Nostalgia & History > Illinois Central, Centralia, IL 30 May 89

Heading back to Northern Virginia from duty in San Diego, on 30 May 1989 we stopped at Centralia, Illinois, for a couple of hours of railfanning to address my deficit in Illinois Central photography. Since February 1988 the "Gulf" has been deleted from the corporate name. The "Main Line of Mid-America" was once again the Illinois Central, and I needed some photos.

1. Surprisingly first up at 0815 in Centralia was a BN "Expediter" train, westbound, running with a B39-8 #8504 on the point.

2. Symbol of another era, this semaphore guarded the BN (ex CB&Q) trackage in downtown Centralia.

3. The only IC freight on the main line while we were there was this northbound at 0920 led by GP38-2 #9601. That IC's passenger station to the left.

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4. I walked over to the depot to determine if there would be some more IC traffic in the near future. An employee in the parking lot said there wouldn't be much. The long holiday weekend was just over, and traffic would be light on this Tuesday. But he suggested I walk over to the diesel servicing facilities to see what I could shoot. I thanked him, relocated the car (with both daughters fast asleep...yeah!) near the facility. With the wife remaining with the girls, I got out and asked an employee for permission to walk around shooting some images. With a head nod and an admonition to be careful, I was off. GP8 #7800 and sisters were idling at 1020, 30 May 1989.

5, 6. GP8's #7800 and #7850 were my first opportunity to view Paducah's handiwork. 301015 May 89



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/12 16:57 by captrr.

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Thanks for these! I lived near Centralia in May 1989 but never took many pictures.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/12 18:19 by davew833.

7. Even in a new rendition of basic black and white, SD40A #601 looked tired.

8. SW14 #1488 looked to be in better condition at 1025, 30 May 89.

9. I'm generally a fan of the more basic, darker hued paint schemes on freight engines. But SD40 #6000 and running mates were the first units I had ever seen in an attractive gray and orange paint scheme that I assumed was going out with the "ICG" lettering.

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10. Another SD40, #6060, in the short-lived gray and orange paint scheme.

11. The employee I had initially seen when I got out of the car came over to me and said I might want to walk over to the roundhouse as a unit was going for a ride on the turntable. I did as he suggested and was surprised to see that the IC roundhouse had once been one of these huge double units with a track providing access to the turntable splitting the two sections of the roundhouse. I had seen such buildings in old photographs, but to actually photograph one in the 1970s was a new experience for me. This image was taken at 1040.

12. The 100 ft turntable was right out of the steam era.

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13. Final view was GP8 #7900, in the orange and white ICG paint scheme, riding the 100 ft. turntable at 1050, 30 May 1989. Time Machine!

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Thanks much for these. You surely wouldn't be offered that kind of "hospitality" these days. But we're in different times you know!

KC

I'll have to make sure that ptroyal, another member of TO sees this thread. Paul is also retired USN and his dad and grandfather worked for the IC at the shops in Centralia.

Con

Neat ICG logo on that turntable shanty, Very Nice series!

Nice trip back.