Illinois Terminal Steam Roster

Published: October 24, 2026

The Illinois Terminal was an electric railroad, and it kept a small steam fleet for the work the motors did not do. Switchers and Moguls handled the belt lines around Springfield, Decatur, and Edwardsville, and the industrial track that came with the Alton lines. The last of them was 2-6-0 No. 21. It dropped its fire on June 30, 1950, and steam on the Illinois Terminal ended that day.

Illinois Terminal 2-6-0 No. 23 at Federal, Illinois, circa 1950

2-6-0 No. 23 at Federal, Illinois, circa 1950. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

On this page: At a glance · Moguls and switchers · The Class 30s · Roster

At a glance

Item	Detail
Steam locomotives	36, each frame once. No. 9 (1st) is No. 1 (2nd) listed again
Last steam	2-6-0 No. 21, fire dropped June 30, 1950
Class 30	2-8-2s 30–32, Baldwin, July 1929
0-8-0s	33–38. Five from the Florida East Coast, and No. 36 from the Alton & Eastern
1950 year count	14 steam locomotives. A count for that year, not this list
Company history	Illinois Terminal

Moguls and switchers

The oldest engine on the list is 0-4-0 No. 1, a Baldwin of September 1889, sold to the Granite City & Mississippi River in July 1913. The second No. 1 was an 0-6-0 of 1907. It was also carried as No. 9 (1st). In March 1925 it went to the Alton & Eastern as that company’s No. 1, and it kept the Alton & Eastern number after the Illinois Terminal took the property over. A second No. 9, an 0-6-0 of 1920, was a different locomotive, bought from Goodyear Tire & Rubber as its No. 1 and then used by the St. Louis, Troy & Eastern as its No. 9.

Most of the road engines were Baldwin 2-6-0s, built from 1903 through 1928, with 52-inch drivers. No. 6 (2nd) was the exception that the Chicago & Alton shops had turned out in 1887. It went to the Peoria & Pekin Union as No. 16 in March 1919 and later became Chicago & Alton 112. No. 8 (1st) went to the Missouri & Arkansas as its No. 9 in February 1907. No. 10 went to the Rapid City, Black Hills & Western in 1927 and became that road’s No. 55.

No. 23 is a Baldwin 2-6-0 of October 1928, builder number 60679, the next number after No. 22. No. 27 is the odd consolidation. Brooks built it in 1910 for the Buffalo & Susquehanna, and the engine was never delivered there. The St. Louis, Troy & Eastern bought it as No. 6. When the Illinois Terminal took the Troy & Eastern over in 1926, the consolidation became No. 27. Nos. 28 and 29 came in the same deal. They were Pittsburgh engines of 1903, Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 188 and 180, then Troy & Eastern 11 and 10.

The Class 30s

Baldwin delivered 2-8-2s 30, 31, and 32 in July 1929, builder numbers 60924–60926, with 55-inch drivers and 25-by-30-inch cylinders. They were the Class 30s, and they were the newest steam the railroad bought. All three were sold for scrap in the first half of 1950. No. 32 went to Purdy on February 23. No. 31 went to Hyman-Michaels on April 13, and No. 30 on May 12.

The 0-8-0s were secondhand. Richmond built 37 and 38 in February 1924 and 33, 34, and 35 in June 1925. They had been Florida East Coast 254, 255, 267, 264, and 265, in that Illinois Terminal number order. Schenectady built 36 in June 1925. It had been Alton & Eastern 2. No. 38, the Class A, was still at Federal around 1950 and was sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels on April 13 of that year. No. 21, Baldwin 60487 of April 1928, outlasted the Mikados by a few weeks and was the last engine to hold a fire.

Illinois Terminal Class A 0-8-0 No. 38 at Federal, Illinois, circa 1950

Class A 0-8-0 No. 38 at Federal, Illinois, circa 1950. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Roster

A reused road number with a different builder number is a different locomotive. No. 9 (1st) is described on the No. 1 (2nd) row. Scrap dates are the day the engine was sold for scrap. HM is Hyman-Michaels. Purdy is the Purdy Company.

No.	Qty	Type	Drivers	Cylinders	Builder	Builder no.	Date	Notes
1 (1st)	1	0-4-0	50 in.	17x24	Baldwin	17082	Sept. 1889	Sold to the Granite City & Mississippi River, July 1913
1 (2nd)	1	0-6-0	62 in.	18x24	Baldwin	31229	July 1907	Also carried as 9 (1st). To the Alton & Eastern as No. 1, March 1925. That number was kept
2	1	0-6-0	50 in.	17x24	Baldwin	21563	Jan. 1903	Sold to List & Gifford Construction, June 11, 1921
3	1	0-6-0	50 in.	18x24	Baldwin	24042	Apr. 1904	Sold to List & Gifford Construction, June 11, 1921
6 (1st)	1	4-4-0	56 in.	17x24	Baldwin	17340	Jan. 1900	Sold to the Creston, Winterset & Des Moines, 1912
6 (2nd)	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Chicago & Alton shops	—	1887	To the Peoria & Pekin Union as No. 16, March 1919. Later Chicago & Alton 112
7 (1st)	1	4-4-0	64 in.	17x24	Baldwin	40954	Nov. 1913	Sold for scrap to Purdy, July 23, 1948
7 (2nd)	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	39935	June 1913	—
8 (1st)	1	2-6-0	56 in.	18x24	Baldwin	23354	Dec. 1903	To the Missouri & Arkansas as No. 9, Feb. 1907. Retired 1929
8 (2nd)	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	39009	Jan. 1913	Retired June 10, 1940
9 (2nd)	1	0-6-0	51 in.	22x26	Baldwin	52986	1920	From Goodyear Tire & Rubber No. 1, then St. Louis, Troy & Eastern No. 9
10	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	35261	Sept. 1910	To the Rapid City, Black Hills & Western as No. 55, 1927
11	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	37438	Jan. 1912	Sold for scrap to Purdy, July 23, 1948
12	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	38968	Dec. 1912	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, Aug. 3, 1935
14	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	43852	Aug. 1916	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, Aug. 3, 1935
15	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x24	Baldwin	47390	Dec. 1917	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, July 31, 1948
16	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	53162	Apr. 1920	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, Nov. 27, 1948
17	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	53163	Apr. 1920	Sold for scrap to Purdy, Oct. 6, 1948
18	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	55860	Dec. 1922	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, May 29, 1950
19	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	59073	Mar. 1926	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, May 29, 1950
20	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	60003	May 1927	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, June 9, 1950
21	1	2-6-0	52 in.	20x26	Baldwin	60487	Apr. 1928	Last steam. Fire dropped June 30, 1950. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels that day
22	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	60678	Oct. 1928	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, June 30, 1950
23	1	2-6-0	52 in.	22x26	Baldwin	60679	Oct. 1928	Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, June 29, 1950
27	1	2-8-0	51 in.	21x28	Brooks	47773	1910	Built for the Buffalo & Susquehanna and never delivered. St. Louis, Troy & Eastern No. 6. Became IT 27 in 1926
28	1	2-8-0	50 in.	21x30	Pittsburgh	27894	June 1903	Ex-Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 188, then St. Louis, Troy & Eastern 11. Became IT 28 in 1926
29	1	2-8-0	50 in.	21x30	Pittsburgh	26331	Mar. 1903	Ex-Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 180, then St. Louis, Troy & Eastern 10. Became IT 29 in 1926
30	1	2-8-2	55 in.	25x30	Baldwin	60924	July 1929	Class 30. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, May 12, 1950
31	1	2-8-2	55 in.	25x30	Baldwin	60925	July 1929	Class 30. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, April 13, 1950
32	1	2-8-2	55 in.	25x30	Baldwin	60926	July 1929	Class 30. Sold for scrap to Purdy, Feb. 23, 1950
33	1	0-8-0	51 in.	24x28	Richmond	66375	June 1925	Ex-Florida East Coast 267. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, April 28, 1950
34	1	0-8-0	51 in.	24x28	Richmond	66372	June 1925	Ex-Florida East Coast 264. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, April 13, 1950
35	1	0-8-0	51 in.	24x28	Richmond	66373	June 1925	Ex-Florida East Coast 265. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, March 23, 1950
36	1	0-8-0	50 in.	22x28	Schenectady	66399	June 1925	Ex-Alton & Eastern 2. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, April 28, 1950
37	1	0-8-0	51 in.	24x28	Richmond	65771	Feb. 1924	Ex-Florida East Coast 254. Sold for scrap to Purdy, Oct. 6, 1948
38	1	0-8-0	51 in.	24x28	Richmond	65772	Feb. 1924	Class A. Ex-Florida East Coast 255. Sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels, April 13, 1950

Sources

Paul H. Stringham, Illinois Terminal: The Electric Years (Interurban Press, 1989), Table 15.

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