Equipment Information

North Kankakee 116 is a rare example of a pre-Birney single-truck car. After World War I the Birney single-truck safety car became ubiquitous, but before that it was common for streetcar builders to sell homegrown designs for single-truck streetcars. Car 116 is one such example. It ran between Kankakee and Bourbonnais, Illinois, until streetcar service on the line ended in 1932, at which time it was made into a shed. The car body was acquired by IRM in 2003 and is in storage awaiting restoration.

Builder: McGuire-Cummings Mfg. Co.
Year Built: 1917
Length: 32ft 3in
Width: 8ft 6in
Brakes: Straight Air
Motors: 2 GE 258
Trucks: McGuire
Description: Double End / Single Truck / Arch Roof / 1-man/2-man
Arrived: 2003
Condition: Incomplete / unrestored / not operational

Photo gallery

Ownership History
1917-1932 – North Kankakee Electric Light & Railway
1932-2003 – Privately owned, Kankakee, IL (shed)
2003-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

Click to return to Streetcar roster
Click to return to main roster page