#illinoiscentralgulf

[railwayhistorical]

Seventy-Eight Years Old

In this image, several EMD F3s, tied onto various other units of a more contemporary ilk, work the Bunge plant along the GM&O main line. This spot lies between Pontiac and Cayuga, in central Illinois.

[Note: this elevator seems to go by Prairie Central Coop nowadays.]

The lead locomotive seen here was built in December of 1946, thirty-one years old when this shot was taken; it would be active on the Illinois Central Gulf only for another six months. One may have thought that would constitute a good long productive life, but there would be much more.

The engine would be rebuilt to move passengers for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the early 1980s. After that stint, this locomotive went on to haul freight again for the Idaho Northern & Pacific. It may be still kicking, now pulling tourists about, just over seventy-eight years later, but I am uncertain.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken May 22nd 1977.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #illinoiscentralgulf #pontiacillinois #pontiacil #bungeplant #Prairie Central Coop #emdf3 #f3 #f-unit

[terryriw]

#Repost @classic.trains (@get_repost) ・・・ August of 1968, these brand new C636's are likely on their first or second revenue trip as they roll through Manteno, Illinois. IC raised eyebrows when they ordered 6 of these beasts in 1968. They were initially used on the mainline but were soon relegated to hauling coal in southern Illinois and western Kentucky based out of Paducah where the big backshop could keep an eye on them. Every so often, one would escape and head north to Chicago on a coal train. Photo Credit to Paul Meyer. . . . . #trains #train #classic #60s #rail #rails #railroading #railroad #railroads #locomotive #engine #engines #railfans #railfansofinstagram #classictrains #motivepower #freight #freights #America #americana #usa #railway #icg #ic #illinoiscentral #Illinoiscentralgulf #manteno #illinois #alco https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ZTYrvpFkU/?igshid=4zt856n4p3yx

#repost #trains #train #classic #60s #rail #rails #railroading #railroad #railroads #locomotive #engine #engines #railfans #railfansofinstagram #classictrains #motivepower #freight #freights #america #americana #usa #railway #icg #ic #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #manteno #illinois #alco

[railwayhistorical]

Yard Engine

Here we see the yard engine working a seldom used spur that leads from the main, through a cut, to downtown Bloomington, Indiana. The EMD GP9 was built in February of 1955.

This is along Illinois Central's line between Effingham, Illinois, and Indianapolis. It was the Illinois Central Gulf at the time after a merger with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio four years earlier.

Three images by Richard Koenig; taken October 28th 1976.

#railroad history #railway history #illinoiscentralgulf #illinoiscentral #icgrr #icg #bloomingtonindiana

[railwayhistorical]

Night into Dawn—Bloomington, Illinois

Bloomington was a haven for EMD F-units back in the mid- to late-1970s. I ventured over there from Indiana several times to shoot the "covered wagons" of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio, sometimes in the dark. The GM&O was part of the Illinois Central Gulf by that time, but engines weren't painted quickly after the merger took place in 1972, which was fabulous for railroad enthusiasts. [I believe two of the F3s did make it into the orange and white scheme of the ICG.]

We begin this little sequence of images with a view of number 810B: it's an F3 built in 1947. This unit would be upgraded to pull commuters for citizens of Boston, as MBTA 1111. [In the end, a few of these charismatic F-units went to Boston, a few others to Metro North, but I believe others were scrapped within a couple of years from the time of these photos being made.]

Despite the lure of the Fs, I was also attracted to this wonderful SD40, a so-called Redbird. This one was built in September of 1966. Lastly, number 811b is an EMD F7 built in 1949.

I love the beginnings of daylight in the eastern sky in these latter two images. Three photographs by Richard Koenig; taken at dawn on November 21st 1976.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #filmphotography #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #bloomingtonillinois #bloomingtonil #emdf7 #emdsd40 #emdf3 #coveredwagon

[railwayhistorical]

Sling Shot

In the mid- to late-1970s, the ICG was able to negotiate a deal where they ran this train with a single unit, and I suppose a two-man crew. I believe these trains, known as the "sling shot", ran between Chicago and East St. Louis.

We're on the former Alton/GM&O, which was part of the Illinois Central Gulf at the time; the location is Shirley, Illinois. The locomotive is an EMD GP35 built in March of 1965. (And while not visible here, GM&O GP35s ran on Alco trucks.)

One image by Richard Koenig; taken May 22nd 1977.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentralgulf #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #alton #shirleyillinois #shirleyil #shirley #slingshot #emdgp35 #gp35

[railwayhistorical]

On the Main Line of Mid-America

This image was made one mile south of Tolono, Illinois, with the train being northbound. The train is approaching the crossing with the former Wabash here, then the Norfolk & Western. We're alongside the mainline of the Illinois Central of course.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken October 3rd 1978.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentral #tolonoilliois #tolonoil #tolono #illinoiscentralgulf #icg

[railwayhistorical]

Arcola, Illinois Northbound train on the Illinois Central main line. Image by Richard Koenig; taken on the eve of the Bicentennial (July 3rd 1976).

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentralgulf #illinoiscentral #arcolaillinois #arcolail #arcola #mainlineofmidamerica

[railwayhistorical]

Inter-modal

Following up on the previous post of the yard engine in Bloomington, a northbound freight came along. It seems to be comprised completely of piggyback cars. The power up front is three Paducah Rebuilds and another black Geep.

Again, this is along Illinois Central's line between Effingham, Illinois, and Indianapolis. It was the Illinois Central Gulf at the time after a merger with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio four years earlier.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken October 28th 1976.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #icgrr #icg #bloomingtonindiana #piggyback #tofc

[railwayhistorical]

Shuffle Creek Viaduct

This is a northbound train on Illinois Central’s line to Indianapolis, known as the hi-dry for its high bridges and fills. The line became the Indiana Rail Road in 1986. This location is near Lake Lemon northeast of Bloomington, Indiana.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken January 21st 1977.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentral #icg #hi-dry #illinoiscentralgulf #shufflecreekviaduct #lakelemon #bloomingtonin #inrd #indianarailroad

[railwayhistorical]

Detail, Yard Office, Bloomington, Indiana

A photograph of mine was awarded second prize in the black-and-white category of the 2023 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards hosted by the Center for Railroad Photography & Art. More information on the award program and Center can be found here.

The picture was made in the Illinois Central Gulf yard office in Bloomington, Indiana. Ron Potsch was third-trick Operator/Clerk at the time. This was Illinois Central's line between Effingham, Illinois, and Indianapolis, known as the “Hi-Dry” for its high bridges and fills.

The telephone one sees here has separate mouthpiece and headset; the radio is a typical Motorola of the time, and the train orders are hand-written on flimsy paper with carbons inserted between pages for the creation of multiple copies. These train orders would be hand-delivered to the crew of a moving train via a wooden, Y-shaped stick.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken in 1976; scanned from medium-format film negative.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #filmphotography #grainisgood #mediumformatphotography #mediumformat #analogphotography #blackandwhitephotography #bloomingtonindiana #bloomington in

[railwayhistorical]

Oppositional Views

Here’s the exterior and interior of Gulf, Mobile & Ohio EMD GP38, built for the road in August of 1969. The controls seen here are extremely basic when compared with current day locomotives.

The locomotive is part of the power consist on a southbound train, which is sitting on the passing track at Bloomington, Indiana. This is on Illinois Central’s line to Indianapolis, known as the Hi-Dry. The IC and GM&O had merged to form the Illinois Central Gulf by this time.

Back in the day, a rail enthusiast could climb around on a parked train for their photographs, inside and out.

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken February 15th 1977.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentralgulf #illinoiscentral #icg #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #emd #gp38

[railwayhistorical]

Another Early Effort

Here’s another sequence from my early days of photographing trains: this is a southbound manifest on the Illinois Central through my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana.

The IC had merged with the Gulf Mobile & Ohio just three years earlier (and did not paint over locomotives quickly in any case) and so we have two of those units here—along with a black IC geep. The locos in order then, all EMD: GP30, GP38, GP9.

The first two shots were made at the yard office while the latter two from the Rogers Street timber bridge just to the west (railroad south). The final pictures shows an Illinois Central track-side structure there for motor cars.

Four images by Richard Koenig; taken in August of 1975.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentralgulf #illinoiscentral #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #ic #icg #gp9 #gp30 #gp38

[railwayhistorical]

On the Hi-Dry

We have two shots here of a southbound hopper train rolling through Bloomington Indiana on the siding track. The lead unit is a fairly new GP38-2, built in 1974, with the name of "ROSWELL B. MASON" on it’s cab. This one of those times when the going away shot is better than the approach.

The Illinois Central line to Indianapolis, built in the early 20th century, is known as the Hi-Dry due to its high bridges and fills. It cuts through the campus of Indiana University grade-separated for the most part; I believe that building in the background of the first image is Foster Quadrangle.

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken September 21st 1977.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #icg #bloomingtonindiana #hi-dry #emdgp38-2 #gp38-2

[railwayhistorical]

Empty Hoppers

While one might think we’re on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio somewhere, this is actually a southbound train of empty hoppers on Illinois Central’s line to Indianapolis, known as the Hi-Dry. The location is the east side of Bloomington, Indiana.

Just three years earlier, in August of 1972, the Illinois Central had merged with the GM&O, providing for this trio of units relatively far from their home tracks.

I had just turned fifteen when I took these images; I was riding my bike along a new path that was being built along the right-of-way.

Two images by Richard Koenig; processing date is listed as October of 1975.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #illinoiscentralgulf #illinoiscentral #gulfmobile&ohio #gm&o #icg #ic

[railwayhistorical]

Caboose Hop

This is a southbound move on the Chicago & Alton, later GM&O, then ICG at the time of the photograph. I’m pretty certain the locale is Shirley, south of Bloomington, Illinois.

It’s interesting to note that all of the equipment here is of the GM&O, with the lead unit being former number 919, to go with Red Bird number 920 behind it, both EMD SD40s built in 1966. Bringing up the rear is an extended vision GM&O caboose.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken November 21st 1976.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #chicago&alton #c&a #gm&o #icg #gulfmobile&ohio #illinoiscentralgulf #shirleyillinois #bloomingtonil #emd #sd40 #emdsd40

[railwayhistorical]

First Job—Palestine, Illinois

Here are some images taken in a small Illinois town near the Wabash River. I had recently graduated high school and figured I’d work a year before going to college. (Something they’d call a “gap year” nowadays.) My job was third-trick operator with the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, which was later chopped up with most of it being folded into the Canadian National Railway.

This series has a depressed air about it, and I suppose that’s accurate—I was lonely and would often head back to my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, on my weekends to visit friends and stay over at my parents’ house. I usually drove my second-hand car, but hitched a ride on a freight there and back at least once.

While most of these images show the small town itself, I can explain a few of them. The second image shows the yard office, former freight station, in which I worked. The fourth is a self-portrait in the shabby, furnished apartment in which I lived, right downtown in a 19th century building, part of the business district. And the final shot is the desk at which I worked within the yard office—the date on the calendar is December 12th 1978.

Seven images by Richard Koenig; taken in the winter of 1978/79.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #palestineil #palestineillinois #wabashriver #illinoiscentral #illinoiscentralgulf #icg #smalltownamerica #filmphotography #grainisgood #analogphotography