Illinois Terminal 1575

Railroad Picture Archives

Built in:1910 by Illinois Traction System
Out-of-service/Retired:1963
Type of car:locomotive (boxcab) (Class B)
Current Owner:Museum of Transportation(Kirkwood, Missouri)

Car History by Frank Hicks

Illinois Terminal 1575 The country's second largest interurban network was the Illinois Traction System - the McKinley lines - that stretched across much of the state of Illinois and lasted into the late 1950's. The ITS shops in Decatur, where literally hundreds of cars were maintained and rebuilt, was perhaps best known for the large fleet of boxcab locomotives that were designed and built entirely in-house. The earliest of these homebuilt units were the Class B's, of which the ITS built 18 between 1910 and 1918. One of two Class B locomotives preserved is 1575, one of the last B's built which used a cast steel underframe. It operated in freight service across the ITS, and later Illinois Terminal, until it was sold to the St. Louis Car Company during the dieselization of the IT's freight operations in the mid-1950's. SLCC used it as a shop switcher at their North Broadway plant until 1963, when MoT acquired it; it has been on display ever since.

Ownership History:Illinois Traction System #1575 1910-1928 / Illinois Terminal #1575 1928-1959 / St. Louis Car Company #9 1959-1963 / Museum of Transportation(Kirkwood, Missouri) 1963-present

Facts and Figures

Status:displayed inoperable		Gauge:4'8.5"
Construction:steel	Roof type:AR	Ended:DE
Length:34'0"	Width:9'3"	Weight:
#Seats:n/a	#Wheels/Conf.:8 (B-B)	Total HP:
Trucks:Alco RM63B	Brakes:14EL	Compressor:
Motors:GE 69 (4)	Voltage (if not 600DC):

PHOTO PHOTO