Illinois Terminal Electric Locomotives

Published: October 24, 2026

The Illinois Terminal moved its freight with electric locomotives for half a century. The small Class A steeple-cabs came first, several of them from the Danville lines. Decatur shop then built the Class B motors, and in the 1920s the Class C freight locomotives, 160,000 pounds and eight motors each. Five of those Class C frames were rebuilt in 1940–42 as the Class Ds. At 217,000 pounds and 1,800 horsepower they were about the weight of an early GP7, and they were the finest freight motors the railroad ever owned.

Illinois Terminal Class D electric locomotive 73 at the East Peoria shops, circa 1955

Class D No. 73 at the East Peoria shops, circa 1955. It was rebuilt from Class C No. 1584 on January 2, 1942. American-Rails.com collection.

On this page: At a glance · Class D · Class B and Class C · Roster

At a glance

Item	Detail
Electric locomotives	57 frames. Class D and No. 61 are not added again
Class A	1550–1560. Danville, 1904 and 1907, and two Alco-GE locomotives of 1907
Class B	1561–1578. Four motors, 800 horsepower. No. 1561 was used twice
Class C	1579–1598. Eight motors, 1,000 horsepower on the GE locomotives, 160,000 pounds
Class D	70–74. Eight Westinghouse motors, 225 horsepower each, 1,800 horsepower, 217,000 pounds
Company history	Illinois Terminal

Class D

Decatur shop rebuilt five Class C locomotives between September 1940 and December 1942. The new motors were eight Westinghouse 571FD1s. William Middleton rated each at 225 horsepower, 1,800 horsepower for the hour. The weight, 217,000 pounds, put them in a class with the early road-switchers that would replace them.

Class D No. 71 with freight motor 203 in the 1950s. No. 71 was rebuilt from No. 1581 on March 27, 1941. Herbert Georg photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Illinois Terminal Class D electric locomotive 72

Class D No. 72, rebuilt from No. 1591 on December 12, 1942. American-Rails.com collection.

No. 70 came from 1580 on September 10, 1940. No. 71 came from 1581 on March 27, 1941. No. 73 came from 1584 on January 2, 1942. No. 74 came from 1588 on September 26, 1942. Nos. 70–72 went to Biermann Iron & Metal in February 1956. Nos. 73 and 74 were sold for scrap to Compressed Steel on March 27, 1956.

Class B and Class C

Class B was the Decatur product of 1910, 1914, and 1918, four GE motors to a locomotive and 800 horsepower for the hour. No. 1561 was used twice. The first was Alco-GE, originally No. 104, and it could run on alternating current or direct current. After the railroad gave up alternating current it went back to General Electric in 1920, and later it was Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto 14. It was scrapped in 1960. The second 1561, and 1562–1566, were built at Decatur in 1910. Nos. 1567–1572 followed in 1914, and 1573–1578 in 1918. Nos. 1567 and 1568 were sold to the St. Louis Car Company. No. 1576, seen below in September 1954, became snowplow 021 on December 9, 1955, and was scrapped in 1959.

Illinois Terminal Class B electric locomotive 1576 in September 1954

Class B No. 1576 in September 1954. Decatur shop built it in 1918. It became snowplow 021 on December 9, 1955, and was scrapped in 1959. American-Rails.com collection.

The Class C locomotives, 1579–1598, were the road freight motors, 52 feet 5 inches long and 160,000 pounds. Nos. 1579–1581 were built in 1924, 1582–1584 in 1925, and 1585–1586 in 1926. The eight GE motors on those locomotives were rated 1,000 horsepower for the hour. Nos. 1587–1598 carried eight Westinghouse 702 motors. The table does not give their build year. No. 1595 went to the National Museum of Transport on December 18, 1956. No. 1597 burned at the East Belt engine house in Springfield on August 11, 1954.

Nos. 51 and 52, built by St. Louis Car in 1930, were battery locomotives with a diesel engine as well. No. 51’s engine was a 300-horsepower Buda. The batteries came off No. 51 on April 19, 1954. No. 53, built at Decatur in 1942, followed the same design and had no diesel engine. Its batteries came off the same day. No. 61, rebuilt from No. 1559 on September 30, 1939, could run from the trolley wire or from a diesel. It was sold to Allis-Chalmers on April 24, 1952.

Roster

Add the quantity column. The sum is 57. A dash is a frame already counted.

Road no.	Qty	Class	Builder	Built	Length	Weight	Motors	Notes
1550–1558	13	A	Danville	1904 and 1907	32 ft 8 in	74,240–84,000 lb	4-GE	Some numbers used twice. 1550, 1551, 1556, and 1557 each had a first and a second locomotive
1559–1560	2	A	Alco-GE	1907	31 ft 1 in	82,000 lb	4-GE55H	Originally 102 and 103. 1559 was rebuilt as No. 61. 1560 sold for scrap to Purdy, July 16, 1951
1561 (1st)	1	B	Alco-GE	1907	32 ft 9 in	100,000 lb	4-GE609C	Originally 104, renumbered about 1904. Alternating or direct current. Later Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto 14. Scrapped 1960
1561 (2nd)–1566	6	B	Decatur shop	1910	34 ft	120,000 lb	4-GE69C	800 horsepower
1567–1572	6	B	Decatur shop	1914	34 ft	120,000 lb	4-GE269C	1567 and 1568 sold to the St. Louis Car Company
1573–1578	6	B	Decatur shop	1918	34 ft	120,000 lb	4-GE269C	1576 became snowplow 021 on Dec. 9, 1955. Scrapped 1959
1579–1581	3	C	Decatur shop	1924	52 ft 5 in	160,000 lb	8-GE73C8	1,000 horsepower. 1580 became No. 70. 1581 became No. 71
1582–1584	3	C	Decatur shop	1925	52 ft 5 in	160,000 lb	8-GE73C8	1584 became No. 73
1585–1586	2	C	Decatur shop	1926	52 ft 5 in	160,000 lb	8-GE73C8
1587–1598	12	C	Decatur shop	—	52 ft 5 in	160,000 lb	8-WH702	1588 became No. 74. 1591 became No. 72. 1595 to the National Museum of Transport, Dec. 18, 1956. 1597 burned at Springfield, Aug. 11, 1954
51–52	2	—	St. Louis	1930	48 ft 7 in	187,000 lb	4-GE285	Battery and diesel. No. 51 had a 300-horsepower Buda. Batteries off No. 51 on April 19, 1954
53	1	—	Decatur shop	1942	—	196,400 lb	4-GE285	Same design as 51 and 52, with no diesel engine. Batteries removed April 19, 1954
61	—	—	Decatur shop	1939	29 ft 4 in	112,700 lb	4-GE55H	Same frame as 1559, rebuilt Sept. 30, 1939. Trolley or diesel. Sold to Allis-Chalmers, April 24, 1952
70	—	D	Decatur shop	1940	52 ft 5 in	217,000 lb	8-WH571FD1	Same frame as 1580, rebuilt Sept. 10, 1940. To Biermann, Feb. 1956
71	—	D	Decatur shop	1941	52 ft 5 in	217,000 lb	8-WH571FD1	Same frame as 1581, rebuilt March 27, 1941. To Biermann, Feb. 1956
72	—	D	Decatur shop	1942	52 ft 5 in	217,000 lb	8-WH571FD1	Same frame as 1591, rebuilt Dec. 12, 1942. To Biermann, Feb. 1956
73	—	D	Decatur shop	1942	52 ft 5 in	217,000 lb	8-WH571FD1	Same frame as 1584, rebuilt Jan. 2, 1942. Sold for scrap to Compressed Steel, March 27, 1956
74	—	D	Decatur shop	1942	52 ft 5 in	217,000 lb	8-WH571FD1	Same frame as 1588, rebuilt Sept. 26, 1942. Sold for scrap to Compressed Steel, March 27, 1956

Sources

Paul H. Stringham, Illinois Terminal: The Electric Years (Interurban Press, 1989), Table 12. Motor designations in the roster are from that table.
William D. Middleton, Traction Classics, the interurban volumes. Class B, 800 horsepower. Class C with GE motors, 1,000 horsepower. Class D, eight motors at 225 horsepower, 1,800 horsepower for the hour.

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