The Rise and Fall of Illinois Central Railroad

Comments · 182

• IT

  @ITSHISTORY · 2 years ago · pinned

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• BE

  @Ben-bb7mi · 2 years ago

  IC&apos;s main legacy today is that their former line is the only electrified Metra commuter line

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• UH

  @uhlijohn · 2 years ago

  In one Illinois Central case that Abe Lincoln handled successfully, he presented a legal bill to the IC for $5,000! That was probably the &nbsp;largest fee ever demanded by a lawyer up until that time. I recall that the IC balked at paying it so Lincoln sued. The IC lawyer, if my memory serves me, did not show up in court so Lincoln won by default. Also, George B. McClellan, Lincoln&apos;s chief general during the early part of the Civil War and his nemesis, became a president of the IC before war broke out.

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• GA

  @garydean0308 · 2 years ago

  I lived in Centralia for 10 years. I remember when IC was bought out by CN. It was a bit of a shock. Both Lincoln and McClellan stayed at the Centralia House, probably not at the same time. It was the premier hotel at that time.

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• BO

  @bonniewills2814 · 2 years ago

  Will forever be remembered for The City of New Orleans train (Thanks, Arlo!)

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• TH

  @TheGbelcher · 2 years ago

  The only problem with this channel is it doesn’t release content everyday. <br><br>This is great stuff!

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• JE

  @jetsons101 · 2 years ago

  Nothing like a video on vintage rail, a very enjoyable watch. &nbsp; &nbsp;Ryan, thanks for your time, work and posting.....

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• RA

  @randycox1101 · 2 years ago

  My grandpa retired from the IC as a Forman.., he raised five children with grandma and they were always being relocated from one place to another while he overseen Maintenance of Way workers during the Great Depression <br>They had some good stories about that as they got older

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• DW

  @dwoods1113 · 2 years ago

  My father worked for the IC. &nbsp;Office was in Chicago, but spent a lot of time at the Woodcrest shops which is where the CN’s US headquarters is at now. &nbsp;Drive by there every day. &nbsp;Miss the IC days.

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• JO

  @JohnGunther-h2u · 2 years ago

  Lived on a farm growing up on the Kankakee to Bloomington line. &nbsp;Train rolled right past our front yard. &nbsp;Loved running out to wave at engineers, put pennies on the tracks, count the cars. &nbsp;I miss IC

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• CH

  @chiron14pl · 2 years ago

  I&apos;m told that locals pronounce the name of Cairo as &quot;Kay&apos;-row&quot;

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• FA

  @FarmerJimmyJoe · 2 years ago

  I grew up in East Hazel Crest where the IC had it&apos;s Markham Yards. They had 3 hump yards there and their big engine facilities. That&apos;s now called Woodcrest Shops ( combination od Homewood and East Hazel Crest). I rode the IC from Homewood to Champaign to the University of Illinois in the late 1960&apos;s, they used light weight and heavy weight cars and pulled by those great E9 engines. If they were running late they would leave Kankakee and do 100 mph down to Champaign, cars would shake and the conductor would always say&quot; we&apos;ll make up some time now&quot;. Railfanned the IC for many years and took rolls of 35mm slides. Such were some great times. It truly is / was a one of a kind railroad. Nice video.

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