Steam & Excursion > 1958 Sound Recording In The Cab Of An Illinois Central 4-8-2

Even today, there are collections out there that are mostly unknown.  This is a snippet of such an example.

Jim Adams was an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad, and in 1958 and 1959 he was able to take his tape recording gear in the cab of several Illinois Central steam locomotives.  In addition to sound recordings, he shot photos of the end of the steam era and even shot some 8mm movie film.

On October 17, 1958, he took his recorder aboard Paducah built 4-8-2 #2608 on a mine run from Centralia, Illinois, down to DuBois on the mainline, and then down the Orient Mine Spur to a mine near Waltonville.  In this clip, the train of about fifty empties is making good speed through the small towns of Richview and Ashley as it charges down the double-track mainline.

The I.C. 3-chime long-bell whistles were known for screeching when the steam distribution plate got steam cut, and #2608 is certainly showing the result here.

Mountain #2608 was built by the Illinois Central at the Paducah Shops in 1943, and by October, 1958, was one of the survivors.  By this time steam had largely disappeared from the I.C. with the exception of the St. Louis and Kentucky Divisions.  Paducah and Central City in Kentucky, along with Centralia and Carbondale in Illinois, were just about it for terminals still servicing steam.  The end in Illinois was just months away, while a power shortage in late 1959 would provide a temporary repreive in Paducah.

#2608 would not be formally stricken from the roster until October, 1960.

The photo with the sound is from the camera of Jim Adams, pacing alongside #2608 on "The C&C," the nickname for the local job between Centralia and Carbondale.  The photo shows the locomotive northbound at Hallidayboro, Illinois, with the large gob pile from a mine in the background.  The big pile is still there today.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/22 15:01 by MaryMcPherson.

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Is it possible that the playback speed is off?  The whistle seems awfully low in pitch to me.

radar Wrote:
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> Is it possible that the playback speed is off? 
> The whistle seems awfully low in pitch to me.

The pitch is fine.  The whistle overdrove the microphone somewhat, and that is a deep-throated whistle regardless.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

How big was a tape recorder then?

timz Wrote:
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> How big was a tape recorder then?

Full-size reel-to-reel unit; not very portable at all.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

But it was battery powered? Such things existed then?

timz Wrote:
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> But it was battery powered? Such things existed
> then?

Most likely a car battery run through a converter to 120VAC.  A lot of equipment to be hauling around.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Great audio, thanks for posting it! Is there any possibility of hearing more of Jim Adam's recordings on CD?
Thanks!

sig292 Wrote:
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> Great audio, thanks for posting it! Is there any
> possibility of hearing more of Jim Adam's
> recordings on CD?
> Thanks!

I'm working on it.  One initial release with more to come.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions