Eastern Railroad Discussion > RS1325 #31 Public Debut

Last summer the Monticello Railway Museum acquired I&M RS1325 #31, originally built for the Chicago & Illinois Midland.  The Museum brought out #31 for their Throttle Time, where an individual has the opportunity to operate a locomotive.  The Throttle Time event was scheduled for April 16, 17 & 18, and quickly sold out.  An additional date has been added for the following Saturday, April 24, 2021. I spent Sunday morning, April 18 taking pictures of the train as it operated with a consist of freight cars and IC caboose.  The Museum was closed to the public during 2019 and this was the first public event using #31.

1.  RS1325 #31 and its train pass a signal (former Wabash) at Camp Creek Yard.
2.  The train crosses former IC trestle across Camp Creek.
3.  The former IC Caboose crosses Camp Creek Trestle.

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I've always liked these engines. It's like if a corgi was a locomotive

Neat pix! Almost like a 1:1 model railroad.
Go

Especially like the caboose.
It goes back to IC steasm days,
Thanks for the photo posting.
ALLEN

Count me as a bit disappointed with it. When I saw the post my mind pictured a nice green C&IM unit like I saw 50 years ago on a railfan trip.

Posted from iPhone

Be patient. I am sure it will happen eventually, provided the funds and time are available. The Monticello museum has a great reputation for painting rolling stock to match the original owner. They seem to have a small crew but get work done. (I've been in the shop building.) And the location is not a sprawling junkyard of RR equipment.

biff Wrote:
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> Count me as a bit disappointed with it. When I saw
> the post my mind pictured a nice green C&IM unit
> like I saw 50 years ago on a railfan trip.
>
> Posted from iPhone

biff Wrote:
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> Count me as a bit disappointed with it. When I saw
> the post my mind pictured a nice green C&IM unit
> like I saw 50 years ago on a railfan trip.
>
Let me counter your disappointment with mine in that you didn’t offer any solution to help return the unit to C&IM green.

The occasion of the units public debut was a fundraiser to pay for paint and supplies to repaint the unit. I assume since you weren’t there, you didn’t sign up for it.

The museum has already done the heavy lifting by saving the unit. It was destined to an unknown future before museum personnel intervened. Now the loco is safe and in running condition in its home state not far from the railroad it called home. Not bad for an all volunteer organization that runs on donations and ticket sales. Might I also add that the museum acquired 4 other large pieces of equipment in a virtually $0 income season.

The museum will gladly take your donation of labor to repaint the locomotive. If that’s not possible, grab your checkbook and head over to the museums website and send a donation.
www.mrym.org