Illinois Central Class 2600

Illinois Central 2600 Series
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	Illinois Central’s Paducah, Kentucky shops
Total produced	20
Classification	2600
Rail gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Cylinders	Two, Outside
Boiler pressure	275 psi (1,900 kPa)
Bore stroke	28 in × 30 in (710 mm × 760 mm)
Firegrate area	88.30 sq ft (8.203 m2)
Fuel type	Coal
Heating area	1,619 sq ft (150 m2)
Performance figures
Tractive effort	78,540 lbf (349.36 kN)
Factor of adhesion	3.74
Service information
Running numbers	2600
Disposition details
Preserved	None were Preserved
Disposition	All Scrapped

The Illinois Central 2600 Series was a class of 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotive built by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah, Kentucky shops.

History

Beginning

In the 1940s, during the Second World War, the Illinois Central Railroad needed more steam locomotives for their usage within the United States to tackle the issues of the Second World War. So the Illinois Central Railroad had decided to go back to the drawing board and design a new steam locomotive for themselves, they asked the Paducah, Kentucky shops to build the specific class of locomotive they were wanting. Enter the Illinois Central 2600 Series, these locomotives were built for usage on the Illinois Central Railroad within the US to tackle the issues of the Second World War.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal of the class began in the 1950s and the last engine was out of service by 1960 in favor of diesels, they were all cut up afterwards.

Excursion Run

On October 2, 1960, No. 2613 was refueled for the final time at Central City, Kentucky. It then pulled an excursion trip from Louisville to Dawson Springs, Kentucky and back, and this historically marked the very last run to be made by an Illinois Central steam engine. After the run, the railroad offered to donate No. 2613 to the Kentucky Railway Museum , but having no space for additional locomotives, the museum declined the offer. As a result, No. 2613 was scrapped, but its tender remained intact.

Illinois Central tenders from Nos. 2612 and 2613 stored behind Mississippi Eastern No. 303 (York Southern Railroad No. 1 at the time) at Rockford, Illinois, circa 1988

Later, Chicago area railfan, Richard Jensen, acquired the tender of the locomotive, along with that from fellow 2600 No. 2612, and he moved it to the Chicago West Pullman and Southern Railroad for storage. He had intentions of using both tenders behind Burlington locomotives Nos. 4963 and 5632, but as he fell into financial trouble in the 1970s, he fell behind on rent to store the tenders on the CWP&S. In 1981, the CWP&S gave up on collecting rent from Jensen, and they acquired the tenders, along with York Southern Railroad 4-6-0 No. 1, as compensation.

They subsequently sold the tenders and No. 1 at a sheriff auction to William Latham of Rockford, Illinois. Latham had planned to create a small railroad museum with the engine and tenders, but this plan had fallen through, and No. 1 was eventually donated to the Monticello Railway Museum in June 2000. A Monticello member tried to secure one of the Illinois Central tenders from the Rockford collection for preservation, but this effort failed, and both tenders were scrapped in 2011.

Stock list

Loco No.	Image(s)	Operator(s)	Build date(s)	Retired	Status	Notes
2600	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2601	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2602	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2603	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2604	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2605	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2606	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2607	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2608	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2609	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2610	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2611	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2612	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	Scrapped in 1960s, leaving its tender behind, tender was scrapped in 2011.
2613	File:Illinois Central No. 2613.jpeg	Illinois Central Railroad	1942	1960	Scrapped	Used on an excursion train before it was retired in 1960, it was scrapped in 1961, leaving its tender behind, tender was scrapped in 2011.
2614	File:Illinois Central No. 2614 & a diesel.jpeg	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2615	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2616	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2617	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2618	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-
2619	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	-	-	Scrapped	-

See also

• Illinois Central No. 2613
• Illinois Central No. 2612

List of Illinois Central 4-8-2 "Mountain" Type Steam Locomotives
2400 Series:	The Class • 2400 • 2401 • 2402 • 2403 • 2404 • 2405 • 2406 • 2407 • 2408 • 2409 • 2410 • 2411 • 2412 • 2413 • 2414
2415 Series:	The Class • 2415 • 2416 • 2417 • 2418 • 2419 • 2420 • 2421 • 2422 • 2423 • 2424 • 2425 • 2426 • 2427 • 2428 • 2429 • 2430 • 2431 • 2432 • 2433 • 2434 • 2435 • 2436 • 2437 • 2438 • 2439
2440 Series:	The Class • 2440 • 2441 • 2442 • 2443 • 2444 • 2445 • 2446 • 2447 • 2448 • 2449 • 2450 • 2451 • 2452 • 2453 • 2454 • 2455 • 2456 • 2457 • 2458 • 2459
2500 Series:	The Class • 2500 • 2501 • 2502 • 2503 • 2504 • 2505 • 2506 • 2507 • 2508 • 2509 • 2510 • 2511 • 2512 • 2513 • 2514 • 2515 • 2516 • 2517 • 2518 • 2519 • 2520 • 2521 • 2522 • 2523 • 2524 • 2525 • 2526 • 2527 • 2528 • 2529 • 2530 • 2531 • 2532 • 2533 • 2534 • 2535 • 2536 • 2537 • 2538 • 2539 • 2540 • 2541 • 2542 • 2543 • 2544 • 2545 • 2546 • 2547 • 2548 • 2549 • 2550 • 2551 • 2552 • 2553 • 2554 • 2555
2600 Series:	The Class • 2600 • 2601 • 2602 • 2603 • 2604 • 2605 • 2606 • 2607 • 2608 • 2609 • 2610 • 2611 • 2612 • 2613 • 2614 • 2615 • 2616 • 2617 • 2618 • 2619
Excursion Star:	2613
Extinct:	2400 Series • 2415 Series • 2440 Series • 2600 Series
Preserved:	2500 • 2542