The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area in Union, Illinois,
List of Exhibits[]
- Steam Locomotives:
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Frisco No. 1630 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1918 | 2-10-0 "Decapod" | Often used on coach trains out of East Union Station. |
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J. Neils Lumber Co. No. 5 | Lima Locomotive Works | 1929 | 3-Truck Shay | Previously wood-fired and converted to run on coal. |
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Union Pacific No. 428 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1900 | 2-8-0 "Consolidation" | Arrived in 1969, undergoing restoration to operating condition. |
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Rock Island No. 938 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1910 | 4-6-2 "Pacific" | One of only four Rock Island steam locomotives left to be preserved. |
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Santa Fe No. 2903 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1943 | 4-8-4 "Northern" | Arrived in 1993. |
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Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad No. 3007 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1930 | 4-6-4 "Hudson" | Only 4-6-4 in the collection. |
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Milwaukee Road No. 265 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | July 1944 | 4-8-4 "Northern" | One of only two Milwaukee Road Class S3s to be preserved. |
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American Creosote Works No. 7 | Vulcan Iron Works | 1917 | 0-4-0T Tank locomotive | Arrived in 1971. Smallest locomotive in the collection. |
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Chicago, Burlington & Quincy No. 4963 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1923 | 2-8-2 "Mikado" | Traded for five Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0s in the early 1990s. |
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Chesapeake & Ohio No. 2707 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1943 | 2-8-4 "Berkshire" | Only 2-8-4 in the collection. |
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Commonwealth Edison No. 5 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1922 | 0-6-0 Switcher | Operated on the museum's trackage from 1970 to 1974. |
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Coronet Phosphate Co. No. 9 | H.K. Porter, Inc. | 1925 | 2-6-2ST "Prairie" | Arrived in 2008. |
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Detroit, Toledo & Ironton No. 16 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1915 | 4-4-0 "American" | One of only two DT&I steam locomotives to be preserved. Traded for Bessemer and Lake Erie 154. |
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Grand Trunk Western No. 6323 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1942 | 4-8-4 "Northern" | Famous for being the very last steam locomotive to operate under GTW ownership. |
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Grand Trunk Western No. 8380 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1929 | 0-8-0 Switcher | |
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Illinois Central No. 201 | Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works | 1880 | 2-4-4T | Oldest locomotive in the collection. |
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Illinois Central No. 3039 | Brooks Locomotive Works | 1900 | 2-6-0 Mogul | One of the largest 2-6-0s to be preserved. |
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Lake Superior & Ishpeming No. 35 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1916 | 2-8-0 "Consolidation" | One of only three LS&I SC-1 locomotives to be preserved. |
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Louisiana & Arkansas No. 99 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1919 | 2-8-0 "Consolidation" | Arrived in 1971. |
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Norfolk and Western No. 2050 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1923 | 2-8-8-2 | Only articulated steam locomotive in the collection. One of only two N&W Y-Class 2-8-8-2s left to be preserved. |
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Public Service Co. No. 7 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1926 | 0-6-0 Tank locomotive | The first steam locomotive to be donated to the museum. |
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Texas & New Orleans No. 975 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1918 | 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" type | One of only two SP F-1 locomotives left to be preserved. |
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Tuskegee No. 101 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1924 | 2-6-2 "Prairie" | Operated on the IRM's trackage from 1970 to 1987. It has been disassembled since 1990. |
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Union Electric Co. No. 4 | H. K. Porter Company | 1946 | 0-4-0F Fireless | The only fireless locomotive in the collection. |
| US Navy No. 7 | Vulcan Iron Works | 1917 | 0-4-0 Tank locomotive | ||
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Chicago, Burlington and Quincy No. 637 | Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works | 1892 | 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" | Second oldest locomotive in the collection, formerly used for the CB&Q's steam excursion trains in the 1950s. |
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Graysonia Nashville and Ashdown No. 26 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1926 | 2-6-0 Mogul | |
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Lehigh and New England No. 207 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1936 | 0-6-0 Tank locomotive |
- Diesel Locomotives:
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe No. 92 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1967 | EMD F45 | Built as Santa Fe 102 |
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Chicago & North Western No. 9911A "Silver Pilot" | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1940 | EMD E5 | Only surviving EMD E5, often paired with the Nebraska Zephyr. |
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Commonwealth Edison No. 15 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1950 | EMD SW1 | Often seen on the Caboose Train |
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Burlington Northern No. 5383 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | October 1974 | GE U30C | Repainted In 2006. |
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United States Army No. 8537 | General Electric (GE) | 1944 | GE 44-ton switcher | Has been used as one of the museum's primary switchers for several years. |
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Union Pacific No. 18 | General Electric (GE) | August 1960 | Union Pacific GTEL | One of only two UP gas turbine locomotives left in the United States. |
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Toledo, Peoria and Western No. 400 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1958 | ALCO RS-11 | |
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Toledo, Peoria and Western No. 800 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1964 | ALCO Century 424 | |
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Illinois Terminal No. 1605 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1953 | EMD GP7 | Formerly Norfolk & Western 3406 |
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Rock Island No. 4506 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1952 | EMD GP7R | Ran as Chicago And North Western 4160 until restoration back into Rock Island Paint. |
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Chicago & North Western No. 1518 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1949 | EMD GP7 | First EMD GP7 ever built. |
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MBTA No. 902 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1957 | EMD GP9 | Formerly GTW and SEMTA |
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Southern Pacific No. 1518 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | May 1951 | EMD SD7 | First SD7 ever built. |
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Metra No. 308 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1949 | EMD F7A | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 504 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1959 | EMD SD24 | Operational |
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Milwaukee Road No. 760 | Fairbanks-Morse | 1944 | FM H-10-44 | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 411 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1949 | EMD F7A | Operational |
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Burlington Northern No. 1 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1954 | EMD F9A | |
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Burlington Northern No. 3 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1956 | EMD E9 | |
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Wisconsin Central No. 7525 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1971 | EMD SD45 | |
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Chicago & North Western No. 6847 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1976 | EMD SD40-2 | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 9255 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1950 | EMD SW7 | |
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Union Pacific No. 6930 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1970 | EMD DDA40X | Display |
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Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern No. 21 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1948 | Baldwin DT-6-6-2000 | |
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Union Pacific No. 1848 | General Electric (GE) | 1988 | GE Dash 8-40B | |
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Nekoosa Paper No. 14 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1947 | ALCO S-1 | |
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Minnesota Transfer Railway No. 200 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1951 | ALCO RS-3 | |
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Milwaukee Road No. 118C | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1951 | EMD F7A | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 1689 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1954 | ALCO RSD-5 | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 515 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1953 | EMD E8A | Operational |
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Chicago & North Western No. 114 | General Electric (GE) | 1967 | GE U28B | |
| Chicago & North Western No. 7009 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1985 | EMD SD50 | ||
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Green Bay and Western No. 2407 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1960 | ALCO RSD-15 | |
| Chicago & North Western No. 9976 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | 1953 | EMD E9A | ||
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E-!10 | Lima-Hamilton | Lima-Hamilton LS-1200 |
- Electric Locomotives:
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Amtrak No. 945 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | April 1982 | EMD AEM-7 | Incompatible electric system. Can only operate under 11,000 AC Volts as opposed to the museum's 600 DC Volts. |
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Pennsylvania No. 4927 | Altoona Works | 1942 | Pennsylvania Railroad Class GG1 | Only PRR locomotive in the collection. |
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Chicago South Shore and South Bend No. 803 | General Electric (GE) | 1949 | Little Joe | |
| Conrail No. 4601 | General Electric (GE) | 1956 | Virginian EL-C |
- Former Locomotives:
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Norfolk and Western No. 475 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | June 1906 | 4-8-0 "Mastadon" | Went through several owners, including the IRM between 1980 and 1982, before being restored to operating condition at Strasburg Rail Road. |
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Lee-Tidewater Cypress Co. No. 18 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | March 1920 | 2-6-0 Mogul | Preserved at the Gramling Locomotive Works in Ashley, Indiana |
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Lake Superior & Ishpeming No. 34 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1916 | 2-8-0 "Consolidation" | Used in excursion service between Cumberland and Frostburg, Maryland, while masquerating as Western Maryland No. 734. |
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Polson Logging Co. No. 2 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1912 | 2-8-2 "Mikado" | The Cadillac and Lake City Railroad donated the engine to the IRM in 1980, and it was purchased by a private owner two years later.
Operational at the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi, Oregon. Used on the ORHC's Holiday Express in 2022 and 2023. Will be moved to it's new home at the Albany Eastern Railroad alongside Santa Maria Valley 205. |
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Georgia Northern No. 102 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | 1923 | 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" | Moved to Currie, Minnesota, in 1993. |
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Bessemer & Lake Erie No. 154 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1909 | 2-8-0 "Consolidation" | Traded for Detroit, Toledo and Ironton No. 16 in 1989. Resides in Dearborn, Michigan. |
Visiting Locomotives:
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Central Pacific No. 63 Leviathan | Schenectady Locomotive Works | September 1868 | 4-4-0 "American" | Nicknamed "Leviathan" |
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Lehigh Valley Coal Company No. 126 | Vulcan Iron Works | May 1931 | 0-6-0 Saddle Tank locomotive | Nicknamed "Sadie" |
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Union Pacific No. 1988 "The Katy" | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | EMD SD70ACe | Nicknamed "The Katy" | |
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Union Pacific No. 1996 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | EMD SD70ACe | ||
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Union Pacific No. 6936 | Electro-Motive Division (EMD) | January 1971 | EMD DDA40X |
Trivia[]
- Frisco 1630 was built in 1918 by Baldwin and pulled trains until the 1960's. 1630 is sometimes on display and operational.
- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 2903 counts as a movie star Steam Locomotive.
- Burlington Route 4963 is still remaining on display while it's close relative Grand Canyon Railway (CB&Q) 4960 runs excursions on the Grand Canyon Railroad in Williams, Arizona.
- 265 is one of the last surviving Milwaukee Road Class S-3 locomotives in the world!
- UP 428 will hopefully run again when restoration is completed
- Burlington Route 3007 is not likely to run again but, sister locomotive 3003 sits on display at a park.
- 2707 is undergoing cosmetic restoration.
- The last steam locomotive they have (Not CB&Q 637 or GTW 6323) LS&I 35 is in the Illinois Railway Museum train yard.
- CB&Q 637 is also undergoing cosmetic restoration.
- Grand Trunk Western 6323 is also in the Illinois Railway Museum roundhouse.
- Grand Trunk Western 5629 was originally going to acquired by the museum but it's owner Richard Jensen said "no" to that idea, which sadly resulted in 5629 being scraped
- The Silver Pilot and Santa Fe 2903 made an appearance in the film Transformers: Age of Extinction.