The Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric (AE&FRE), was an interurban railroad that operated freight and passenger service on its line paralleling the Fox River. It served the communities of Carpentersville, Dundee, Elgin, South Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, North Aurora, Aurora, Montgomery, and Yorkville in Illinois. It also operated local streetcar lines in both Aurora and Elgin.

History

Predecessor companies opened service in 1895 between Carpentersville and Elgin; in 1896 between Elgin and St. Charles and Aurora and Geneva; in 1899 between Aurora and Yorkville; and in 1901 between St. Charles and Geneva. In the era 1901-1906 it was known as the Elgin, Aurora & Southern Traction Company.

The EA&S merged with the Aurora Elgin & Chicago Railway in 1906 and became the new Aurora Elgin & Chicago Railroad's Fox River Division. The company was separated by order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 1923, when the Fox River Division assumed the AE&FRE name, and the rest of the AE&C (the Third Rail Division) became the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad.

Service typically operated on one-hour headways between Elgin and Aurora, with connecting service between Carpentersville and Elgin, and between Aurora and Montgomery.

Passenger service ended March 31, 1935, except on a short stretch of track used by the CA&E in St. Charles and Geneva, where passenger service ended December 31, 1937. Freight service continued on a stretch of the line between Coleman Yard (at the junction with the Illinois Central Railroad Iowa Division) to supply coal to the powerhouse at Elgin State Hospital. This service operated under electric power until 1947, and by diesel until 1972. At that time, the remnant of the line was sold to its current museum operators. Rail remaining between the current museum site in South Elgin and the State Hospital was removed in 1978.

Today much of the railroad’s former right of way is now a bicycle path known as the Fox River Trail. The Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin operates over a preserved section of its right of way.

Trackage

Elgin and Aurora streetcar systems By 1900 both Elgin and Aurora had electric streetcars on lines radiating out from downtown. Elgin had of track, the downtown area was double tracked in the 1920s. Aurora had , with double track in most of the downtown area by 1900. Aurora’s lines were often “through routes”, entering downtown on one line and exiting on another.

Since 31 March 1935, when rail passenger service was discontinued, routes in Aurora have changed, by 2013 under successor Pace little of the early city lines remained. In Elgin, by contrast, most streetcar lines are now part of longer bus routes.

Elgin-Aurora interurban line The interurban line left Elgin going south on State Street (Route 31), past the State Hospital (a.k.a. Asylum)(mile 1.8), then down the side of LaFox Street through Clintonville/South Elgin (mile 3.1). Curving east onto private right of way the line went through the freight interchange at Coleman (mile 4.5), across the river on its own bridge, and continued south to an intersection with Fifth Avenue in St. Charles. Street running started there, south to Main Street, then west across the river to Third Street, and south again into Geneva on Anderson Boulevard. At State Street the line turned east and went to Third Street (Chicago Junction, mile 11.6), where it turned south, then east, jogged south on Route 31, then onto private right of way between Route 31 and the river. A mile further south the line returned to Route 31, Batavia Avenue, street running through Batavia (mile 14.6), then on the east shoulder through North Aurora to the Aurora city limits. In Aurora the interurban used the Lake Street streetcar line on to the terminal.

As of 2025, Pace Route 801 provides bus service between Elgin and Geneva, although largely on a more western alignment. From Geneva to Aurora Pace Route 802 follows the original interurban line very closely.

Rolling stock By 1900 most Fox River area lines shared management, city car orders were often divided between Aurora and Elgin. Lists include AE&FRE, predecessors EA&S and AE&C, as well as city systems in both Aurora and Elgin.

Cars used in interurban service Interurban cars were double trucked with heavier construction than city cars. Numbers Builder Year Length Seats Notes 100/102/104/106 St. Louis 1901 48/48/44/44 200, 202 Niles 1906 48 204, 206 McGuire 1907 48 208-214 (even only) TCRT 1899 48 bought 1913, sold 1918 except 212 scrapped 1927 216-226 (even only) Cincinnati 46 bought in 1918 300-306 St. Louis 1924 52 sold 1936Car 304 has been preserved and operates at the Fox River Trolley Museum (its original line)

Cars used in both city and interurban service Some double trucked cars were used in both city and interurban service. Numbers Builder Year Length Seats Notes 148, 150 Brill 1898 36 scrapped by 1922 152 St. Louis 1898 48 156, 168 Brill 1909 36 bought second hand 170 Brill 1898 36 bought second hand 172 Brill 1898 36 bought second hand, semi-convertible 184, 186, 188 Pullman 1894-95 40 bought in 1909 190-196 (even only) St. Louis 1908 44 bought second hand, scrapped by 1922

City Cars Most city cars were single trucked “Birney” style, although a few double trucked cars were used. On arrival cars 48, 50-97, bought by AE&FRE, replaced most older cars. Numbers Builder Year Length Seats Notes 48, 50-97 St. Louis 1923-26 32 108-146 (even only) St. Louis 1897 24 154, 158-166 (even only) St. Louis 1897 28 182 Brill 1897 24 234-248 (even only) St. Louis 1913-16 - 40 Double truck 250-258 (even only) Niles 1910 24 117-127 (odd only) Briggs 1894 59 9-bench open 131-137 (odd only) Stephenson 1897 50 10-bench open 111-115 (odd only) Brill 1894 50 12-bench open double truck 141, 143, 147, 149 St. Louis 1894 72 13-bench open double truck

Preservation +NumberBuilder PhotoBuild YearLocationStatusNotes304St. Louis Car Company1924Fox River Trolley MuseumOperationalCurrently in Shaker Heights Scheme with AE&FRE patch, to be restored to original AE&FRE Colors soon 5General Electric 1946Fox River Trolley MuseumOperational7Standard Steel Car Company1927South Shore Line Museum ProjectAwaiting RestorationFormer interurban piggyback flat car from the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee306St Louis Car Company 1924Illinois Railway MuseumUndergoing RestorationIn true AE&FRE paint303St Louis Car Company 1924Northern Ohio Railway MuseumOperationalRestored in Shaker Heights paint

Connecting lines In 1920 the AE&C Fox Valley Division connected with four radiating interurbans, all were closed by 1937.

Elgin & Belvidere The Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company left Elgin from the end of the Edison Street line at Wing Street, going west through the small towns of Huntley and Marengo to Belvidere, and a run through connection to Rockford. With 9 passenger and 2 express cars they scheduled 19 trains each way with an hourly headway. Opened in 1907, it was the last to be closed to passenger service, in 1930.

Chicago, Aurora & DeKalb The Chicago, Aurora and DeKalb Railroad connected to the Aurora city system at Plum and View Streets, and went west through Kaneville to DeKalb. 3 passenger and 2 express cars made 9 trains each way in a day on a 90-minute and 3-hour schedule. Opened in 1905 with light steam equipment, it was electrified by 1910, and closed in 1923.

Fox & Illinois Union The Fox and Illinois Union Railway left Yorkville (where it also connected with the C.B.&Q) and ran straight south through Newark to Morris. Opened in 1914, two passenger cars ran 5 trains each way in a day. Grain was the major part of its freight traffic. Passenger service ended in 1924 but freight, converted to gas-electric in 1931, continued until 1937.

Aurora, Plainfield, & Joliet The Aurora, Plainfield and Joliet Railroad left Aurora on the Parker Avenue line and ran southeast through Plainfield to Joliet. Eight passenger cars operated 17 trains each way in a day, and 3 streetcars provided local service in Joliet. First opened in 1903, it was converted to 5 Pierce-Arrow buses in 1924.

Notes

Footnotes

References

External links covers all lines Aurora, Plainfield, & Joliet @ Shore Line Interurban Historical Society Chicago, Aurora & Dekalb @ Shore Line Interurban Historical Society Fox & Illinois Union @ Abandoned Rails Fox River Trolley Museum operates on ex-AE&FRE track Illinois Railway Museum owns car 306 Northern Ohio Railway Museum owns car 303 Carpentersville Railroad Relic found in Suburban Cleveland