Eastern Railroad Discussion > Monticello adds 2 locomotives to collection

The Monticello Railway Museum (MRM) announced the acquisition of two new diesel-electric locomotives: Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad RS1325 #31 and Illinois Terminal Railroad SW1200 #784. Both of these historically significant engines and their respective railroads have strong ties to Central Illinois. Their preservation is key to furthering the Monticello Railway Museum’s mission of interpreting the region’s rich railroad history.

Chicago & Illinois Midland #31 is one of only two RS1325’s ever built by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). A unique design of a light road switcher, the RS1325 combined design elements of both EMD’s GP-series road locomotives and their SW-series switching locomotives. The #31 worked for the Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad from 1960 until 1996, when the C&IM was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and became the Illinois Midland Railroad. The unit was retired after 60 years of freight service in Central Illinois in 2020 before being purchased by MRM. Once delivered to the museum, it will soon be added to the rotation of operating locomotives used on MRM’s historic passenger train rides. As time and funding allows, it will eventually be restored to the C&IM’s classic green paint scheme.

Illinois Terminal #784 is one of twelve SW1200 switch locomotives delivered to the Illinois Terminal Railroad. Built in December 1955, #784 operated throughout Central Illinois, including on the same trackage currently used by MRM’s passenger trains. The Illinois Terminal renumbered #784 as #1210 later in its service life, before later serving with both the Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern Railways. It was retired in 1994 and sold to the Sequatchie Valley Railroad, where it worked in short line service before being acquired by Knoxville Locomotive Works. Acquired in a trade with Knoxville Locomotive Works, it will only be the second Illinois Terminal diesel locomotive to be preserved. The engine will undergo a mechanical and cosmetic restoration as funding permits before joining MRM’s operating fleet.

Donations to assist with the restoration of these historic locomotives can be made via GoFundMe or mailed to: Monticello Railway Museum, P.O. Box #401, Monticello, IL. The Monticello Railway Museum is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of railroading. Progress on both of these locomotives and other projects can be followed at mrym.org and on Facebook and Instagram.

Monticello Railway Museum would like to extend its gratitude to a number of organizations involved in these acquisitions including LTEX Rail, Illinois Midland Railway, Sequatchie Valley Railroad, Knoxville Locomotive Works, and many others.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/bill039s-fund-for-monticello-railway-museum?sharetype=teams&member=6739588&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=c8df6172be574dfa99de46a3061c4bb2

Posted from iPhone

It is great to hear that at least one of the two RS1325s will be in a museum. 

Is the go fund me set up by the museum itself? Is there proof that the money will actually go to the museum?

Posted from iPhone

GoFundMe sends the money directly to the nonprofit organization. There’s no chance of fraud.

And if you need further reassurance, I set up the GoFundMe campaign.

Ok sounds good to me I’ll try to donate later tonite

Posted from iPhone

swingnose Wrote:
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> Ok sounds good to me I’ll try to donate later
> tonite
>
> Posted from iPhone

Awesome. Your donation will be greatly appreciated.

Great news and congratulations to those involved.

What was involved in the trade to get the SW1200?

Milwaukee Wrote:
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> Great news and congratulations to those involved.
>
> What was involved in the trade to get the SW1200?


Various items were used in the trade. No rolling stock was involved.

Posted from iPhone

Here's a photo of the guys get

Posted from Android

So awesome to see this one preserved. When I rolled up on the crew yesterday in Bridgeport AL I assumed the scrapping had begun. I am so glad to be wrong!

Mike Derrick

Posted from Android

Sorry, folks.  Dealing with a new phone here and a learning curve.  What I was trying to do earlier is attach a pic of 1210 being prepped for shipping from Bridgeport, AL.  Here it is.

Mike Derrick
 

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To add some trivia, 1210 used to ride on Flexicoil trucks.  The Sequatchie Valley Railroad took those and put them on NW2 1686.  Here are a couple of links to show the deed:

Original:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4457264

1686 with the Flexicoils:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=19504

Mike D
 

I wondered what became of the Flexicoil trucks. What became of the NW2 as the looked in rough shape in that 2004 photo? Hopefully the museum has a solution to get Flexicoil trucks back eventually under her as part of the eventual restoration that is coming.

I, and others, would like to see MRM get a draper taper GE (one in BC Rail paint and a CN one)

Off-pending Wrote:
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> GoFundMe sends the money directly to the nonprofit
> organization. There’s no chance of fraud.
>
> And if you need further reassurance, I set up the
> GoFundMe campaign.

Fantastic news ! That RS1325 is of course a gem, but that former ITC unit called my area home for about a year. The Akron Barberton Belt leased two units from the N&W, 1205 and 1210. The 1205 came to the ABB in NW black, but the 1210 still wore it's ITC green and yellow. They both had sublettering "leased to ABB" under the numbers. Both units worked the Akron and Barberton, Ohio lines of the ABB until replaced by some second hand former Conrail/IU SW1500s.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

brc600 Wrote:
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> I, and others, would like to see MRM get a draper
> taper GE (one in BC Rail paint and a CN one)
>
> Off-pending Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > GoFundMe sends the money directly to the
> nonprofit
> > organization. There’s no chance of fraud.
> >
> > And if you need further reassurance, I set up
> the
> > GoFundMe campaign.


Why? That particular CN and BC locomotive has no ties to central IL

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/20 15:27 by Spoony81.

Monticello has a CN FPA4 (no ties to Central IL for sure!). CN has been owning the IC for 20 years. BC Rail pool service is pertinent to ILL history example of off line power used in the area. St Louis has an UP Big Boy, N&W 2-8-8-2, etc --no ties to the local area, etc.

Spoony81 Wrote:
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> brc600 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I, and others, would like to see MRM get a
> draper
> > taper GE (one in BC Rail paint and a CN one)
> >
> > Off-pending Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > GoFundMe sends the money directly to the
> > nonprofit
> > > organization. There’s no chance of fraud.
> > >
> > > And if you need further reassurance, I set up
> > the
> > > GoFundMe campaign.
>
>
> Why? That particular CN and BC locomotive has no
> ties to central IL
>
> Posted from iPhone

brc600 Wrote:
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> Monticello has a CN FPA4 (no ties to Central IL
> for sure!). CN has been owning the IC for 20
> years. BC Rail pool service is pertinent to ILL
> history example of off line power used in the
> area.

The CN units at Monticello are privately owned by a member. He wanted to see them saved and restored. He put up the money to do it.

St Louis has an UP Big Boy, N&W 2-8-8-2, etc
> --no ties to the local area, etc.

St Louis is or was the National Transportation Museum. The don’t have a focused mission statement like Monticello does. They also collect and display boats, cars, planes, etc.

While I won’t disagree that the CN is a Central Illinois railroad, it doesn’t mean that we need to save an example of every railroad that they bought.

These 2 locomotives are a big save for Monticello. The IT unit once pulled trains on the very property that we now own. The RS1325 has spent 60 years in service in Central Illinois. It has never left the state since being built at La Grange. Point out another locomotive that can boast a claim like that.

We are going to have our hands full with these 2 new additions. Not to mention the 2 passenger cars we acquired earlier this year and the turntable that we added. All the while we’ve been restoring several pieces of equipment. We have been closed this year and effectively have no income to fund more equipment. What we need now is donations to restore what we have.

If you want to save or see xxx unit saved, fund raise, draw up a proposal and bring it to the museum. In the mean time you can help us now by donating your time or money.


>
> Spoony81 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > brc600 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I, and others, would like to see MRM get a
> > draper
> > > taper GE (one in BC Rail paint and a CN one)
> > >
> > > Off-pending Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > GoFundMe sends the money directly to the
> > > nonprofit
> > > > organization. There’s no chance of fraud.
> > > >
> > > > And if you need further reassurance, I set
> up
> > > the
> > > > GoFundMe campaign.
> >
> >
> > Why? That particular CN and BC locomotive has
> no
> > ties to central IL
> >
> > Posted from iPhone