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Illinois Central No. 2613 was one of 20 Illinois Central 2600 Series 4-8-2 "Mountain" steam locomotives built by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah, Kentucky shops in 1942. It eventually became notable for pulling fan trips for the Illinois Central in the early 1960's before it was sold for scrap.

History[]

Engine No. 2613 was manufactured by the Illinois Central's Paducah, Kentucky shops, as part of the railroad's 2600 class of 4-8-2 "Mountain" type engines, which were built between 1942 and 1943. No. 2613, along with the other 2600 engines, was used to pull heavy freight trains throughout Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky. They were widely regarded as one of the largest Mountain type engines ever built.

On October 24, 1959, No. 2613 was leased by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, who no longer had steam engines by then, to pull the railroad’s centennial special between Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee. The Illinois Central then used No. 2613 to pull a few excursion fan trips of their own on the Kentucky division during 1960, beginning with a Farewell to steam trip on May 14 between Louisville and Paducah, Kentucky. During this time, 2-10-2 engine No. 2739 was kept operable inside the Paducah Roundhouse as a standby engine for whenever No. 2613 broke down, but it never ran.

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.

Later, Chicago area railfan, Richard Jensen, acquired the tender, 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.

ICRR 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler"

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

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, thus rendering Illinois Central No. 2613 and the Illinois Central Class 2600 completely extinct.

Paducah Mural Wall[]

Despite the engine is gone, there is a memorial art of the engine on the Paducah Mural Wall.

See also[]

List of Illinois Central 4-8-2 "Mountain" Type Steam Locomotives
2400 Series: The Class240024012402240324042405240624072408240924102411241224132414
2415 Series: The Class2415241624172418241924202421242224232424242524262427242824292430243124322433243424352436243724382439
2440 Series: The Class24402441244224432444244524462447244824492450245124522453245424552456245724582459
2500 Series: The Class25002501250225032504250525062507250825092510251125122513251425152516251725182519252025212522252325242525252625272528252925302531253225332534253525362537253825392540254125422543254425452546254725482549255025512552255325542555
2600 Series: The Class26002601260226032604260526062607260826092610261126122613261426152616261726182619
Excursion Star: 2613
Extinct: 2400 Series2415 Series2440 Series2600 Series
Preserved: 25002542
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