General
317 shared a similar history with its 1913 sister 316 but there were some divergences. It and its 1914 Jewett cousin 321 may have been the first wood cars to lose their exterior art glass arched windows in 1939 when the CA&E was repainting its wooden fleet into the blue, gray and red “Washington” color scheme according to some surviving railroad records. It also lost its “Empire” ceiling sections with a simpler squared off design. Also removed was its dry hopper toilet, gaining two more passenger seats as a result.
History
Sisters 316 and 317 were operated together as an Illini Railroad Club charter in 1955, one of the rare occasions for wooden cars to venture beyond Wheaton. In fact, on this excursion the pair visited the Elgin, Batavia and Aurora terminals, which by that time, only saw regular service with the more modern steel cars. It must have been a challenge to dodge between scheduled trains and in fact an Operating Department official was on board to oversee the special train’s movements. When the RELIC group purchased the car, it was first envisioned to have it serve as a parts source for 316 but once it arrived at the museum site it received the “Washington” blue, gray and red paint scheme. In the 1990’s a then young member took on the task of recovering the canvas roof, no small feat, and he started replacing the wiring for the interior lights. The car made a few trips to Coleman, but life then took the member on a different path away from active participation at the museum but his efforts live on.
Narrative
Perhaps true to the original plan, 317 has yielded some parts to keep 316 operable but we are confident that 21st century workarounds can resolve such issues. The car was stored in the car barn for many years until space was needed for other car restoration projects, so it was kept outside under tarps. At this time, it is the museum’s intention to restore the car to its 1939 era appearance. Of course, there may be unforeseen situations which are not apparent until work is restarted on the car. With the completion of our car barn extension in 2025, the 317 will once again be stored inside, under cover, awaiting its turn for restoration. With evaluation ongoing, work on the car depends on time, money and dedication. Having 317 once again run coupled with its sister 316 will be a grand experience only rivaled by their 1955 excursion on the CA&E.
Author: Joseph Hazinski, Curator