James J. Buckley (1918-1994) was one of the deans of the Chicago train buff community. He is probably best known for his work with the Electric Railway Historical Society. This organization published 49 bulletins and acquired a collection of Chicago area transit vehicles including Chicago & West Towns streetcar 141, two trolley buses, and eight other Chicago streetcars. Jim authored two books for ERHS, the Evanston Railway Company and The Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Railway, and provided inputs to most of the others.
Jim was also a major participant at CERA. He served for many years on the publication staff and, for a few years, was a director of the association. With his unsurpassed expertise in rosters and technical data, he provided material support for over 20 CERA bulletins. In the list of credits for each bulletin, his contributions earned such titles as Publications Co-Director and Roster Editor. He was the author of CERA B-84, Gary Railways; CERA B-93, Chicago & Interurban Traction Company, and wrote a major article in B-88 about the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company. Jim also contributed programs to the monthly CERA membership meetings.
Jim was particularly creative in developing and researching data sources that others overlooked. He was an expert in using bankruptcy and abandonment court records, builder's office files, and newspaper articles to check and cross check electric railway roster data. He also became an expert in interviewing employees and former employees of transportation companies to get their insights on the property for which they worked. As he traveled, he would visit libraries in the cities he visited to research the street railway and interurban operations that once existed there. Jim's records survived him and his work is still quoted in currently produced books and periodicals as the authoritative source for specific items of electric railway history.
As many railfans prefer, Jim traveled extensively to seek out information to add to the knowledge base of transportation systems. He enjoyed visiting Central and South America and became exceedingly knowledgeable about the railway networks in Mexico and Central America.
At the time of his death in June 1994, Jim was doing what he loved, researching electric railway operations. This time in Bremen, Germany.
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