Peoria Station

In the previous installment, we analyzed scheduled airline service, and interest by a myriad of air carriers. Now, we look at various happenings during the year 1948. First, it should be mentioned that two months before 1947 closed, Springfield’s new Capital Airport was added as a stop on existing American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Air Lines routings which included Peoria. The new facility was managed by the Springfield Airport Authority, an independent municipal corporation enabled by a 1945 Illinois law to own and operate airports in a designated area. A NEW MANAGER Dwight Rohn desired to devote more time to his Rohn Flying Service, so the Park Board replaced him with DeWitt Collins, who had previously served as manager from 1934 to 1942. Collins was born October 29, 1901 in Winthrop, Iowa. An aviation pioneer, he heard about a plane crash near Cedar Rapids, bought the parts for $100 and had them hauled by truck 40 miles to his home where he re-assembled them int...

A Peoria guy visits O'Hare! There are almost 24 minutes of video here showing selected arrivals to Runway 10C at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport between 0800 and 1700 Saturday, July 29, 2017. Highlights include nine 747s, most foreign widebodies, an American Airlines 787-9, a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11, two FedEx DC-10s and a WOW Air A-321 from Reykjavik, Iceland! Most scenes were shot from the same location, but I had to improvise on three occasions. - David P. Jordan

The last installment of this series covered airport improvements which were made following the restoration of scheduled passenger flights and establishment of an Air National Guard base. Now it is time to cover growth in local passenger flights during 1946-1947 . TWA – INTERNATIONAL CARRIER Most of you remember TWA, or Trans World Airlines. The carrier, created by a merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express in 1930, began using the “Trans World Airline” moniker on January 1, 1946. The carrier officially renamed itself “Trans World Airlines” in 1950. Before going on, we need to discuss regulation of the airline industry. The Civil Aeronautics Authority Act of 1938 created the Civil Aeronautics Authority, which absorbed non-military responsibilities of the Bureau of Air Commerce, created in 1926 as the Aeronautic Branch of the US Dept. Commerce. The CAA became the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in 1940. CAB was given the authority to regulate air fare...

The last installment of this series covered the restoration of scheduled commercial airline service at the Peoria Municipal Airport. Now we’ll cover some subsequent airfield improvements. Although touted as one of the most modern airfields in country when American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Air Lines resumed service on May 1, 1945, the airport was unable to handle night flights. The issue was resolved when flush contact and range lights were installed on all runways in the spring of 1946. Plans for a control tower built atop the airport’s weather bureau office also began to move forward at this time. Tower construction, however, would not begin until late-December 1947. In addition, the Park Board desired “No. 4 Skyport” designation by the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA), which required extension and widening of runway 12-30 from 100′ to 150′ and extension from 4002′ to 5000′. The 3,603′ East-West runway, 8-26, was also widened from 100′ to 150′. These improvement...

The previous installment of this series covered efforts to improve Peoria’s Municipal Airport so that commercial airline service could be restored. Now, we will detail the actual restoration of service in 1945. RESUMPTION OF FLIGHTS In 1942, the Air Transport Command was formed to coordinate air freight and passenger service with the airlines. Personnel involved with the war effort were given priority, thus limiting air travel for the general public. By early 1945, an Allied victory over Nazi Germany seemed assured so commercial airline service could once again primarily cater to the general public. Since both American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Air Lines retained Peoria on their respective operating certificates, the only hurdle prior to resumption of flights was completion of a new terminal. By early April, representatives of the two carriers agreed to resume flights on May 1, 1945 as that was the estimated completion date for the terminal building. A Peorian...

The previous installment of this series covered scheduled airline service at Peoria Municipal Airport from 1932 to 1937. Now we’ll cover efforts to restore service.   NEW MANAGEMENT After commercial airline service ended July 16, 1937 a citizens’ committee quickly organized a petition drive proposing the maintenance and operation of Peoria Municipal Airport by the Peoria Pleasure Driveway & Park District. The petition, if successful, called for a special election to approve a tax levy for funding improvements. A total of 5,775 signatures were presented on August 18, 1937 but the Park Board deferred action pending a report that was presented on September 1. A favorable vote set October 5 as the date for an election. Voters approved the tax levy, and Peoria Airport Inc. stockholders subsequently agreed to transfer their ownership of the airfield to the Park District and cooperate with the transition. The good news was that a tax levy would bring in $75,000 a year for f...

I finally made it to St. Louis this morning (July 21) to capture brewery rail operations. Foster Townsend Rail Logistics, or "FTRL Railway," a subsidiary of Patriot Rail, has operated Anheuser Busch-owned trackage since October 2, 2011. FTRL replaced the historic Manufacturers Railway Company. The FTRL crew used PNRW 1451, a GP15-1 painted for ex-sister Piedmont & Northern Railway, to run engine lite across South Broadway at 0657. At 0721, it pulled seven empties from A-B's "Barley Cleaning House." I stuck around awhile longer because I noticed three loads sitting in the FTRL yard. Sure enough, 1451 shoved these cars across S. Broadway at 0815. It left engine lite at 0821. I lingered again because I suspected the warehouse needed switching...and I was correct. Beer shipments by rail ceased in March 2011 as A-B prepared to transition from Manufacturers Railway Co. to FTRL Railway. Four years later, A-B resumed limited rail shipments (via Union Paci...