Nostalgia & History > Warbonnet at Coal City

Illinois has a legacy of many coal mines throughout the state. However, Coal City, IL, located at MP 58.2 on the Santa Fe’s Chillicothe Subdivision, has long ceased shipments of its namesake commodity. Coal City’s claim to fame on the Santa Fe was at a location known as Pequot. It was there that the Santa Fe’s joint track with the Alton (later GM&O, IC, ICG, CM&W, SP and UP) began and continued northward to Joliet. (This Alton line connected with its eastern mainline trackage just outside of Gardner. Today, UP (and Amtrak) trains no longer utilize the line from Gardner via Coal City to Joliet but rather utilize only its line directly from Gardner to Joliet via Wilmington.) The utilization of the depot in Coal City by Santa Fe’s Maintenance of Way department saved it from the fate of so many other depots on the line. On 4/28/01 a BNSF westbound autorack train lead by ex-ATSF GP60M #103 passes the depot.

Thanks for looking.

Gary Helling

ShoptonFan Wrote:

> Coal City’s claim to fame
> on the Santa Fe was at a location known as Pequot.
> It was there that the Santa Fe’s joint track
> with the Alton (later GM&O, IC, ICG, CM&W, SP and
> UP) began and continued northward to Joliet.

Is that why Santa Fe's ATC system ended at Pequot heading eastbound?

Evan,

You are correct.

Gary