The Illinois Railway Museum has one of the best collections of North American railway equipment. Hundreds of pieces of equipment spanning more than a century are on display.
It’s great to be able to inspect a traditional 4-4-0, and a Forney Tank engine. I’m fond of classics such as the Santa Fe 2900-class 4-8-4, Burlington’s 4-6-4 Hudson and its streamlined Budd-built Nebraska Zephyr, and of course the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 in Brunswick green.
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 4-6-4 at IRM.Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric 4929. A masterpiece of engineering and design.I recall the GG1s under wire. Great sounding air horn on these.Budd stainless steel. And articulated too!My book on streamlined trains came out last year and so it was nice to reflect on these amazing machines in the museum. (Puns are extra).Some of the old girls still work; this Frisco 2-10-0 is serviceable. Just add coal, water and talent!Parts anyone?Sister to the popular Milwaukee Road 261 is engine 265. Sure would be neat to get both engines under steam together!Lots of electrics under the barns. PCC’s have been a regular feature on Tracking the Light.
The old diesels are neat, and there’s great array of old streetcars.
But then, what’s this? A Wisconsin Central SD45? Wow, nice to see that one of those was saved, but it just doesn’t seem that long ago and I was out catching these on the mainline.
And wait, what about this Metra Bi-Level electric? Weird to see THAT in a museum.
Two Chicago & North Western DASH9s!
Now I just feel old.
Views exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with Zeiss 12mm Tuoit.
A former Santa Fe Alco RSD-15. These must have looked great hauling freight back in the day.Eight motors, four in each truck, that’s what the DDA40X was all about.An Wisconsin Central SD45. Twenty years ago when I lived in Waukesha, Wisconsin I could hear these roar through town from my apartment. I spent lots of time putting these beast on film.It’s like Galesburg Railroad Days! The BN executive Fs! Always cool.Whoa! What’s this? A Metra electric? Hmm.Two Chicago & North Western DASH9s. Really?! It just doesn’t seem that long ago that I sat in the cab of one these when they still had that ‘new car smell’. And now they too are on display in a museum. Will anyone save a P40?
