, 1872-12-06
BLOOMINGTON, ILL.

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.
The Shops Of the Chicago & ST. Louis
Railroad.
B1oos1Sa1o., ILL.,, Dec. 8, 1872.
Few, il any, Of the lesser cities of the State
possesa as great railway interests as Blooming
ton.
Besides being the centre of q splendid system
of railways, composed Of the Illinois central
the Chicago & st. Louis, with its JacksonVlile
and Missouri extensions; the Indianapolis,
Bloomington l. Western; and the La fayette,
Bloomington d Mississippi Roads, it il also the
point at which are located the extensive
machine shops and car works OF the Ch1cago'
Alton l. st. Louis Company.
Through the courtesy Of A1r. J. E. McA1ulln,
General Superintendent Of the Road, and hi. J.
#. Jnckman, Superintendent of Machinery, an
enabled to make the following description OF
these shops: ...
It will be remembered that, in the fall OF ct, |
fire occurred in the shops, which destroyed
mnny of the buildings and much Of the valuable |
machinery. Their removal from this point was |
at that time seriously contemplated by the Com
pany, and Chicago, sprinfeld, and Alton, each
made large offers Of moneys, lands: and BONDS
to secure the shops. But the liberal AID
| offered by the citizens OF THIS CITY, COM
bined with the central location Of bloomington
on the road and the expense and delay incident
to the removal, induced the Company to COM
mence the re-erection Of the shops at this polnt.
During the five years since the tire, they nave
completed thirteen new buildings, an OF yones E
iron trueses Of the most perfect des,gn, ana
lighted with gas, as also roning.mll for the
| use OF the road, of no mean Dimensions.
acres s Of groand a occupied by these shops, wa
accompanied by Mr.. Frank White, superln
tendent Of the Pattern Department; and I Do
not know that can pursue my description WITH
detail just where We went, and, as fur as posi-
BE. what Mr. White and the various heads OF
departments informed me as We PASSED along.
We began our journey With the e. store ore ana INC ,o On
and two stories in height. On the first noor Is
the general store-room of tue Company, n
charge Of Mr.. Robert Bell, The stock under his
cs Sonss5 aa5 Of 2d.a sqRpRes HRqrR including al
wood and coal, car-wheols, and foundry Work,
amounting to an average value OF S5zo,ooo
Passing from this floor to the second.story,M M We
Of the building, on either side Of which were
the Offices Of the heads Of the operating and mo-
chanical departments Of the road, whose names
foowa O. Vaughan A5sstant sseqsr sqRen- sraep
! intendcnt Of Telegraph; J. 4. Jaekman, super
intendont Of machinery; R. Renin, IS SuPeriR- 6 Z
tendent c,!. Of the aa: Car Departments and d. f.
B3sta fSen 'hea lis h's,3sSla saans We vent .ts .ttss
tae fas LONG eaf BY IS sH H}as. It IS Of stone with
wroughtSiron, open-comb root covered Wit WITH
= slate. A. more imposing manufacturing Btruc-
:. :. ture, whether viewed from the exterior or the
interior, is seldom seen. It is heated by steam,
: lighted with gas and is provided as are AZ Il the
shops With n1n 4 tb yoad ara
Tbe 0i ohalaeter Of the rolling-stock is suf-
i dcient evidence that the employee s'-,,a N N
= in the country Mr. White informed mo that the
= Company had introduced into the construction
~ Of their passenger coaches all the recent I'M
IS provemens, thereby hoping to on maze 4n;s eGsF'
- Just beyond this shop, and separated from It
=, by transferable, is the building Of the
~ ~ paint department, which is duplicate OF the
,s SIS SIS feet tp' in length. ibis building contain.
tha thinning R''ns rooms sneP' ana the nsts1E.l
The paint shop is very imposing 1 r9om n91n, T
building like the car shops, is heated With steam
u aud provided with water-founts at either end
| to which are attached fre-hose. Seven track
- enter this building from trans1e[-table, wlncl
- - connects them with the same number IN the ca
Hb th shop opposite = -.
planning and car machine @ rah SHOP pfoof inns IS
e. if ia Furnished with planners, shaping, moulding
T. and mortising machines, matchers, scroll-sawf
;+ and every conceivable piece OF machinery neGgs @
III am sary to complete an extensive planning mill n
as' car machine, shop is in the south end OF tn
u building. Mr. White informed me thatther wer
skilled machnsts employed II II ta tbs ;9o a'
'ha %a planning, turning, boltcutting, drilling an
10 punching. and brass ornamentations tor cars.
re- Wo next visited the elegant engine room
- wherein is located an s0-horse Corliss engln
of r.7arf rfranT
ne moves so silently that, if one had not seen Z
~ ~ powerful machinery it operates, he Would
me aimost persuaded that it possessed little powe
This engine s also used to drive the 1al's 1of u
- foundry and smith shop.
a., ~ Crossing q portion Of the syyitch-yard, ;
~ ~ came to the foundry, the main building Of Tm
md is 18o by 60 feet with hn31a;nrs az mshaP
a. a. constructed Of iron and etone and are titt
Re- with six large cranes for tho moving OF hea
me me castings two cupolas, and two conc ovens.
ia White informed me that it was one OF me n?
i o complete foundrieB in the country, and certa'
ras Of t the foundry is the blacksmith shop, bui!
q stone aid iron ds 24 feet es l9ng b Bes 19 wi
dban9 very sygd e'gsn gaaspte ths Egng anV
,an IN c' could' hardly believe AIr. White that t
III III building We had entered was used I
'nis ~da that purpose: It is fitted With 50 forges
~ ~, furnaces, and steam hammers, one
nss which strikes 5000 pounds Water pipes {
II . tend around the inside Of the building, and
| .sr fan 1r1va hJ
een 1uiBee Ieeo1'T -; 1 =; -arfact in avery e,
ung 5 as5 In6o Ea6 ~ r;..1 .i4I =, tha World.
to~ was most interested in visiting the mach
;nto shop. This at present is in brick building,
np feet long and 20 wide. building Of sto
ling anu non, zoo aet ~ :oa ~ for anime boil
Inf Of and pattern rooms, each 45 by 50 feet: Amo
Alr. tpe nany pissee 'aa y. ,oet ;n+arested IN
hen, tne1e, naI 1as, 4sI;c1 +,rna t1yo wheels
Of once turning of long spirala of steel and r.
lad, sonetles a?1e ~ ~ tGUe hn;Her ahnn
Nos 1.o There are three round-houees on the groun
%hs *hs ali Of stone and iron and each containing
stalls.
aens the oil house. the dry house, the brass found
had anu lua eeuo1AA d. A@0