Woodstock and Sycamore Traction Company

The Woodstock and Sycamore Traction Company was a short-lived interurban railroad that operated from 1911 to 1918[1] between the cities of Sycamore and Marengo, Illinois; it never reached its intended destination of Woodstock.[2] Its headquarters and repair shop were in the city of Genoa, midway on the route.[3] The 26.5-mile (42.6 km) track was never electrified, due to lack of funds, so gasoline-powered cars were used. Three 55-foot (16.8 m) McKeen cars were purchased, but the large cars proved unsatisfactory; they were replaced by two smaller Fairbanks-Morse cars.[3]

Woodstock and Sycamore Traction Company
Overview
Status	Defunct
Termini	Sycamore, Illinois Marengo, Illinois
Service
Type	Interurban
History
Opened	1911
Closed	1918
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map Line operated Line proposed but never constructed Woodstock Franklinville Union Marengo Riley McHenry County DeKalb County Ney Genoa Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Illinois Central Railroad Kishwaukee River Sycamore Chicago Great Western Railroad

References

1. "Woodstock-Sycamore Line Quits". Electric Railway Journal. 51 (17): 827. April 27, 1918.
2. Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (1960). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4014-2. OCLC 237973.
3. McGraw-Hill Company, Inc. (1918). McGraw Electric Railway List. New York: McGraw-Hill Company, Inc.

External links

• Dave's Rail Pix: Illinois includes several photos of the road's equipment.

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