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Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrapping
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Author:  Trainkid456 [ Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrapping

Hi,

Today I paid a visit to the endangered Rock Island turntable in Peoria, IL in a park north of downtown. The park is built on the site of Rock Island's Peoria shops and roundhouse. https://www.flickr.com/photos/148791086 ... datetaken/ The city wants to redevelop the land it sits on to an apartment complex. Upon inspection of the turntable and taking several photos, I fear for the future of it because it's not in the best of shape and I don't think any railroad museums would want to spend the money on it. It would be a real shame if they were to cut it up because to my knowledge it's the last remaining Rock Island turntable anywhere.

Here's some news articles regarding the possible redevelopment of the land:
http://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/hear ... rfrontPark
http://wglt.org/post/peorias-riverfront ... gnificance (Historic significance? I'd say so!)
http://thecommunityword.com/online/cwno ... ront-park/

Just thought I should raise some awareness of this.

Thomas Dyrek

Author:  exprail [ Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

Fear not.

There are moves behind the scenes to preserve this turntable at another location. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss it. Patience is a good thing.

exprail

Author:  Trainkid456 [ Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

exprail wrote:
Fear not.

There are moves behind the scenes to preserve this turntable at another location. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss it. Patience is a good thing.

exprail



That's a relief!

TD

Author:  o anderson [ Wed Jul 31, 2019 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

Does anyone know the outcome of this? I recall that there was once a railroad museum proposed around this turntable. A Rock Island Rocket diner and perhaps some other equipment was stored on or near the table. There was talk of building an 18" gauge railroad up and down the riverfront.

Not sure what happened to their equipment. Now I just wonder if the turntable will survive.

Author:  PMC [ Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

The turntable is still in place, according to the Peoria RR closed facebook page. The apartment complex that would have replaced it lost its builder almost immediately and the City Council lost interest. I have a bunch of crap Instamatic-type photos (mine were poor even for an instamatic, the the off-brand camera I got using green stamps had a shutter release that made the camera shake) of that turntable and the area around it from 1979, the last summer of the Rock Island, when I was 13.

Author:  Spoony81 [ Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

It looks like the Monticello Railway Museum is getting the turntable. It will be a great addition to the museum

https://week.com/news/top-stories/2019/ ... ront-park/

Author:  PMC [ Tue Feb 04, 2020 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island turntable in Peoria facing possible scrappin

Posted to the Peoria Illinois Railroads Trains & Shortlines closed Facebook group: "Illinois’s Monticello Railroad museum is in the first stages of moving the Rock Island’s Peoria turntable time the museum. They hope to restore and make it operational. They are seeking any information on the manufacturer and the weight ratings for the FRA to make it operational. If you have any info please message me and I will forward it. It is really cool that this will be saved. Paul Jones photo.
I worked a lot of third shifts when I worked on the Rock and one of our jobs was to take the loco off the Peoria Rocket Passenger train and turn it on the turntable and then park the train back at the depot for the morning departure."

If anyone on RyPN has any info please message me and I will forward it, the poster is the group's admin..

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