Steam & Excursion > Pulling into White Heath, Illinois

The recent thread of the snow plow at White Heath, Illinois, to be turned on the wye brought to mind this photo.

We are at White Heath on a July morning in 1922 as an Illinois Central passenger train rolls into town behind 4-4-0 #2404.  This train left Decatur, Illinois, as #706 at 9:35am, and was scheduled to arrive at White Heath at 11:00am.  Ten minutes later, the train left for Champaign as #624, with a scheduled arrival of 11:40am.

Need to get to the Windy City?  No problem.  Northbound #24 was scheduled to leave Champaign for Chicago at 12:50pm.  You'd even have time to grab a bite between trains!

As for the locomotive pulling the train, #2404 was originally built by Baldwin (C/N 14360) in 1895 for the Chicago & Texas Railroad as that railroad's #11.

The Chicago & Texas was the descendant of the Grand Tower & Carbondale Railroad (a.k.a. "The Granny Line"), which had merged with sister company Grand Tower & Cape Girardeau and built an additional line from Carbondale to Herrin and Johnston City.  The Chicago & Texas was desired by the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, which reached Johnston City via its branch to Marion, Illinois.  The Cotton Belt was under construction, and the C&EI desired the C&T to create a bridge route to the southwest and the gulf coast.  Slamming the door on the C&EI, the Illinois Central swooped in and got the Chicago & Texas first.

The C&EI got its route several years later, but had to build its own line from Marion to Thebes.

Chicago & Texas #11 became Illinois Central #1204 in 1897 with the railroad's acquisition, and was renumbered as seen here in 1912.  Her time was short by the time this photo was taken, as she was scrapped in January, 1924.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Good looking locomotive.  It had a beefy boiler - not skinny like a lot of earlier 4-4-0's.

Nice looking 4-4-0 - Great historical photo.
Bob

Nice photo and history lesson.  I had family in Grand Tower and never could figure out where the IC line came from there.
My cousin worked at the power plant in Grand Tower and switched with the little 0-4-0 that sits in the park there now.
I remember the depot there, but didn't think people took pictures of train stuff until I woke up too late.  But at least I saw them.

Also agreed about the great history of the engine!  One additional item of note, you can nearly get to this exact location by steam engine yet today as the ex-IC trackage into White Heath is operated by the Monticello Railway Museum with their ex-Southern 2-8-0 #401.

A classic!

Totally beautiful!!!

Casey Jones' railroad!

Victor

Interesting double feed check valve too..

Earlk Wrote:
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> Interesting double feed check valve too..

Both injectors on the engineers side maybe?