ILLINOIS CENTRAL NET

Homewood IL Railfan Park and Equipment Display now open!

Support Amtrak. Visit the FRIENDS OF AMTRAK WEB SITE.

Another Passenger Train support organization is the

 National Association of Rail Passengers

                                                                                                                                                                          Copyright 2005 G. Parker 

Amtrak's California Zephyr on the bank of the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Our latest Trip via Amtrak

On October 1. 2006 we are going to Washington DC and New York City via Amtrak. My plan is to post commentary and pictures of our trip.  CLICK HERE for my report

Welcome to Illinois Central Net. My name is Tom Parker and I am retired from the Illinois Central at Memphis, TN. I hope you enjoy my home page. You can to send me an E-mail at TomParker@IllinoisCentral.net, but please note that I do not have any railroad personnel records. You may want to contact the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, at 844 North Rush, Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 751-4500 or at the The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Web Page. I'm also not authority on railroad history, Illinois Central or otherwise.

Tom's Closet

I've got a closet full of junk including newspaper clippings, press releases, company news letters, etc. I've decided to scan some of them and post them. CLICK HERE  to enter Tom's closet. Watch your Step! 

MICROSOFT TRAIN SIMULATOR

I've gotten hooked on  Microsoft's Train Simulator. I decided to model (in Train Simulator) the Illinoius Central between Woodstock Tennessee and Fulton Kentucky around 1980. CLICK HERE  for screenshots and further commentary

Illinois Central Lists, etc.

• Illinois Central Railfans , is new list on Google, hosted by me. It's a site where information about the Illinois Central can be exchanged, where questions can be posted and answers can be found, Check it out. Joining is easy and it's free. There's absolutely nothing there as I type this, but with your help that can be changed!
  
  

• If you enjoy modeling, you'll probably enjoy Brian Strom's  Illinois Central Model List
  
  

• It's not devoted to the Illinois Central exclusively, but the Memphis Railfan's List, hosted by Terry Redeker, might be just for you if you're railfanning in the Memphis area.

Rosters and Other Reference Material

• Illinois Central STEAM ROSTER -  Under construction too!
  

• Gene Connelly's Illinois Central Steam Roster. Gene Connelly has compiled the largest and probably the best steam locomotive database. This Microsoft XL spread sheet was extracted from his data base by Allen Stanley of Railroad Data Exchange.
  

• All Time Roster of IC diesels. Still under construction (like a lot of my stuff). Features include photos, date built, cross reference of old and new numbers, and disposition.


• New Assignment of Locomotives from February 1953 furnished by Charles V. Weart.
  
  
• A complete Roster of Illinois Central power. REVISED THRU March 23, 2000.
  
  
• Illinois Central Train symbols Yesterday  and Today
  
  
• The last record of Illinois Central Engines in TCS prior to cutover to CN's SRS computer system.
  
  
• Diagrams of IC Cabooses.
  
  
• Markham Yard Track Diagrams circa 1953
  
  
• South Water Street  January 3, 1966,  Randolph Street Air Rights, showing original and proposed upper level street arrangement.
  
  
• Railroad Reporting Marks, Reporting Numbers, etc. This list was compiled by The Center of Transportation Analysis and gives reporting marks and some merger information, etc.  
  

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  Railway Guides, Photos
  

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• June 1868 Railway Guide. Illinois Central Schedules and advertisements from the first Railway Guide.
  
  
• March 1906 Railway Guide. Illinois Central and Y&MV listings.
  
  

• Some POSTCARDS related to the IC that I've picked up at flea markets and antique shops.
  
  

• Illinois Central Steam These photos are from the archives of the IC. I've re-scanned these pictures and the quality is greatly improved.

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  CALENDARS

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The Illinois Central had an OFFICIAL CALENDAR which is not available to the general public. With the help of the Illinois Central Historical Society, the IC's 1998 calendar featured some real nice photos.  

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Photo Essays by yours truly

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• Crisis on the City. An event occurred on the Northbound City of New Orleans that could have ruined the entire trip. The resourceful crew was able to save the day, however. CLICK HERE to see how.
  
  
• TRAINWRECK!!!  On May 18,1995, an IC freight tumbles into the Coldwater River at Savage, Mississippi.
  
  
• Illinois Central at the Monticello Railway Museum A visit to the Monticello Railway Museum featuring Illinois Central equipment.
  
  
• A pictorial history of Central Station, Chicago, Ill.
  
  
• Meet Little Obie,  one of the Illinois Central's newer locomotive.
  

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  Links to Other Pages

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  The  National Association of Retired & Veteran Railway Employees - A voice in Washington for retired railroad employees, their dependents  and survivors.
  
  

• MY NEW PAGE -Memphis Railroad Heritage Home Page. Still under construction. Since my location is now in Memphis, I've decided to add a page focusing on Railroading in Memphis.
  
  
• The Illinois Central Gulf Photo Archive is maintained by Dennis Daniels and features photos from 1966 thru 1989.
  
  
• Visit The Unofficial EL WEB site , which contains several pictures of IC engines including an ICG RS-1 and an ICG F3-A.
  
  
• Support The Illinois Central Historical Society. Preserve the Heritage - Visit their Web Site. Buy their stuff. Join the ICHS. The newsletter, Green Diamond Magazine, and calendar are well worth the dues.
  
  
• Illinois Railway Museum
  
  
• Action on the CC. Amtrak Inspection Train, March 12, 1997. Story and pictures by Dick Tinder.