South Elgin trolley museum to let visitors see vandals' damage
The Fox River Trolley Museum will offer free tours and rides this weekend for members, donors and supporters to view damage to its historic rail equipment and work areas by vandals.
Tours will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the museum, 365 S. La Fox St. (Route 31), South Elgin.
Volunteers will lead tours, answer questions, accept donations and work with those who would like to volunteer for the museum.
"It won't be anything fancy, but I can promise each and every person will get a guided tour of the damage and of the car barn," said Jeff Bennett, chief car officer.
Authorities say two boys ages 11 and 13 broke dozens of windows on the trolleys sometime between July 4 and 7 and additional damage was done to eight cars. The museum says one car had 26 windows that were punched out by pickaxes and spikes.
The boys are facing prosecution in Kane County Juvenile Court.
The museum says it had insured only four of the cars in its collection, not all of which were damaged.
In three days, the museum collected $16,000 in donations toward a $110,000 goal to cover estimated damages, officials said.
Additional donations are sought so shop crew volunteers can work on repairs and renovation.
The Fox River rail line dates to 1896. It was part of the Elgin, Aurora and Southern Traction Co. and ran about 40 miles along the Fox River from Carpentersville to Yorkville. It also was connected to the streetcar systems of Elgin and Aurora. All of the streetcar routes in Elgin and Aurora were retired by 1934, according to the museum's website.
After the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway went bust in 1961, a group of rail enthusiasts incorporated RELIC (Railway Equipment Leasing and Investment Co.) Trolley Museum, which opened in July 1966. It was renamed the Fox River Trolley Museum in 1984.
It remains open despite damage, particularly to car 458 from the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway. The museum operates on Saturdays during the summer and hosts special events throughout the year.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.