Illinois Central 4-8-2s

The Illinois Central Mountain type locomotives are regarded as the heaviest 4-8-2 engines produced. A total of 136 engines were produced from 1923-1943.
==History==
The Illinois Central (IC) ordered its first batch of 15 Mountains in 1923 in order from ALCO to relieve its overburdened Pacific fleet. These engines would be the lightest of the five batches only weighing at a total of 554,000 lbs. After this initial purchase the railroad bought four more batches, each weighing more then the last. These last batches were produced in the railroad's own shops. 
The last group was delivered in 1943, bringing the grand total of engines to 136. Engine number 2613 was selected to haul the L&N's Centennial train on October 14, 1959. Afterwards this engine was used on a few freight trains before hauling the ICRR’s ‘Farewell to Steam’ excursion in 1960. It would be put on the deadline once more then taken off again to pull one final shorter excursion in late 1960, then was returned to the deadline. This is when the Kentucky Railway Myseum would try to save the locomotive, meeting with ICRR officials to purchase it. Unfortunately to only being started up a few years prior, they did not have the publicity or funds to raise the almost $8,000USD to purchase the locomotive before it was scrapped by the Illinois Central in 1961. 
==Survivors==
Just two of the IC's 4-8-2s, both of the 2500 type, were saved for posterity.
* Number 2500, on display at a park in Centralia, IL. 
* Number 2542, on display at the former IC depot in McComb, MS.
==Trivia==
*The 2500 series were rebuilt from redundant heavy 2-10-2's, whereas the 2600 series were not renewals and were instead completely new engines.
Category:American locomotives
Category:4-8-2 steam locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Illinois Central locomotives
Category:4-8-2 locomotives
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Locomotives