The completion of track west from Aurora in 1853 and the proposed mergerof a number of lines in 1854 meant that the growing system would need to selectsites for and build appropriate repair shops and terminal facilities atstrategic points along the line. Temporary shops on leased land in Chicago were proving to be both expensive and inadequate for the system. Sometimein mid-1855, the company board resolved to obtain the necessary land, hopefullywithout cost, to build appropriate shop facilities on the east side of theriver in Aurora. Reports of the proposed construction were first published inSeptember, and by November land condemnation and compensation were beingsettled. In early December, construction had begun, but probably little morethan the foundations of the "car factory" and "machine shops" were completedbefore activities were suspended for the winter.
Construction began anew in 1856, but by July the buildings were not muchmore than half completed. The wooden car shops were completed by earlySeptember, and in October the stone cutters and masons were finishing thewalls of the roundhouse and machine shop. When the CB&Q issued its annualreport to stockholders in June 1857, it could proudly note that the "expensive Machine & Repairing Shops at Aurora have been completed, upon a scalecommensurate with the increasing stock of the Company..."
The new shops cost about $150,000 and included 7 buildings: "a RoundHouse, 264 faet in diameter or 792 feet in circumference, and 18 feet high,above the grade; Machine Shop, 180 feet long by 50 feet wide, and 32 feethigh; Blacksmith Shop, 154 by 50, and 14 feet high; Car Shop, 154 by 63 feet,and two stories in height; Paint Shop, 200 by 30 feet, two stories high;Carpenter Shop, 100 feet by 30, and an Engine Room, 38 by 24 feet... surmountedby a chimney 35 feet high, . ." By early 1857, a 90' by 40' section had been added to the car shops and several small warehouses and alumber kiln resided on the property.
The best representation of the complex following this first phase ofconstruction is a lithograph based on an ambrotype taken sometime in 1857 or 1858 (see photograph below). In this view of the complex lookingnorthwest can be seen the roundhouse with the original set of 22 stalls. The2-story stone machine shop with the single story engine house and chimney arejust north of the roundhouse. Barely visible behind the machine shop is the1-story blacksmith shop with forge chimneys arranged along the outside wall.Immediately behind the machine shop is the car shop, part single and partdouble storied. The building to the far right of the picture is probably thecarpenter shop. The paint shop was located just out of this view, next to thecarpenter shop and behind the blacksmith shop.
Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy R.R car works aurora, ILL. Photocopy of an undated lithograph based on an ambrotype by D.C. Pratt, C. 1857
Shortly after this set of shops was completed, a major bank failure inNew York City produced a financial panic which placed the nation in a milddepression until the early stages of the Civil War. When the CB&Q issued itsannual stockholder's report in June, 1858, the effect of the down-turnedeconomy had barely been felt. The next 2 fiscal years, however, were a gooddeal more somber for both company officers and stockholders: no dividends werepaid, and revenues were off by as much as 30%. Not until the end of the1860-61 year was recovery apparent. During this period only minimalexpenditures were made by the company, although in 1858-59 over $5,000 wasspent to add 8 stalls to the Aurora roundhouse.
The Civil War strengthened the general economy of the North and railroadsplayed a major role in the movement of troops and supplies. In addition to ageneral increase in business created by the war, 30 of the company's freightcars were taken over by the Union Army under the authorisation of GeneralGrant. Replacing these cars and other equipment became a top priority. Inthe summer of 1863 orders went to outside firms for 15 additional locomotivesand perhaps as many as 200 cars. Construction within the company's shops at Aurora and Galesburg was also stepped up during that same year, withapproximately 200 grain and merchandise cars being built.
Major increase in the traffic carried by the road placed heavy demands onrepair and construction facilities, and during the first 3 years of the War anumber of additions were made to the Aurora complex. A machine shop was addedto the car shop, a copper shop constructed, and an addition made to the dryingkiln in 1860-61. During the next year a few minor improvements were madeincluding an oil house and a snow plow house. More extensive improvementswere made in 1363. The locomotive department added 2 fire-proof buildings, one between the roundhouse and stone machine shop, and the other between themachine shop and the wooden blacksmith shop, A shop for mending T-rail andstoring iron for this department was also built. The car department alsoexpanded, with construction of a shop for bending truck and other iron, astore-house, and a paint shop, as well as an extension to the car machineshop. Over $18,000 were spent during these 3 years on improvements atAurora.
The war-time productivity of the shops was dealt a severe blow inmid-December 1863, when the stone machine shop was seriously damaged by amajor fire. Both because of the snow and ice on the roofs of adjoiningbuildings and their stone and iron construction, the fire spread no further.The machine shop and its contents, however, accounted for losses of nearly$250,000, including damage to the building itself, major pieces of machinery,the stationary engine, a first-class locomotive, parts of several others underrepair, and virtually all of the company's wooden construction patterns (whichwere stored in the second story of the building). Immediately following theblaze, company officials announced that the shop would be rebuilt as a 1-storybuilding with some enlargement to its area. The shop was rebuilt using theoriginal walls of the first story and the engine/boiler room wing was expandedslightly. No specific references have been found related to thereconstruction of the machine shop, but it is assumed that it was rebuilt thefollowing year.
Other improvements during the last years of the War included a 701 foot artesian well to supply water for the locomotives and stationary engines, anengine house for the car department, a new coal house, a fence around thecomplex, a new brick kiln, and a frame storehouse for the purchasing department;. Sometime late in 1865 or early in 1866, the final 10 stalls wereadded to the roundhouse making it a complete circle.
The company's major interests at the end of the Civil War were directedtowards railroads moving west across both Iowa and Missouri. In 1868, bridgesover the Mississippi River were completed at both Burlington, Iowa, and Quincy,Illinois, thus linking the CB&Q with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad inMissouri and the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in Iowa. Although bothof these companies and the Burlington and Missouri Railroad operating inNebraska were separate organizations, the major stockholders and board memberswere intertwined to such an extent that the "Burlington system" was alreadymuch larger than it appeared on paper. In 1872, the CB&Q formally leased theBurlington and Missouri River Railroad providing it complete control of theroute across southern Iowa. Three years later the 2 companies wereconsolidated into a new Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company. TheCB&Q was the largest railroad operating in the state of Illinois in 1871, andwas looking towards the day whan it would hold a similar position in otherstates.
The growth in the the number of trains operated by the system during "thisperiod meant that repair and construction facilities had to be expanded tokeep up with the demand. In 1858 the road operated 58 locomotives, 103 by1864, 122 in 1868, and 165 by 1872. Since at least half of these wereassigned to Aurora, the single roundhouse proved quite inadequate,Consequently, in 1867 the company decided to investigate the possibility ofbuilding a new shop complex either in Aurora or in Chicago. After somedifficult negotiations with the City of Aurora, additional lands were obtainedand a major improvement program was begun. A second roundhouse 270' in diameter with 15 stalls was constructed in late 1868 or early 1869. This alsobecame inadequate quickly and the construction of 25 additional stalls wasbegun in the fall of 1871 and completed before June 1872.
An increase in the number of locomotives handled at Aurora dictated thatenlarged facilities for fuel supplies would also be needed. In 1856 thecompany began experiments with coal as a replacement for wood. Moreexperiments were conducted in 1858 and by 1865 there were few wood burnersleft in the system. Efficiencies in the handling of coal now became the chiefconcern and a Kerr Patented Coal Chute was installed in 1869 to facilitate boththe delivery of coal by wagon and its transfer to locomotive tenders.
Locomotive construction was also taking place at Aurora by the late1860's and such activity required new and improved foundry capabilities whichwere completed in late 1871. This building, 184' by 62' with a 97' by 62' el took the place of an earlier foundrythat had been displaced by the new roundhouse. The arrangements for theoperation of the new foundry were fairly unusual. The railroad owned theland, buildings, and fixtures of the foundry, but it was operated by aseparate firm, Bouton and Co. No written agreement existed between the 2companies, but the foundry furnished the CB&Q with all necessary car,locomotive, and tender truck wheels, as well as a variety of other castingsneeded for locomotive and car construction. The railroad paid set prices forthese items, and in return the foundry bought old wheels and other castingsfrom the CB&Q for a specific amount. Exactly how long this arrangement lastedis unclear.
The Aurora car department handled about 50% of the car-related businessfor the railroad. The shops produced the first sleepers for the line in 1858 when they remodelled 2 regular passenger coaches. They also built cars forPullman, including one of his early "hotel" cars, City of New York, in 1866and the first American diner, The Delmonico, in 1868. In 1871, the shopsbuilt 100 passenger cars, and did major overhauls to 146 passenger, mail,Pullman, and way cars. The following year, the car department built 2 parlorcars for the Pullman Company and 3 day cars with new heating and ventilatingsystems for the CB&Q. Several postal cars were constructed at the shops in1873. Freight car activity was even more extensive: they built 395 of thesecars in 1871 and performed minor repairs on 2,100 box cars and 800 flatcars.
Like the locomotive department, the car shops were also improved tohandle the increasing traffic of the road. A new blacksmith shop for the cardepartment measuring 90' by 200' was completed in 1870 at atotal cost of over $48,000. A separate brick pattern shop, 85' by 40', was also constructed in the northwest corner of the complex in1872 and a coach shed was added in 1871.
Fire was always a serious threat to any manufacturing firm in thenineteenth century and a railroad shop complex with numerous forges, furnaces,flammable materials, and operating locomotives was particularly susceptible tothis danger. To guard against this potential problem, the shops acquiredtheir own fire engine in 1872 to supplement the engines available in the City.Despite these precautions, a fire broke out in the paint shop on May 18, 1873,which destroyed that building and then spread to other wooden structures on thegrounds. The car department lost almost everything, including the paint shop,coach shop, carpenter shop, store house, dry sheds, lumber office, dry kiln,freight car shop, machine shop, and tin shop. The locomotive department also suffered major losses including the complete destruction of the blacksmithshop and brass foundry. The locomotive machine shop and engine room whichwere attached to the blacksmith shop were not damaged because of their stoneand iron construction. The company put the loss at $224,000, part of whichwas covered by insurance.
Company officials announced shortly after the fire that new shops would bebuilt immediately using plans the company had been considering for severalyears. In late May and early June, James Walker, President of the CB&Q, wasin Boston conferring with directors about the reconstruction. A. Walbaum, alocal builder, was given the contract for the work which was to be completedin 60 days. Foundation and brick work was begun in July for the locomotiveblacksmith shop. The roof of this building was completed in October andnormal activities were resumed by the end of that month. Construction of theother buildings followed a similar schedule: brick work and the erection ofroof trusses for car shops were in progress late in October. These buildingswere finished in 1874 and included a wood working shop (300' by 80'), an attached engine room with 124' chimney, and a carshop and a coach shop (310' by 80' each). Two transfertables were also placed between the car, coach, and wood working shops. Thedesign of the car shops was similar to the car blacksmith shop constructed 2years earlier, with walls 22 1/2' high surmounted by wooden rooftrusses. The new blacksmith shop and car engine house had iron roof trusses,and all new buildings except the engine house had slate laid in mortar onboards as a roof covering.
It was extremely fortunate for the CB&Q that the shops were reconstructedas rapidly as they were, for in the fall of 1873 a financial panic initiated a nation-wide depression that lasted 4 years. The CB&Q made it through thesedifficult years, but not without major reductions in employment and wages, astrike, and greatly reduced expenditures for facilities.
Economic prospects for the railroads brightened in 1878, with increasedtraffic and renewed thoughts of westward expansion. In 1880, the Burlingtonand Missouri Railroad in Nebraska was formally consolidated into the CB&Qsystem allowing traffic to run from Chicago to western Nebraska completely oncompany-owned rails. That same year a decision was made to push on to Denver,and in the fall of 1881 the enormous building effort began. Denver wasreached in May 1882; construction crews had covered the 247 miles in 229 days.Remarkable as this effort was, it coincided with massive efforts by othercompanies to expand their trackage. More new track was laid by Americanrailroads in the years from 1880-1887 than in any other comparable period before or since.
Economic recovery also resulted in the company being caught in shortsupply.of appropriate rolling stock. In 1879, they began a large rebuildingprogram that resulted in substantial output from the Aurora shops over thenext year. Sight passenger and 448 freight cars were built, and nearly 500additional cars were rebuilt. Another 2,200 cars of various types receivedminor repairs in the shops, In the locomotive department, at least 5 newlocomotives were completed and tank frames were constructed for another 19engines. Over 5,000 car and engine wheels were pressed off and nearly 18,000were fitted on axles. In 1880, the Aurora shops fitted 50 passenger cars withan improved version of the Westinghouse air brake, and in 1884 150 carsreceived the newly introduced Janney coupler. Need for improved service in hauling fruit long distances resulted in the construction of special cars forthis purpose that would run with passenger trains.
This substantial increase in rolling stock, coupled with increasingdemands for rail service, necessitated additional and more powerfullocomotives, and the company began building and ordering engines in largequantities. Between 1873 and 1893, the CB&Q built approximately 300locomotives in their own shops and ordered at least that many from outsidelocomotive works. The Aurora shops built nearly half of these includingAmerican type 4-4-0's weighing up to 55 tons, 0-4-0's, and 0-6-0 switchers.The shops also designed and built the CB&Q's first Mogul 2-6-0 locomotives.The locomotive department at Aurora was involved in other types of heavyfabrication needed by the line as well: turntables were constructed here beginning in 1882, and some bridge girders may have been produced also.
A variety of improvements in the Aurora complex took place at thebeginning of this period and planning was begun for a number of others. In1878 a new coal shed was added to the back of the locomotive department'sstationary engine room, improving the efficiency of that operation. That sameyear the furnace in the blacksmith shop was rebuilt, the stone floor of thelocomotive machine shop was re-leveled and repaired, and an oil storage shedwas erected for the car department. Major effort was put forth in 1878, also,in remodelling and modernizing the 2 roundhouses. The older roundhousereceived a completely new roof including iron trusses and slate covering.Portions of the inside walls were rebuilt and the exterior stone walls wererenovated by masons. A new boiler house with a 40' chimney was addedto the newer roundhouse to provide heating for both buildings. Water and sewersystems were also improved with lines being run from the river so that water could be pumped directly for cleaning purposes. Enlarged drain lines were runto the river also.
The only other major improvements during the period were prompted byfires. On January 24, 1882, a car shed was damaged and a director's car,dining car, 6 passenger cars, several freight cars, and a large quantity ofseasoned walnut lumber were burned as well. In December 1886, the woodmachine shop of the car department was destroyed by fire, although the Corlissengine in the attached engine house was only slightly damaged. By January1887, plans were announced for a modern brick replacement for the old machineshop. The new building was 130' by 77' with machinery onthe first floor and a pattern shop, cabinet shop, and light wood working areaon the second floor. Large windows to improve the lighting, a very low pitchedroof, and indoor water-closets were believed by the company to be an indication of the modern design of the structure. A final fire, in March1888, destroyed the paint shop of the car department. Although plans for itsreconstruction were discussed in late 1889, the building apparently was notrebuilt until the summer of 1892. The new paint shop was 310' by 148' with a cement and gravel roof.
As part of the general upgrading of the roundhouses in 1878, plans weremade to rearrange and remodel some of the machine shop and blacksmith areas ofthe locomotive department. These remodelling plans, developed in the fall of1878, seem to reflect the company's interests in saving money during the finalstages of the national economic depression. It was proposed that the blacksmith shop of the car department be moved to the boiler shop end of thelocomotive blacksmith shop, thus consolidating steam hammers, forges, and allblacksraithing work in a single place. The vacated car blacksmith shop was slated to become a large storehouse, something that was apparently badlyneeded at the time. The boiler shop would be moved to a new, more convenient,area between the roundhouse and the original machine shop, and car machineshop activities would be located in a new, small, addition between theblacksmsith shop and the original stone machine shop. The remodelling workwas budgeted at $15,000, but the company expected to save $500 per month in labor costs as a result of the changes.
The economic recovery that began in early 1879 may have caused companyofficials to reconsider the shop consolidation plan, as many of the proposedadditions to the locomotive shops were not carried out for a number of years.These plans do, however, provide important clues into the operation of boththe shops and the railroad, and perhaps most importantly give us an accuratedescription of the complex at a single point in time. The correspondenceoutlining the proposed changes and savings are accompanied by a large siteplan of the yards measuring approximately 8' by 2' (see images below).
Map accompanies a series of letters regarding modifications to the Aurora shops written during the later portion of 1878. Aurora shop scale 50 - 1'
Map accompanies a series of letters regarding modifications to the Aurora shops written during the later portion of 1878. Aurora shop scale 50 - 1'
Map accompanies a series of letters regarding modifications to the Aurora shops written during the later portion of 1878. Aurora shop scale 50 - 1'
The boom period that had begun in 1879 ended abruptly in 1893 with anothermajor nationwide financial panic and depression. Track construction,locomotive building, and improvements in shop facilities slowed for about 4years. Prospects brightened in 1897, the company started locomotive buildingagain, and plans were developed to absorb a number of small and medium-sizedlines that had been associated with the CB&Q system, but never owned outright.These acquisition plans went forward in 1899 and were finalized in 1900. Atthe same time, James J. Hill, who already had major interests in the GreatNorthern and Northern Pacific Railroads decided that direct control of one ofthe major lines into Chicago was essential for the overall prosperity of hisrailroad empire. He was not the only one to be interested in the CB&Q, butafter several major stock-buying attempts, Hill emerged on top and formallytook over the line in May 1901.
Hill's expansive nature influenced the actions of the CB&Q over the next15 years and more trackage was laid and additional railroads were acquired. In1908, the CB&Q purchased the 1,900 mile-long Colorado and Southern line givingthe company control of the main route from Denver to Houston. Several yearslater track was laid in Montana and Wyoming, providing a direct link betweenGreat Northern and Northern Pacific lines in the northwest, and CB&Q andColorado and Southern lines in the Great Basin and Southwest. In 1916, theCB&Q reached its peak mileage with over 9,300 miles of track under its direct control.
The CB&Q increased its rolling stock tremendously during this time period,both by ordering equipment from outside manufacturers and by building cars andlocomotives in its own shops. Company shops, however, simply could notproduce the numbers of locomotives needed by the CB&Q and other manufacturers had Co be relied upon to produce the majority of the new equipment. TheBaldwin and the Brooks locomotive works supplied the CB&Q with over 400Prairie-type locomotives between 1900 and 1907, and Baldwin built another 281engines for the line between 1910 and 1917. Between 1395 and 1920, companyshops built about 380 locomotives, of which 142 were constructed at Aurora. InJune, 1916, the company had 1,753 steam locomotives in operation. Passengerand freight cars continued to be built at company shops, although in 1908, forexample, the CB&Q received 1,000 50-ton drop-bottom gondola cars from theBettendorf Axle Co.
Information on activities at the Aurora shops during the first 2 decadesof the twentieth century is sketchy. In addition to the construction of anumber of locomotives, an experimental steam motor car was built for the GreatNorthern in 1906, and the shops tested both passenger train speedometers andtrack block signalling devices. The car department developed an oxy-acetylenewelding procedure to build up the worn parts of car truck, pedestals. The costof the process was reported to be quite small, and amounted to substantialsavings over the price of new pedestals. This department also devised aprocess for reworking old metal roof sheets into a new and improved box carroof design. At this time, the first section of the wheel bay in thelocomotive department was enclosed and an addition to the boiler room wascompleted. A large fire in 1915 destroyed the main storehouse, its contents,and 9 freight cars.
The 1920's saw the American railroad system reach its peak. Major railexpansion did not take place, but it was a period of improvements in track andfacilities. Heavier rails were laid along main lines and many bridges werereplaced with more substantial spans to accommodate heavier locomotives and cars. Additions were made Co almost every roundhouse on the line; at Aurora,a new roundhouse replaced the second old roundhouse. One of the largestprojects at Aurora was the elevation of the main tracks through the city.Discussed as early as 1905, approved in 1914, the massive project was startedin 1915 and not completed until 1923. The elevation, promoted by the city andfinally accepted by the railroad, did away with 13 street crossings andallowed express-trains a faster passage through the city. A largeinterlocking tower to control the extensive Aurora yards was erected in 1924,a new coaling station was built in 1921, and a new electric power house wasbegun in 1922. The most important development during the twenties, however,was a major shift in the activities of the shops.
Expansion of the CB&Q system in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and otherportions of the West brought with it the need for major shop complexes otherthan Aurora and West Burlington. Shops at Havelock, Nebraska had assumed majorresponsibility for western repair and construction in the 1890's, but a majorshift in facilities occurred in 1924 with the completion of the huge complex atDenver. In addition, the size and weight of many of the newer locomotivesexceeded the capacities of older facilities like the original Auroraroundhouse. As a result of these developments, the old locomotive shops atAurora were converted into a new Manufacturing Department. The last of theengine pits in the old roundhouse were closed in 1925, and the turntable wasremoved at about this point in time. Most of the roundhouse had been and wouldcontinue to be used as a forge shop for producing a wide variety of partsneeded in the construction and repair of both locomotives and freight cars.The "manufacturing" nature of the shops is evident in the organization andoperation of a rod and valve motion production shop established in 1925. Although the car department produced substantial numbers offreight cars in 1924 and 1925, very few were constructed after 1927. OtherCB&Q shops took up the freight car activities and Aurora assumed majorresponsibility for the construction and repair of passenger cars.
Accompanying these shop rearrangements was a desire by the company tocentralize and provide greater control over the enormous quantity of partsthat were needed to keep a major railroad running. In 1925 and 1926, the CB&Qbuilt at Aurora what was thought to be the largest railroad storehouse in theUnited States at a cost of over $400,000. Floors of the building wereconnected by ramps, not elevators, and a huge outside overhead crane connectedthe storehouse with a multiple-track siding.
The depression of Che 1930's forced additional reorganization of the shopcomplexes: the Plattsmouth car shop closed completely and locomotive work atHavelock was transferred to Denver and West Burlington. Aurora does not seemto have "lost" any activities at this time and may have gained in some of theconsolidation moves. Air brake repairs were centralized here and in Havelockin 1932, and Aurora assumed responsibility for all air compressor work on thesystem that same year. Following development of the streamlined Zephyrs inthe early 1930's, all wheel and axle work for these units was done at Aurora.Despite these activities, the lean years can best be demonstrated by notingthat in 1932 only 5 cars were constructed for the CB&Q - all at Aurora.Passenger car building and rebuilding did go on at the Aurora shops duringthis period. Air-conditioning was added to cars, and a variety of suburbancoaches, smoking cars, baggage and dining cars were built. The only majoralteration to the shops was the replacement of the coach shop, which wasdestroyed by fire in September 1931.
By 1940, the economy had improved and construction of cars andlocomotives was again occurring in company shops. The war economy provided anadditional boost to railroad prosperity, but when the war ended the railroadshad to adjust to rising labor costs, stiff competition from other forms oftransportation, and automation in many of the shop and running trades. TheAurora shops continued to concentrate their efforts in manufacturing parts forthe entire system and in the building and repairing of passenger trainequipment. The major decline in railroad service, particularly in thepassenger areas forced the company to close the Aurora complex in 1974.Demolition permits were issued in 1975 and 1976, and all buildings except theoriginal roundhouse and back shops were taken down.
