Illinois Central Steam Roster: Post-1900

Published: March 18, 2025

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.