This past weekend the amazing electric railway collection of the Illinois Railway Museum was featured in Trolley Weekend, which appears to replicate the former Electric Saturday of Members Weekend but on two days. Several rare operations occurred this day, and the debut of Shaker Heights Rapid Transit with a restored Eclipse fender was also featured both days.

We need to thank IRM volunteer Frank Kehoe for completing this restoration, as part of Frank Hicks' restoration team. It was a rather amazing weekend, from what I gathered, and mother nature obliged electrically with a lightning bolt to the overhead and signal system during the overnight hours. This report is based on the Hicks Car Works blog:
https://hickscarworks.blogspot.com/

I hope to go next year for the next electrifying weekend and perhaps another debut. Fox River 306 is getting very close to completion.

I believe Diesel weekends have existed for a while, and steam is always the headliner when it is out. A true steam weekend would need to have the American Creosote #4 traversing the trolley loop hauling short trailers, or some other guest mini locomotive.

That's an Acme fender, constructed so it can be folded upwards entirely out of the way of the coupler when two cars are coupled. Eclipse fenders can't be folded this high, and their leading edge is a roller about 3" in diameter that extends all the way across the fender. Acme fenders don't have this roller.

The location of the Illinois Railway Museum is in Union, Illinois, There is no East Union.
Please correct the heading.
Thanks.

A typical map, or a typical internet mapping "app", may not show "East Union" in Illinois, but it actually does exist.

The Illinois Railway Museum's "Elgin and Belvidere Railway" has a location named "East Union" on its railway map. East Union hosts the main passenger station on the railway's "mainline". "East Union" is found about one mile or so to the East-ish of "downtown" Union, Illinois.

This is just one location on the mainline that I was expected to know when I took the "Rules Test", many moons ago.

Regards,
Bob
- Former IRM volunteer

The site address for IRM on their official web page is 7000 Olson Road, Union Illinois 60180.

https://www.irm.org/

Interesting about the Acme company fender. Where does one find out about such nuances?
The IRM team has called it an eclipse, so they may use some support, and perhaps drawings. they have spare parts for another, not in good shape.
I stand by the geographic association.

East Union is a railroad name. As opposed to a U.S. Post Office name. Railroads often gave names to points on their line, not recognized elsewhere. These may have included depots but, may not have. I have absolutely no problem with this thread being described as being at East Union, IL. As for the actual name of the fender on the interurban, well, another story.

Les

Agreed. Railroads named "places" for a variety of reasons - an existing town, a customer, a geographic feature, a farmer, a flag/whistle stop that needed a name with which to be referred, etc. Sometimes, depending on location or other factors, civilization grew around such named places or simply became a "census designated area". Sometimes the names stuck or faded into obscurity. Look at old employee timetables. Those well help you locate those places by milepost.

My carrier named a 'Yard Limit' for me when I retired. I am certain there are crews and MofW wondering why it is named as it is.

For me to know and for them to find out.