ILLINOIS CENTRAL GULF
WELCOME TO THE MAINLINE OF MID-AMERICA
The Illinois Central's main station in Chicago was Randolph St.
Station. Later located under the Prudential
Building, seen on the right. All IC suburban trains were electrified in
the 1920's. These bi-levels cars replaced
the original cars in the 1970's. During a 1979 cross-country Amtrak trip,
I spent a day in Chicago and on
May 1, 1979 I walked along the edge of the IC tracks in a park to capture the
morning action.
Same location as above, but looking the other way.
Randolph St. station also hosted the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend
Railway. Their cars dated back
to the 1930's, but remained in service until the mid-1980's.
Having discharged its passengers, this short train backs out for servicing.
Another set of 'Highliners', as these cars were known, heads inbound.
Yet another train at the 12th St station, the first one out of Randolph St.
Most of the original cars were stored for a time before being
scrapped.
A Highliner, stored boxcars and an approaching South Shore train.
First of two back-to-back inbound trains.
The second train has four powered cars and a trailer.
Here is the trailer car, 205. At this point I elected to go for a ride to
Michigan City, Indiana aboard a
mid-morning local. With a nothing ventured, nothing gained approach, I
asked if I could ride up front
with the engineer. They were very polite and accommodating.
A quick view of the older IC cars. They still looked in decent shape.
I can't recall the names of these stations, but we have an approach signal here.
This switcher with a odd cab roof is on a work train. Many new ties were
in evidence for the
spring trackwork.
A northbound coal train with a SD40 leading two Geeps.
Meeting another inbound local.
A South Shore local at a junction (the Blue Island branch??).
At Kensington, the South Shore crosses over the IC tracks and heads toward
Indiana.
If you wish to continue on the trip to Michigan City and the remaining South Shore images, click here.
In one of the most scenic locations on my entire web site, we see three Paducah
re-built GP9's working an
interchange freight through downtown Chicago.
Black and white GP35 626 at the main terminal in the Chicago area at Markham,
IL.
Painted in the final color scheme of the GM&O is 750.
GP40 3003 in black IC colors.
7708 in fresh paint.
A classic GM&O F3 in full red and maroon colors.
The unit on the right is a former Columbus & Greenville SD28.
SD40 6118 at Markham in 1992.
A bunch of black IC units. The "new" IC went back to basic black
before the CN buyout.
A black IC unit at the former GM&O yard at Springfield, IL.
ICG's contribution to the Bi-Centennial re-paints was this GP38 at Springfield.
8073 at LaSalle, IL.
8035 brings a northbound general freight through Matoon, IL.
This re-built Geep is headed to a new planned Conrail planned shortline in
southern Michigan.
GP38 9566 at Matoon.
A local crossing the arch bridge over the Little Wabash River.
8128 leads a northbound through Watson, IL
One of the few U30C units IC owned is working on this train.
Amtrak SDP40P 613 stops at Effingham, IL.
Here is where the tests were done to determine the cause of the frequent
derailments of these units.
SD40 6005 leads a northbound coal train through the farmland near Alma, IL.
SD40 6007 sits with some Amtrak painted E8 units at Centralia
Centralia, Illinois.
GP10 Paducah rebuild leading a northbound at Carbondale
An unrebuilt Geep is in the middle of the consist.
The Precision Engineering plant in Mt. Vernon, IL has this retired GM&O RS2.
The new ICG was very slow at re-painting the former G,M & O units,
much to the delight of railfans.
GP35 634 and a IC GP9 are at Venice, IL. 4-5-77.
The service area at East St. Louis yielded some interesting stuff this day
despite the gloomy weather.
One of the very few former GM&O F-units painted in orange and white sits with
other GM&O units.
A GP38 mixes in with the usual Paducah re-built GP7's and GP-9's. March
22, 1976.
East St. Louis, IL
After the Conrail merger in 1976, several former Reading units became fodder for
the Paducah rebuild
program.
Speaking of Paducah, KY, here are several shots taken on two separate visits in
1976 and 1977.
Rebuilt 8377 is with a GM&O GP35 and Missabe Road SD9.
Here is 8126 fresh out of the paint shop. April 7, 1977.
8900 in Illinois Central black was a former passenger unit. The 'torpedo
tube' air reservoirs on the roof
are an indication this unit had a steam generator for use with passenger trains.
These veteran F-units have seen their last revenue mile, but I'm sure the ICG
salvaged numerous parts for
their rebuild program. While the crews would have loved nice new diesels,
the ICG saved a ton of money
rebuilding the fleet of GP7's and GP9's they had and others purchased from other
roads.
Here is a real catch. Alco must have had a good salesman. I can't
think of any valid reason for the IC to purchase
such a large unit. This thing would have been better suited to a mountain
railroad. This is a C636 and one of the
last units produced by Alco before their shutdown in 1967.
Paducah was the final stop for all the Illinois Central's E8 units. This
chocolate brown and orange unit pulled
the 'City of New Orleans' and the 'Panama Limited' many times in its career.
Another E8, number unknown, in very rough shape.
A former GM&O GP30 and an IC Geep sit in Princeton, KY. 4-7-1977.
A Paducah rebuild, what-else, leads a coal train east toward Louisville at Beaver
Dam, KY
8179 works the local by the station in Beaver Dam.
GP38 9439 at Horse Branch, KY.
8212 sits with a local awaiting that coal train at Millwood, KY. 4-7-1977.
Several Paducah's are in the Louisville terminal area. March 5,
1975. The local thugs started throwing
rocks at me while I was there. Nice neighborhood.
GP38 9561, GP40 3063 and 3077 are ready to head north from the yard at Memphis,
TN. 3-31-1977.
Another motley assortment of units sits on a southbound train also at Memphis.
At the far reaches of the ICG, this Paducah unit shuffles some Seaboard cabooses
around Birmingham. AL.
Yes, the ICG did have big EMD power. Mostly used for their coal trains,
these SD40's are at Birmingham. 3-30-77.
Another far reach for the ICG was the former GM&O line to Kansas City, MO.
8316 on March 20, 1976.
8022 is working an eastbound train at Freeport, IL on the Iowa Division.
A rather neat little service area at Freeport, IL. March 16, 1976.