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Illinois Central Railroad flat car # 70573 was built by the Bettendorf Car Company of Bettendorf, Iowa. It is a typical flatcar that would have been built from about 1910 to 1930, with a steel frame and a wood deck. The pockets on the sides can be used to tie things down, or hold stakes to contain cargo. This car operated on an electrified division of the Illinois Central railroad serving South Chicago. This division, which operated on 1,500 volts DC (trolleys use only 600 volts DC) ran electrified freight and passenger service on the south side of Chicago. An Indiana interurban, the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend, used the same tracks, which are still in electric passenger service.
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This photo shows the car waiting to be relocated to one of the carhouse tracks at the Museum. (Museum Collection)
