Mississippi Rails

Illinois Central

Standard Gauge

Headquarters: Chicago, IL

Years of Operation: 1856-1972

Predecessor Roads:

Chicago, St. Louis & New Orleans

Yazoo & Mississippi Valley

Alabama & Vicksburg Ry

Vicksburg Shreveport & Pacific

Gulf & Ship Island RR

Successor Roads: Illinois Central Gulf

Miles Operated: 6761 miles in 1970

Locomotives Owned:

Click Map for Larger Version
Google Earth Map HERE

The Illinois Central Railroad was first organized in Illinois in 1851. IC's first involvement in Mississippi occurred in 1872 when the IC signed a traffic agreement with the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern and Mississippi Central Ry. In 1874, the IC took over these two railroads and merged them to form the Chicago, St. Louis & New Orleans Railroad. The CStL&NO was leased to the Illinois Central in June, 1882. IC also owned subsidiary Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad that built a network of lines in Mississippi over the years. On August 10, 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to form Illinois Central Gulf.

Timetables:

IC Mississippi Division No 37 May 1, 1910 Joe Marascalco Collection 29 MB

Three IC locos (312, 261, 1469) team up to pull a northbound freight at Jackson, MS in March 1941. Photographer C W Witbeck was shooting from the King Edward Hotel.

IC 0-6-0 205 rests between assignments at Clarksdale, MS in 1936.

IC Mikado (2-8-2) 1651 has the northbound local freight moving past the depot at Fluker, Lou. on June 6, 1955.

IC 59, a 4-6-0, at McComb in 1927.

IC 0-6-0 No. 225 at McComb in February 1938.

Moving Day- When IC had to relocate the yard office at North Jackson, MS, in 1942 they simply loaded it on flatcars!

IC 437 at an unknown location.

IC 2-8-0 No. 666 at Hattiesburg on 7-23-1938.

IC Mogul 569 at Asylum (North Jackson), MS in January 1934.

IC SW-1 608 switches at Hattiesburg on Sept. 7, 1955.

IC 2-8-0 679 was regular power on the Laurel Branch, as seen here at Laurel on Aug. 21, 1936.

IC 709 under steam at Laurel on Aug. 22, 1938.

IC Atlantic (4-4-2) 1014 leaves Jackson, MS with the train to Clarksdale in 1938.

IC 723 works as the Hattiesburg switcher on August 23, 1938. It is seen here working the west end of the Southern yard with the Leaf Hotel and Ross Building seen in the background.

IC 854 was one of several 2-8-0's assigned to yard service at Birmingham, AL. Photo dated Oct. 4, 1945.

IC 956 sports a Vanderbilt tender as it rides the North Jackson turntable on Oct. 12, 1937.

IC Pacific 1007 with a southbound passenger train at Baton Rouge on Oct. 24, 1944.

IC Atlantic 1022 leaves North Jackson heading up the Y&MV with the passenger train to Clarksdale in 1938.

Pacific 1056 at Hattiesburg about 1939.

IC 1041 leads train 105 at Hattiesburg in the late 1930's.

Train 105 prepares to cross the B&HS south of Hattiesburg on Sept. 15, 1939.

The northbound Panama Limited approaches the station at Jackson, MS in March 1938.

IC 1151 leads train 105 past Bay St. Presbyterian Church at Hattiesburg on December 24, 1950.

Train 105 arrives at Gulfport on May 20, 1950.

IC Mikado 1266 leads freight NC-4 through Brookhaven on July 16, 1948.

Freight PD-1 arrives at North Jackson behind Mikado 1464 in April 1938. Photographer Witbeck was on top of the coaling tower for this photo.

1593 takes coal at Gulfport on Sept. 17, 1953.

2-6-0 3702 rests between switching chores at Hattiesburg at Newman St. in October 1944.

IC 2-6-0 1871 hauling a trainload of logs in the Mississippi delta circa 1920.

IC mike 1996 pulling the Camp Shelby commuter train from Hattiesburg on May 10, 1944.

IC Mountain (4-8-2) 2452 pulls train 3 at Brookhaven, MS on a cold and snowy February 2, 1951.

2-8-2 No. 3971, an ex-A&V engine, pulls train 276 across the diamond at Bossier City, La. in 1932.

E-6 4001 leads a southbound business train at Hattiesburg across the Southern Railway on October 17, 1953.

The inaugural run of the "City of New Orleans" at Jackson, MS on April 15, 1947.

E-7 4008 on the head of Train 2, the "City of New Orleans" at McComb on June 26, 1955.

E-8 4019 leads Train 4 at McComb on June 26, 1955. The concrete coaling tower above the train still stands in 2009.

Train 6 lead by E-8 4033 passes the depot at Tickfaw, La. on April 29, 1955.

IC GP-7 8851 prepares to leave Laurel, MS for Saratoga in August 1966.

IC SW-1 9021 at the Hattiesburg freighthouse on Sept. 6, 1950.

Steel side-door caboose 9893 at Brookhaven on Sept. 15, 1953.

Classic wood side-door caboose 99357 at West Jackson in April 1938.

IC 9432 northbound at Brooklyn, MS in March 1977.

4 Geeps lead an IC freight at Bond, MS in 1969.

8957 northbound at Wiggins, MS circa 1969.

Rare motor car 113 at Vicksburg, in 1924.

The south end of the depot at Jackson, MS in 1937.

The northbound "City of Miami" at Corinth, Miss. on May 8, 1965.

IC business car 4 at an unknown location.

The ex-A&V depot at Morton in the 1950's.

IC GP-9's lead a westbound train at Vicksburg on December 28, 1969.

The westbound train enters the tunnel leading to the Mississippi River Bridge at Vicksburg on 12-28-1969.

IC 8318 switches at Hattiesburg in 1972.

An IC Geep switches at Starkville in the late 1960's. The IC freighthouse is in the center of the photo.

A southbound IC local passes through Raymond, Mississippi on the "Little J" branch to Natchez about 1980.

IC local at Raymond. Luckily, the ex-IC depot at Raymond still exists today even though the tracks were removed in the early 1980's.

A northbound IC local leaves Starkville about 1970.

An IC Geep with loads of pulpwood for the International Paper mill at Natchez along the Mississippi River.

IC 2-8-2 1592 westbound approaching the water tank at Ackerman, MS about 1954.

After taking water, 1592 pulls away from the water tank and crosses the GM&O at Ackerman.

1592 leaving Ackerman in 1954.

IC 0-6-0 No. 225 switching at Meridian in 1950.

No. 742, a 2-8-0, is being used as a yard switcher in Meridian in this 1951 photo.

Mikado 1472 arrives at the joint IC-Southern Ry yard in Meridian in 1950.

Mike 1428 makes a fine sight west of Meridian with the local freight in 1950.

2-8-2 1268 departs the depot in Meridian with a troop train in 1950.

A short 3-car local departs Meridian for Jackson behind 2-8-2 1274 in 1950.

1268 makes a photogenic plume of smoke as it accelerates out of the depot in Meridian with a troop train in 1950.

Two sets of IC geeps keep a Southern Railway GP-7 company at the joint engine facility in Meridian in the mid-1950's.

IC 4006 on a southbound passenger train at Jackson, MS.

2-8-2 No. 1484 is serviced at Meridian in the early 50's.

An IC 0-6-0 takes a spin on the Jackson turntable.

A westbound freight leaves Meridian in 1950.

A pair of geeps arrive with an eastbound freight at the joint IC-Southern yard in Meridian in 1951.

IC E-8 with a northbound passenger train arrives at Jackson in the mid-1950's.

IC GP-7 8952 and booster BU-1 were common power on the hilly Laurel branch.

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