent even noticed them tbh

NRE also left the Rock Island Dixmoor Shops/Yard , which was handover spot with Blue Island to Eastern railroads.

Wow, that’s a very stark contrast compared to the security when I was there. I was able to just walk right up to the locos. No one ever said anything or even approached me. I know I was seen by Iowa Interstate employees, but no one called the cops or asked me to leave. That being said, I don’t condone or encourage anyone to go wandering around the shops. That’s super cool that your grandpa worked there!

Where did you live and what was your family's name? My family (my moms clan) was the Keefe's. My grandpa, C.C., worked for the Rock Island from around 1935 to 1977 when he retired

@@KGnasty1 we lived in silvis, moline, carbon cliff and dads family lived on campbells island. I was born in 84 and grandad died 2 years prior to my birth at 42 years old.

That’s what I’m thinking…

there is a rr historical society moving into the exact space, so its not over yet!! they have up 3985, 6936 coming there.

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed. Don’t worry, at least one of them will be saved. CNW 7009 is in the process of being purchased by the Illinois Railway Museum!

That’s wonderful news!

Aaron, yes 5 miles from my house. I have been watching that turntable for past 20 years - as O’Hare modernization changed everything in area. The old Iowa Pacific stored their E9 locos and cars further north, on west side of Elmhurst Road (west of O’Hare). That old shop area will have new Tollway (west O’Hare bypass) above it.

Thank you! Sorry, I have no idea where that crane could be.

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed. For sure, hopefully Silvis can be revived.

Thank you! I just walked right up to the locos. I don't think anyone cared all that much. I know I was seen by Iowa Interstate workers in the adjacent yard, but no one ever called the cops or approached me to tell me to leave. That being said, I wouldn't recommend or condone anyone else galivanting around Silvis. I'm glad I was able to bring you a new perspective on the place, though!

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan it is being revived as you said but a vintage railroad restoration shop. to start using it I belive or heard so it continues to service and rebuld historical railroad equiptment but I remember reading about the silvas shops in railway up to date 1907 its a great read for a prospective of turn of the century buildings and railroad practices as well as shop demensions and equiptment makers if your into vintage machines or things used to care for rollingstock and steam locomotives or build them ground up from the frame.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan guess your lucky security didn't catch you

Thank you very much!

I'm glad to hear that 7009 was safely delivered, along with all the equipment from UP. Hopefully they get the Challenger up and running within a few years!

What problems does being in Illinois pose?

You’re welcome!

Yes, it will take a lot. IDK if the land is bad enough to be a superfund site, but it’s still pretty bad. That’s cool that the Spenser shops got turned into a museum.

The IRM got it operational? That awesome!

You’re welcome!

Do you think there’s any connection between your family and the town’s name?

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan I don’t think so. We’re all from Pennsylvania via Germany. Saw the Oregon trail and thought it was too much bother. So we waited for cars to be invented. Then waited another 80 years just to be safe and migrated out.

It’s already doing great! This is my most viewed video two times over.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan haha im happy for you 😁 probably gonna be a 100k + views video mark my words XD

@@evobsm2328 Lets hope so! 🤞It’s already over half way there and so far you’ve been right.

Glad to hear that it’s being preserved

Thank you. Yes, lots and lots of googling. Lol

Thank you!

Well said

Wow, that’s unfortunate that so much history was lost.

Facts

I bet if you ask a trucker about that small fee every time they fuel up they might have a different opinion about how small it iI. Meanwhile it's way more than greed that causes the railroad to cut off its nose to spite the face. As global logistics evolved, railroads wanted to be the key component in surface transportation and in order to do that, they had to either redesign their infrastructure or minimize their operations so as to not hold them back. A lot of the railroad infrastructure was still based on carload service with hump yards and local switchers. Global logistics needs neither of those services and, while they still make money for the company, they are not part of the long term plan. To add to it, the absurd process of PSR where combining 2 and 3 trains into a single mega-train is becoming more and more common, yet the disasters from it are cascaded by its size. But it is not done evolving and we have not seen the last of self-destructive acts by railroads in the name of global logistics evolution. If there's anything we could have done was to go back 60 years ago and force railroads into a rail banking program for every major artery or corridor before they could begin to destroy their infrastructure beyond repair.

I can’t argue with you as an independent trucker myself. Its awful what some of these guys are willing to haul freight for. But coming from a railroad family, I also understand that today’s railroads are their own worst enemy. Gone are the days of servicing small customers. The railroads give so much work away that they can’t be bothered with. I actually know guys that team drive for a parcel service from the Northeast to the west coast. They are highly paid teamsters. It says a lot about the railroads management that they have lost some of this lucrative hotshot freight. If they cared about their customers as much as everyone worries about the stock price, they’d be a lot better off. The real railroaders that knew how to get things done are long gone.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you so much! I will be doing more content like this come winter when it’s to cold to be trackside. Omg yes, it sounds a chop saw! Lol The ‘46 turbine is worm drive but I don’t remember if it’s double worm drive. Will do! I don’t plan to stop any time soon.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan awesome bro. Really looking forward to them. you're a good man :)

@@muir8009 Thank you 🙂

Thank you!

Yay! So glad to hear.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Yes, just happened last week. The Silvis turntable pit was only 85 feet, so it will have to be enlarged to fit the 105 feet turntable donation. That longer length should fit the UP Challenger ! The Illinois Railway Museum (Union, IL) has the large 135 foot turntable from the Rio Grande RR (Denver) donated by Union Pacific. They need to raise addition $$ for installing and New Roundhouse. The 135 foot will fit the UP Centennial they have.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you very much!

That'd be awesome if they rebuilt the turntable! Hopefully they have the funds to do it.

J

Sweet

Thanks for the update.

Sounds like the T&P had it coming from all angles during the 70's! Thank you for sharing this history.

I had no idea they were being delivered. I’ll try my best to be there!

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Alrighty :3 Besides... man.... can't wait until 3985 is fully restored, and this time more properly of course than the one back in from the late 1970's to 1981. =3

@@jimmyhook4852 I hope 3985 sees as much use with RRHMA as it did with UP.

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Indeed. :)

Lol, not a bad idea

It was sold to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America. Silvis will be it’s new home.

Just a series of financial setbacks and unfortunate events I guess. I’m sure the Silvis shops would be alive and well today if The Rock never went under.

Yes, it is.

So I’ve heard. I’m glad it got saved.

I’ve never heard of the Oaklawn shops. I’ll take a look at them on google, though. Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed!

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan ya it’s a pretty similar thing there. C&EI was a local short line around the coal fields near Danville I’ll .. Eventually folded into the old Mopac, then family lines , then onto CSX Was a good little RR , now just another Fallin Flag. They also had a nice passenger depot in Danville now a construction co owns the property. There is a C&EI historical scocioty in the old Roseville depot maby they have more info

@@ricksadler797 C&EI wasn't really a "short line." The main line ran from Chicago to Evansville, Indiana. There was also track that went toward St.Louis, but I think part of that route was over the NYC. L&N gave their passenger trains to the C&EI at Evansvile. My parents and I would spend some Saturday evenings watching the passenger trains at the depot on Fulton Avenue. As a kid I used to ride my bike to the C&EI yard and Wansford and sometimes get to ride with the hostler around the engine terminal. L&N at Howell was never as friendly as the crews at Wansford.

@@wgc53217 my grandfather was a dispatcher in Danville then transferred to Evansville just before the mopac turnover

@@ricksadler797 What was your grandfathers name? I hung around the L&N DS office in Evansville, both the ones at the old depot and the newer ones in the building at Howell. I probably met your grandfather during one of these visits.

Yeah, I was just thinking of the shops and yard as a whole. Compared to places like Bailey and Barstow, the Silvis yard is tiny! Lol

@@Southern_Plains_Railfan Heck it's not even the biggest in Illinois there are several in Chicago that are bigger think PROVISO (CNW) Bessenville(MILW) Clearing (BRC) Barr(B&O) and Blue Island (IHB) and the real whopper in Illinois Galesburg (CB&Q)

Can’t compare apples to oranges. In its day, it was a huge facility. Literally 100 years later other facilities are larger. But then again 100 years ago 36 and 40 foot cars were the norm with the occasional 50 footer. . Now, 50 footers are overwhelmingly the minimum length with 54, 60, 80 foot cars mixed in are prevalent.

So I’ve heard. Very glad to see it being saved.