Three 24''gauge Stanley rebuilt locomotives out of service and lost in the system,politics or what? Back in 1985 the Brookfield Zoo decided to remove their 24" railroad given to them by the E .L.Donnely. They said the right-of-way was in the way of the zoo's plans for expansion! For years the engines and cars sat in trains warehouse bringing the zoo with some talk of putting them back into service but never materialized! It turned out the equipment has been moved to a warehouse in Palos Hills Illinois in posession of the Cook County Forest Preserve Dist.
It sure would be great for some caring group to take the bull by the horns and reclaim these lost locomotives. Local Chicagoland people could enjoy the sight and sounds of these locomotives instead of rusting away in the warehouse never to be seen again.

Any suggestions on this topic would be appreciated to get the ball rolling.

What happened to the rest of the Zoo's train? Are all the coaches and the diesel engine stored there also? How about the crossing gates and signals? It was a wonderful train to see and ride, I miss it everytime I go to the zoo

The link to the photo seems to be corrupt. Is there anywhere else I can view the photos of the locomotives?

> Three 24''gauge Stanley rebuilt locomotives
> out of service and lost in the
> system,politics or what? Back in 1985 the
> Brookfield Zoo decided to remove their
> 24" railroad given to them by the E
> .L.Donnely. They said the right-of-way was
> in the way of the zoo's plans for expansion!
> For years the engines and cars sat in trains
> warehouse bringing the zoo with some talk of
> putting them back into service but never
> materialized! It turned out the equipment
> has been moved to a warehouse in Palos Hills
> Illinois in posession of the Cook County
> Forest Preserve Dist.
> It sure would be great for some caring group
> to take the bull by the horns and reclaim
> these lost locomotives. Local Chicagoland
> people could enjoy the sight and sounds of
> these locomotives instead of rusting away in
> the warehouse never to be seen again.

> Any suggestions on this topic would be
> appreciated to get the ball rolling.


edaville@att.net

>From where did these engines come? Or, where did Mr. Donnelly (Gaylord or son?) get them.

I have a contact at the Cook County Forest Preserve, so please give me any further information on these engines. Thanks.

ink to the photo seems to be corrupt.
> Is there anywhere else I can view the photos
> of the locomotives?


haaghistory@yahoo.com

> I have a contact at the Cook County Forest
> Preserve, so please give me any further
> information on these engines. Thanks.

> ink to the photo seems to be corrupt.

Kent, perhaps your "contact" in Cook County could
let you in to see whats left of the Sandley equip.
I had thought the steam locomotive and some other
rolling stock had been destroyed in a fire in 1985.
There were diesels however, and maybe they
survived. Please let us know what comes of this.

shootpix@hotmail.com

The Zoo steam equipment was taken out of service after the summer of 84' and the summer of 85' it was run with the CB&Q painted deisel. When the park rehab and reconstruction was inplemented after 85 the tracks were all tore out and the new configuration didn't allow for a right of way. This all had to do with the larger Big cat and wolf habitat,the new Oceanarium and restaurant on the east side of the park and the new concession buildings on thesouth side entrance with parking lot reconfiguration. I was in high school till 85 right next door and worked part time in concessions in the summer at the zoo. The equipment was stored at the zoo till about 86 or 87 and there was never a fire at the zoo property. There was alot of talk of reinstallation of it after the other work was done,which never materialized. Later I heard that the equipment was moved to the south side ( I Guess Palos ) for storage in a cook county forest perserve facility when they removed the shop building.

Later some of the cars were leased to Heston steam museum in heston , indiana. Now Heston had a fire that destoyed alot of thier equipment, I don't know if the cars were leased to replace ones lost in thier fire or if the cars leased were lost in the fire they had.

The last thing I saw and heard from some people on the subject was that the Equipment was NOT owned by the Cook county forest preserve district and was only on long term loan from Donnely to the Chicago zooilogical society ,BEFORE the zoolilogical society became part of the Forest preserve district. On the passing of Donnely the relatives wanted the equipment to be used or given back as it was part of the estate. With the equipment now in possession y cook county there was or is a legal battle over the ownership. One stateing that it was donated and the other stating it was on loan and never given ownership. And as they say posession is 9 thenths of they law. There were some newspaper articals in the local Brookfield paper and in the Suburban Times about it, around the early 90's. Not much news on it since then.

the equipment was One Sandley Atlantic , A Sugar cane engine imported from somewhere, the Mock alco s-1 CB&Q, and about twelve cars.∞

Ryoungceo@yahoo.com

> the equipment was..., A
> Sugar cane engine imported from somewhere,

I believe the locomotive you are referring to is a chunky little 2-8-0 that was a converted (and slightly Americanized) German "Fieldbahn" 0-8-0. I can't remember the make for sure--I think perhaps it is a Henschell. The lok is outside-frame and has (as I recall) "outside eccentric" stephenson valve gear. It also sports an interesting flexible driver wheelbase system using a lateral motion set up on the second and third driver axles to allow it to negotiate sharp curves.

Just thinking out loud... It's TE and flexible axle set up would do well on Edaville's curves!

The Sandley-built Atlantic had a neat "real narrow gauge gauge" look to it. A little "Baldwin like" in appearance. It wasn't your typical scaled-down amusement park version of a standard gauge 4-4-2. It carried the C&O logo on the tender. I think the German 2-8-0 had the Milwaukee Road logo on its tender. A shame the stuff is in a warehouse. Of course no telling what condition the steam engines are in today.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

You described it perfectly. I had forgotten about the Hiawatha Indian logo on the tender. I thought it was an 2-6-0 but couldn't remember. In the late seventies and early 80's. friends and my self used to sneak in to the zoo through the forest that runs along parallel to Salt Creek on the west side of the Zoo and watch the trains crossing the bridge before going through the gate into the american bison pen. The German engine did have an outside frame and was much larger than the Sandley engine. Living only a few blocks west of the Zoo. You could hear the whistle every half hour or fifteen minutes dependent on if both engines were running. Though I was told when I worked there that ALL the rail and equipment was save ( the Gates at the south enterence crossbucksw/ flashers by the Children zoo). The tressel over Salt Creek is still up and is visable in the winter from Prairie Ave.

Ryoungceo@yahoo.com