Work has begun with patching on jacket and will be repainted soon. The roof will soon be receiving bird hardware cloth to keep birds from roosing above engine.
Thanks for the update. I was raised in Sothern Illinois and have been around there many times. We took pictures of the 2500 before the roof was put up over the engine. It looked very good about ten years ago when I went by and I for one am glad to hear it is being maintained to some degree…
Thanks
CAZEPHYR
CAZEPHYR, where in S. Illinois? I was born and raised (till 12) in Benton, Ill.
Dick
Texas Chief
Engine #2500 has been repainted by the CN?IC paint crew. The engine is located in the park in Centralia, ill. on Broadway. The engine looks great.
I put a pic out there of the repainted engine. Check it out on our website…
www.ageofsteammemorial.org and and click on “2500 gets a new paint job” on the right.
Thx
I’m so glad to find out about this!! It’s been several years since I was by #2500, but the last time I saw it she was looking pretty sad. I too remember taking pics of it before the shed was built over it. BTW, I am in Albion IL.
I was raised in Jasper County but we did most of our train watching in Effingham where the PRR and IC diamond was located.
Cheers
Thanks for informing us of that website. I enjoyed visiting it and will share with you the following e-mail I sent to Jim Adams who’s the contact person listed on it.
"Hi Jim,
I fired on the IC for a brief time in the early 1950’s and worked on both 2500’s and 2600’s on the Illinois Div. between Markham and Champaign. Up that way the 2500’s always ran with a small auxiliary tender and if you could ever find one that would make the picture complete for me. I filled 'em many a time during coal and water stops at Gilman. What a treat to find your website and see the photos of the 2500. It’s been 55 years since I last stepped down from the cab but that shot of the backhead sure brought back a flood of memories. While not quite authentic, the white painted rods, running boards and driver trim sure do “jazz” the old girl up. I’m not complaining, but I don’t remember the cab roof’s being red and seem to recall the engines were painted flat black not glossy. The pilot as shown in the front end close up with the wreath on her smokebox doesn’t seem quite the way I remember it. If you get a chance drop me an e-mail about these details just to satisfy my curiosity and put to rest the question of my possibly suffering from “old timers” disease. I’ve lived in Shreveport, LA (also once an IC town at the west end of the old Mississipi Div.)for the last 42 years but occasionally get up to Illinois and sure hope to have an opportunity to stop by and see the 2500 on a future trip. I know it’s asking for the moon but if I could see her operational again I could die a happy man. Congratulations to your and your organization for saving and at least cosmetically restoring the old girl!
Texas Chief
I was raised and still live north of Jasper county in Clark. Our schools most likely play each other in sports. I still get over to Effingham some rail fanning.
inch
[quote user=“KCSfan”]
Thanks for informing us of that website. I enjoyed visiting it and will share with you the following e-mail I sent to Jim Adams who’s the contact person listed on it.
"Hi Jim,
I fired on the IC for a brief time in the early 1950’s and worked on both 2500’s and 2600’s on the Illinois Div. between Markham and Champaign. Up that way the 2500’s always ran with a small auxiliary tender and if you could ever find one that would make the picture complete for me. I filled 'em many a time during coal and water stops at Gilman. What a treat to find your website and see the photos of the 2500. It’s been 55 years since I last stepped down from the cab but that shot of the backhead sure brought back a flood of memories. While not quite authentic, the white painted rods, running boards and driver trim sure do “jazz” the old girl up. I’m not complaining, but I don’t remember the cab roof’s being red and seem to recall the engines were painted flat black not glossy. The pilot as shown in the front end close up with the wreath on her smokebox doesn’t seem quite the way I remember it. If you get a chance drop me an e-mail about these details just to satisfy my curiosity and put to rest the question of my possibly suffering from “old timers” disease. I’ve lived in Shreveport, LA (also once an IC town at the west end of the old Mississipi Div.)for the last 42 years but occasionally get up to Illinois and sure hope to have an opportunity to stop by and see the 2500 on a future trip. I know it’s asking for the moon but if I could see her operational again I could die a happy man. Congratulations to your and your organization for saving and at least cosmetically res
Hi CAZ,
Good to chat with someone else who knew the IC when it truly was the Mainline of Mid-America.
The 2600’s were my favorite. Their big tenders on 6-wheel trucks seemed to fit better with the massive Mountains than the smaller ones of the 2500’s. Those babies could roll! I often chased hotshot MS-1 down US45 from Richton Park to Manteno at 70mph. There’d usually be a 2600 on the head of 50-60 boxcars of merchandise freight and I’d have the car windows down to better hear their deep throated chime whistles as they blew for the grade crossings.
Tks for the link to the 2542. It looks more as I remember than does the 2500 who’s glossy paint and red cab roof just doesn’t seem right IMHO. Got a nice reply from Jim Adams to my e-mail. He said the 2500’s pilot was modified with footboards added when the IC placed it in road-switcher service in its later active years. That explained why it didn’t look right to me. Was surprised to see the specs listed on the 2542 site showed a boiler pressure of only 240#. I thought it was higher than that but maybe I’m thinking of the 2600’s
[quote user=“KCSfan”]
Hi CAZ,
Good to chat with someone else who knew the IC when it truly was the Mainline of Mid-America.
The 2600’s were my favorite. Their big tenders on 6-wheel trucks seemed to fit better with the massive Mountains than the smaller ones of the 2500’s. Those babies could roll! I often chased hotshot MS-1 down US45 from Richton Park to Manteno at 70mph. There’d usually be a 2600 on the head of 50-60 boxcars of merchandise freight and I’d have the car windows down to better hear their deep throated chime whistles as they blew for the grade crossings.
Tks for the link to the 2542. It looks more as I remember than does the 2500 who’s glossy paint and red cab roof just doesn’t seem right IMHO. Got a nice reply from Jim Adams to my e-mail. He said the 2500’s pilot was modified with footboards added when the IC placed it in road-switcher service in its later active years. That explained why it didn’t look right to me. Was surprised to see the specs listed on the 2542 site showed a boiler pressure of only 240#. I thought it was higher than that but maybe I’m thinki