Illinois Central No. 790 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive that is currently part of the Steamtown National Historic Site collection in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
History[]
Illinois Central No. 790 was constructed by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at their own Cooke Works in September 1903 and it was delivered to the Chicago Union Transfer Railway along with its three siblings that same year in originally carrying the number 100, It was later sold to Illinois Central Railroad in 1904 and was renumbered to 641.
In January 1943 the locomotive was renumbered to 790 and remained in revenue service pulling heavy freight trains until it was replaced by the emerging diesel-electric locomotives. It was put into storage while the other three members of its class were scrapped. It was sold to a railfan by the name of Louis S. Keller, in 1959, who had hoped to use it for excursions.
It was used for "flood duty" in April 1965 at the Clinton Corn Processing Company. Later on that year, it was sold to another man by the name of David de Camp, who planned to use it in the area of Lake Placid, New York, but these plans were not met. It became part of the Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in Bellows Falls, Vermont when it was sold to another railfan known to be F. Nelson Blount in January 1966.
After the nationalization of Steamtown, the Steamtown National Historic Site retained the locomotive on the suggestion of the Steamtown Special History Study.
In July 1, 2012, it was cosmetically restored Steamtown National Historic Site where it would be placed back on static display after the cosmetic restoration.
As of today, it currently remains on outdoor static display at the Steamtown National Historic Site.
Trivia[]
- No. 790 is the only surviving locomotive of the Chicago Union Transfer Railway.
- No. 790 is the only surviving Illinois Central 2-8-0 Consolidation type of its class left.
- No. 790 is one of nine surviving Illinois Central steam engines.