Elgin, Joliet & Eastern- a couple of questions.

[ndbprr]

Actually Joliet was originally Juliet and the neighboring town to the north called itself Romeo.  Don't ask me why but that is fact.  When Juliet changed its name to Joliet Romeo changed its name to Romeoville.  So neither name is original to either town.

[snagletooth]

     1) Joe-Lee-ette or Jolly-ette?  I've heard it said both ways.

     2) What is the signifigance of the EJ&E, in the Chicago railorad scene?

     Thanks

joly-ette is a bad version of the original French name of Go-li-ay (the G soft, as in geez, or Za Za Gabor), and from a joke during prohobition that you could go to jollyete to get your jollies. Joliet is named sfter the French explorer who chartered the Illinois River and it's tributaries when the French owned these here parts. Jo-lee-yete is the correct American way to pronounce it. Same could be said for Sant Lu-ee, Zchum-pain, LaySal, DePlain, ect.

UP, CN and BNSF are big users of the EJE.  

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

A couple of minor corrections:  United States Steel did not unload the EJ&E until around the late 1980's, when it and several other roads were spun off to Transtar, in which USS held a minority interest.  Also, the Gary Works is alive and well and is the main facility of USS.  You may have been thinking of the South Works, at 87th Street and Lake Michigan.  Other smaller USS facilities in Joliet, Waukegan and elsewhere in the area were shut down earlier.

[Chris30]

Here's a link to an excellent "J" website that includes route map, timetable and a listing of trains running on the "J":

http://www.ejearchive.com/

CC

[ndbprr]

IT will also be used for a Metra train to hity all the burbs if they ever get their act together and start it.

[Poppa_Zit]

Well, they run a few trains a day down the Illinois River line to Equistar Chemicals in Beven and the Dresden Nuclear plant, GE, Midwest Generation, Exxon Mobil and others down at Divine. They come off the spring switch at Walker.

[TimChgo9]

Well, my grandparents grew up in Joliet. And when I was a kid both of my grandparents, pronounced it "Jolly-ette", but I have heard it both ways. (the whole "jolly-ette" thing used to get on my nerves) but, if you really want to be difficult about it, it's actually "zho-lee-ayy" because it's a French word.. but, I won't go there. 

Since I have moved to this area down here, I have taken more of an interest in the "J". I would kind of like to know more about the interchange activity. I know there is at least one BNSF stacker train a day, and a couple of UP coal freights..... I believe one of them is the one that goes to the Plaines power plant..(I think I heard that right) it comes off the "J" and then connects to the ex-GM&O that UP owns.  Of course, the possiblitly exists that I have no idea what I am talking about.....

So anyone care to enlighten us some more???  

[Poppa_Zit]

Hey, Murph, click here for a free EJE route map.

Here's the HO version: 

[Krazykat112079]

     1) Joe-Lee-ette or Jolly-ette?  I've heard it said both ways.

     2) What is the signifigance of the EJ&E, in the Chicago railorad scene?

     Thanks

1) Watch Blues Brothers. =)  (Joe-Lee-ette)

2) Similar to what KCSfan said, in a city that is distinct in being a hub and everything radiating outward, the "J" is unique in that it runs around more or less perpendicular to the radiating rail lines.  It crosses every line that enters Chicago and plays an important role in the Chicago rail scene.

[KCSfan]

     1) Joe-Lee-ette or Jolly-ette?  I've heard it said both ways.

     2) What is the signifigance of the EJ&E, in the Chicago railorad scene?

     Thanks

Murph,

It's Joe-lee-ette

The EJ&E or "J" as it is nicknamed was at one time a railroad subsidiary of US Steel. I don't know for sure but think it was actually built by USS primarily to haul steel made at their Gary, IN mill to their subsidiary users of that steel, the American Bridge & Iron plant in Joliet IIRC for one and the American Steel and Wire mill in North Chicago for another. The J may have served other USS subsidaries along the line that I have forgotten about. I think USS divested itself of any interest in the J in the late 1950's or thereabouts when the USS closed their Gary Mills and the subsidary plants I mentioned. 

For years (and maybe to this day) it was known as the "Chicago Outer Belt" because it loops around, and well outside of, Chicago from Lake Michigan at Gary on the East back to Lake Michigan at Waukegan on the North. As a result the J crosses every other railroad that enters Chicago and has interchanges with most of them. Since USS was not primarily a railroad company the J was always a bit like a "red headed step child " of theirs and they never really actively promoted the interchange potential of the J as a bypass route around Chicago. In recent years this has changed and I understand the interchange business is now booming and the J's potential as an alternate freight route avoiding Chicago is finally being realized. The J has always been a freight only road though there is currently some talk of running Metra commuter trains on some of the line west of Chicago. Others more familiar with the J than I can probably add lots more detail to this brief summary.

Mark

[Murphy Siding]

     1) Joe-Lee-ette or Jolly-ette?  I've heard it said both ways.

     2) What is the significance of the EJ&E, in the Chicago railroad scene?

     Thanks

 ( edited for spelling-yes, my computer must have spellcheck, no, I don't know how to use it.)