Illinois Central Class 2600

The Illinois Central 2600 Series was a class of 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotive built by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah, Kentucky shops.
==History==
===Beginning===
In the 1940s, during the Second World War, the Illinois Central Railroad needed more steam locomotives for their usage within the United States to tackle the issues of the Second World War. So the Illinois Central Railroad had decided to go back to the drawing board and design a new steam locomotive for themselves, they asked the Paducah, Kentucky shops to build the specific class of locomotive they were wanting. Enter the Illinois Central 2600 Series, these locomotives were built for usage on the Illinois Central Railroad within the US to tackle the issues of the Second World War.
===Withdrawal===
Withdrawal of the class began in the 1950s and the last engine was out of service by 1960 in favor of diesels, they were all cut up afterwards.
===Excursion Run===
On October 2, 1960, No. 2613 was refueled for the final time at Central City, Kentucky. It then pulled an excursion trip from Louisville to Dawson Springs, Kentucky and back, and this historically marked the very last run to be made by an Illinois Central steam engine. After the run, the railroad offered to donate No. 2613 to the Kentucky Railway Museum , but having no space for additional locomotives, the museum declined the offer. As a result, No. 2613 was scrapped, but its tender remained intact.
Later, Chicago area railfan, Richard Jensen, acquired the tender of the locomotive, along with that from fellow 2600 No. 2612, and he moved it to the Chicago West Pullman and Southern Railroad for storage. He had intentions of using both tenders behind Burlington locomotives Nos. 4963 and 5632, but as he fell into financial trouble in the 1970s, he fell behind on rent to store the tenders on the CWP&S. In 1981, the CWP&S gave up on collecting rent from Jensen, and they acquired the tenders, along with York Southern Railroad 4-6-0 No. 1, as compensation.
They subsequently sold the tenders and No. 1 at a sheriff auction to William Latham of Rockford, Illinois. Latham had planned to create a small railroad museum with the engine and tenders, but this plan had fallen through, and No. 1 was eventually donated to the Monticello Railway Museum in June 2000. A Monticello member tried to secure one of the Illinois Central tenders from the Rockford collection for preservation, but this effort failed, and both tenders were scrapped in 2011.
==Stock list==
Loco No.	Image(s) 	Operator(s) 	Build date(s)	Retired	Status 	Notes
2600 	 	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2601 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2602 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2603 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2604 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2605 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2606 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2607 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2608 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2609 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2610 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2611 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2612 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	Scrapped in 1960s, leaving its tender behind, tender was scrapped in 2011.
2613 	 	Illinois Central Railroad	1942 	1960 	Scrapped	Used on an excursion train before it was retired in 1960, it was scrapped in 1961, leaving its tender behind, tender was scrapped in 2011.
2614 	 	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2615 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2616 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2617 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2618 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
2619 	Frameless	Illinois Central Railroad	- 	- 	Scrapped	-
==See also==
*Illinois Central No. 2613
*Illinois Central No. 2612
Category:4-8-2 steam locomotives
Category:4-8-2 locomotives
Category:Scrapped steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Illinois Central locomotives
Category:United States
Category:Locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Paducah Shops locomotives