IRM Strahorn Library

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IRM Strahorn Library Open to the public on Wednesday's 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Please check back prior to your visit for any weather-related announcements or holiday closures.

Duluth Superior transit co.Ohio Brass Collection, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn LibraryThe Strahorn Library houses th...
10/17/2026

Duluth Superior transit co.

Ohio Brass Collection, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn Library

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of the United States.

The Strahorn Library is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois. It is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are available for non-commercial purposes, and according to the “fair use” provision of the U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

October 17, 1960 - Erie Railroad and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Form Erie LackawannaThe Erie Railroad and the Dela...
10/17/2026

October 17, 1960 - Erie Railroad and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Form Erie Lackawanna

The Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad formally merged to create the Erie Lackawanna Railroad Company. The consolidation created a unified 3,000-mile system connecting New York harbor directly to Chicago's Dearborn Station, streamlining competitive freight and passenger operations. Interstate Commerce Commission, Finance Docket No. 20707, 312 I.C.C. 185;

The New York Times, October 18, 1960, p. 53.

Chicago North Western bay window caboose 11173 at the end of a grain train in September 1986. The grain harvest is just...
10/16/2026

Chicago North Western bay window caboose 11173 at the end of a grain train in September 1986. The grain harvest is just beginning and there are plenty of ton-miles to be dealt with on the North Western. The original slide is part of the Kroeger collection at the Illinois Railway Museum’s Strahorn Library.

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of North America. It is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois, is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are provided only for non-commercial purposes according to the “fair use” provision of U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

[Source: Kroeger 026-018, Strahorn Library, Illinois Railway Museum.]

October 16, 1943 - Chicago State Street Subway is Formally DedicatedMayor Edward Kelly and federal officials formally de...
10/16/2026

October 16, 1943 - Chicago State Street Subway is Formally Dedicated

Mayor Edward Kelly and federal officials formally dedicated Chicago's first underground rapid transit line, the State Street Subway, one day prior to its opening for revenue service. Financed heavily by the Public Works Administration (PWA), the modern twin-tube subway relieved chronic congestion on the elevated Loop.

The Chicago Tribune, October 17, 1943, p. 1.

Nickel Plate Road #137 Fairbanks-Morse H12-44 diesel switcher in South Lorain, Ohio July, 1960Richard L. Weiss Collecti...
10/15/2026

Nickel Plate Road #137 Fairbanks-Morse H12-44 diesel switcher in South Lorain, Ohio July, 1960

Richard L. Weiss Collection.

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of the United States.

The Strahorn Library is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois. It is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are available for non-commercial purposes, and according to the “fair use” provision of the U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

October 15, 1970 - Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1970 SignedPresident Richard Nixon signed the Urban Mass ...
10/15/2026

October 15, 1970 - Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1970 Signed

President Richard Nixon signed the Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1970, committing unprecedented federal funding over a 12-year period to rescue and modernize failing public transit systems. This legislation was highly instrumental in providing the CTA with capital to replace its aging fleet and expand operations.

Public Law 91-453, 84 Stat. 962; The Chicago Tribune, October 16, 1970, p. 3.

Duluth Superior transit co. circa 1939. Ohio Brass Collection, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn LibraryThe Strahorn Libr...
10/14/2026

Duluth Superior transit co. circa 1939.

Ohio Brass Collection, Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn Library

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of the United States.

The Strahorn Library is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois. It is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are available for non-commercial purposes, and according to the “fair use” provision of the U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

October 14, 1980 - Staggers Rail Act Signed into LawPresident Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, fundamentally d...
10/14/2026

October 14, 1980 - Staggers Rail Act Signed into Law

President Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, fundamentally deregulating the American railroad industry. By allowing railroads to negotiate private contracts and easily abandon unprofitable lines, the legislation triggered a wave of mega-mergers that radically reshaped Chicago's complex rail network and corporate landscape.

Public Law 96-448, 94 Stat. 1895; Railway Age, Vol. 181, No. 20 (October 27, 1980), p. 8.

Monon 431 is a class K-4 4-6-2 Pacific. She is shown here on train number 5, the Chicago-Louisville Express, charging t...
10/13/2026

Monon 431 is a class K-4 4-6-2 Pacific. She is shown here on train number 5, the Chicago-Louisville Express, charging through signals with an RPO, a baggage car, and four coaches. We believe the view shows the train southbound at 82nd Street on the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad.

This marvelous action shot is from the camera of J. Scribbins via the collection of William Raia and the Dillon collection at the Illinois Railway Museums’ Strahorn Library. The picture was taken in Chicago on August 19, 1946. The 431 was sold for scrap less than a year later in June 1947.

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of North America. It is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois, is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are provided only for non-commercial purposes according to the “fair use” provision of U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

[Source: Dillon 2131, Strahorn Library, Illinois Railway Museum.]

Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago & St. Louis) #441, #439, #443 Frankfort, Indiana September, 10, 1953 Richard L....
10/12/2026

Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago & St. Louis) #441, #439, #443 Frankfort, Indiana September, 10, 1953

Richard L. Weiss Collection.

The Strahorn Library houses thousands of books, tens of thousands of periodicals and more than a hundred thousand photographs, all centering on the subject of trains and railroading and all held to support research and scholarship into the railroad history of the United States.

The Strahorn Library is at 118 E. Washington Street in Marengo, Illinois. It is normally open from 10AM to 2:30PM on Wednesdays and visitors are welcome. For those unable to visit, we can provide access to our collections via telephone (815-568-1060), e-mail ([email protected]), or online catalog (librarycat.org/lib/IRMStrahornLibrary).

All materials are available for non-commercial purposes, and according to the “fair use” provision of the U.S. Copyright Law which permits use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

Address

118 E Washington Street
Marengo, IL
60152

Opening Hours

10am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+18155681060

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