Steam & Excursion > Downtown Chi-Town

It's July of 1944, and we are near Central Station in Chicago, Illinois.  Moving about is rebuilt Illinois Central passenger mountain #2302.  The 1925 Lima has only recently emerged from a rebuild complete with a new boiler and front-end-throttle.

It's ironic that a rebuild this extensive would be conducted on a passenger locomotive as late as 1944, as the end of the war would kick off the dieselization of the Illinois Central's passenger trains.  At least the I.C. would get its money's worth, as the 2302 would last in freight service until the end of steam.  She wouldn't be stricken from the roster until February of 1960.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Very small tender.  Like the Cow and Calf too.

Kimball Wrote:
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> Very small tender. 

In order to fit on turntables. Also note that there is a lot of coal missing from the tender, thus did this engine just bring a passenger train in?

HotWater Wrote:
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> Kimball Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Very small tender. 
>
> In order to fit on turntables. Also note that
> there is a lot of coal missing from the tender,
> thus did this engine just bring a passenger train
> in?

The coal pile is down, though not a whole lot.  Makes me wonder if it may have brought a Big Four train up from Kankakee as that is only a fifty-five mile run.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

I always love seeing the IC in downtown Chicago given how much has changed to their former yard/station area.   While there is a great deal to soak in from these photos, I want to call out the EMD TR1 cow/calf pair in the background.   There were only two sets of those built and both went to IC.   

Thanks for sharing.