Illinois Central Steam Roster: Post-1900
Published: March 18, 2025
By: Adam Burns
The Illinois Central's relatively flat profile throughout the Midwest and Deep South meant the railroad could rely on mid/large-sized arrangements like 2-8-4s, 4-8-2s, and 4-6-2s to lead most trains.
Prior to the modern steam era the IC relied largely on 4-4-0s, 2-6-0s, and 2-8-0s after 1902 for freight service. In later years the railroad began utilizing larger power to handle heavier freights; 2-8-2s first arrived in 1911 and 2-10-2s in 1921.
The company acquired its initial "Super Power" design, the 2-8-4, in 1924 from Lima (demonstrator #1) and was quite impressed with the design. It wound up with a fleet of 51 by 1926.
They later built several 2600 Class 4-8-2s for freight service during the 1940s. These were fine locomotives, produced by the Paducah Shops, were said to handle coal trains faster than its 2-10-2s.
Passenger trains were generally pulled by 4-6-2s, which first appeared in early 1906, and later acquired more powerful 4-8-2s for such service.
Interestingly, the railroad acquired no new steam locomotives after 1929. Instead, it embarked on a successful rebuild program between 1934-1945 when diesels arrived. In his book, "Guide To North American Steam Locomotives," author George Drury notes the IC rebuilt a total of 434 locomotives.
Steam power in main line serviced ended on the IC in 1956 although the railroad did not purge all examples from its roster until 1961 when it sold or scrapped its remaining engines.
Illinois Central 4-6-2 #2034 at Graymont, Illinois, circa 1955. This engine was built as #1082 by Alco's Brooks Works in August, 1911; she was rebuilt in December, 1942 and renumbered 2034. The locomotive was retired in 1960. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.Switchers
| Wheel Arrangement | Original Number(s) | Second/Rebuilt Number(s) | Quantity | Builder(s) | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6-0 | 65-196 | - | - | Brooks (Alco), Rogers (Alco), Baldwin | 1898-1905 | - |
| 0-6-0 | 201-209 | - | 9 | Brooks (Alco) | 1906-1907 | - |
| 0-6-0 | 210-341 | - | 132 | Alco | 1912-1918 | - |
| 0-6-0 | 350-360 | - | 11 | Brooks (Alco), Pittsburgh (Alco) | 1900, 1901 | A group of 2-6-0s rebuilt from the 541-598 series. |
| 0-6-0 | 3330-3336 | 380-383 | 7 | Baldwin | 1901-1911 | Formerly Alabama & Vicksburg and Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific. |
| 0-6-0 | 3350 | - | 1 | Baldwin | 1911 | Formerly Alabama & Vicksburg and Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific. |
| 0-8-0 | 801-802 | - | 2 | Baldwin | 1926 | Chicago & Illinois Western (IC subsidiary) |
| 0-8-0 | 803-804 | - | 2 | Lima | 1929 | Chicago & Illinois Western (IC subsidiary) |
| 0-8-0 | - | 3300-3330 | 31 | IC | - | Rebuilt from the 651-785 series (2-8-0s). |
| 0-8-0 | - | 3400-3413 | 14 | IC | - | Rebuilt from the 941-993 series (2-8-0s). |
| 0-8-0 | - | 3487-3499 | 11 | IC | - | From the 3960-3972 series (2-8-2s). |
| 0-8-0 | 3500-3554 | 3500-3554 | 55 | Baldwin | 1921-1927 | - |
| 0-8-0 | 3555-3569 | 3555-3569 | 15 | Lima | 1929 | - |
| 0-8-0 | - | 3570 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 0-8-2 | - | 3650-3699 | 50 | IC | - | Formerly 2-8-2s #1501-1550. |
| 0-10-0 | 3400-3401 | 3600-3601 | 2 | Baldwin | 1911 | Formerly Alabama & Vicksburg #430-431. |
| 0-10-0 | - | 3602-3606 | 5 | IC | 1938-1941 | Rebuilt from 2-10-2s #3100-3104. Built as A&V #470-474. |
Freight Locomotives
| Wheel Arrangement | Original Number(s) | Second/Rebuilt Number(s) | Quantity | Builder(s) | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-6-0 | 541-598 | 3701-3756 | 57 | Rogers (Alco), Pittsburgh (Alco), Brooks (Alco), Baldwin | 1901-1902 | - |
| 2-8-0 | 641-644 | 790-793 | 4 | Cooke (Alco) | 1903 | ex-Chicago Junction |
| 2-8-0 | 651-730 | 700-740 | 80 | Rogers (Alco), Schenectady (Alco), Brooks (Alco) | 1902-1903 | - |
| 2-8-0 | 731-785 | 741-769 | 55 | Rogers (Alco) | 1904 | - |
| 2-8-0 | 794-883 | 850-855 | - | Brooks (Alco) | 1904-1907 | - |
| 2-8-0 | 941-993 | 900-911 | - | Baldwin | 1909, 1911 | - |
| 2-8-2 | 1501-2017 | - | 517 | Lima, Schenectady (Alco), Baldwin | 1911-1923 | 1701-2017 renumbered 1200-1499 (1937-1945) |
| 4-4-2 | - | 2000-2008 | 9 | IC | 1941-1942 | Rebuilt with 63.5-inch drivers for high-speed freight service during WWII. |
| 2-8-2 | - | 2100-2140 | 41 | IC | - | - |
| 2-8-2 | - | 2199 (2020) | 1 | IC | - | - |
| 2-8-2 | 3795-3940 | - | - | IC | 1915-1923 | Rebuilt from 2-8-0s. |
| 2-8-2 | - | 3766-3797 | 32 | IC | - | Rebuilt from the 3795-3940 series. |
| 2-8-2 | 3960-3972 | - | 13 | Baldwin | 1916-1924 | ex-VS&P #361-368 and ex-A&V #460-463. |
| 2-8-2 | - | 3962, 3969 | 2 | Baldwin | - | ex-VS&P #362 and #367. |
| 2-8-4 | 7000-7049 | 8000-8048 | 50 | Lima | 1926 | All rebuilt in 1939 except #7038, which was rebuilt into 4-6-4 #2499 for freight service. |
| 2-8-4 | 7050 | 8049 | 1 | Lima | 1924 | Built as Lima demonstrator #1 in 1925. |
| 2-10-0 | - | 3610-3624 | 15 | IC | 1939 | Built with 1500 class boilers and 2900 class cylinders and frame. |
| 2-10-2 | - | 2700-2747 | 48 | IC | 1943-1944 | Rebuilt from the 2901-3025 series by the Paducah Shops in 1943-1944. |
| 2-10-2 | 2997 | 2750 | 1 | IC | 1944 | Rebuilt by the Paducah Shops in 1944 with the boiler pressure raised to 260 psi. |
| 2-10-2 | - | 2800-2819 | 20 | IC | 1944-1945 | Rebuilt by the Paducah Shops from the 2901-3025 series with new boilers. |
| 2-10-2 | 2901-3025 | - | 125 | Lima | 1920-1923 | Many later rebuilt by the Paducah Shops during the 1940s. |
| 2-10-2 | 3100-3104 | - | 5 | Baldwin | 1919, 1922 | ex-A&V |
| 4-6-4 | 2499/1 | - | 1 | IC | 1923 | Rebuilt from 2-8-4 #7038 in 1937 for high speed freight service. Renumbered 1 in 1945 and scrapped in 1950. |
| 4-8-2 | 2300-2307 | - | 8 | IC | 3/1944 | Rebuilt by the Paducah Shops in 3/1944 from the 2400 class featuring 73.5-inch drivers. |
| 4-8-2 | 2350-2352 | - | 3 | IC | 7/1945 | Rebuilt by the Paducah Shops in 7/1945 from the 2400 class featuring 70-inch drivers. |
| 4-8-2 | - | 2500-2555 | 56 | IC | 1937-1942 | Rebuilt with 2900 class boilers. |
| 4-8-2 | - | 2600-2619 | 20 | IC | 1942-1943 | Built new by the Paducah Shops. |
Passenger Locomotives
| Wheel Arrangement | Original Number(s) | Second/Rebuilt Number(s) | Quantity | Builder(s) | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-4-2 | 1001 | - | 1 | Baldwin | 1902 | - |
| 4-4-2 | 1002-1026 | - | 25 | Rogers (Alco) | 1903-1904 | - |
| 4-6-0 | 5060-5065 | - | 6 | Baldwin | 1905-1907 | - |
| 4-6-0 | 1000 | 2099 | 1 | Rogers (Alco) | 1902 | Rebuilt from a 2-6-2, later equipped with 61-inch drivers. |
| 4-4-2 | 1031-1048 | - | 18 | Schenectady (Alco) | 1905-1907 | - |
| 4-4-2 | 1049-1053 | - | 5 | Baldwin (Alco) | 1909 | - |
| 4-6-2 | 1054-1138 | - | 85 | Brooks (Alco), Richmond (Alco) | 1910-1913 | - |
| 4-4-2 | 1139-1203 | - | 75 | Brooks (Alco), Schenectady (Alco) | 1916-1920 | - |
| 4-6-2 | 1300-1302 | 1000-1002 | 3 | Baldwin | 1919, 1922 | ex-VS&P #380-382. |
| 4-6-2 | 1310-1312 | 1130-1132 | 3 | Baldwin | 1924 | ex-A&V #480-482. |
| 4-6-2 | - | 2030-2097 | 59 | IC | - | Rebuilt from 1027-1134 and equipped with 61-inch drivers. |
| 4-6-2 | - | 2098 | 1 | IC | - | Rebuilt from 1049 and equipped with 61-inch drivers. |
| 4-6-2 | - | 2099 | 1 | IC | Rebuilt from 1000 and equipped with 61-inch drivers. | |
| 4-8-2 | 2400-2414 | - | 15 | Schenectady (Alco) | 1925, 1926 | - |
| 4-8-2 | 2415-2459 | - | 45 | Lima, Schenectady (Alco) | - | - |
Articulated Designs
| Wheel Arrangement | Original Number(s) | Second/Rebuilt Number(s) | Quantity | Builder(s) | Completion Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-6-6-2 | 6000-6009 | - | 10 | Richmond (Alco) | 1919 | ex-Central of Georgia, acquired in 1926 for a group of ten 2-10-2s. |
Illinois Central 4-8-2 #2608 leads a string of hoppers through Du Bois, Illinois, circa 1954. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.Recent Articles
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