The Illinois Central No. 8733 is an EMD GP11 diesel locomotive built in 1958. It has been donated to the Monticello Railway Museum of Monticello, IL where it currently operates.
History[]
Originally built as GP9 No. 9386, No. 8733 was used in freight service all over the Illinois Central's system between Chicago and New Orleans along with the IC's many branchlines. No. 8733 was part of the last order of new GP9s built for the IC.
In 1980, No. 8733 was sent to the IC's shops in Paducah, KY where it was rebuilt to a GP11 and acquired its current number. It continued to serve in freight service on the IC until Canadian National took over operations in 1998. No. 8733 was placed in storage until CN donated it to the Monticello Railway Museum in 2001. The locomotive sat on display at the museum for a couple years before being restored to operation in 2004.
No. 8733 is currently the MRYM's workhorse and in addition to pulling museum trains is used for switching and moving grain cars to and from the museum's connection with the Norfolk Southern Railway to a storage track near the museum. Every September during the museum's annual Railroad Days event, No. 8733 pulls a replicated Illinois Central freight train.