The Last Steam Engines of Southern Illinois
Title
The Last Steam Engines of Southern Illinois
Subject
Railroads; Steam locomotives; Diesel locomotives; Illinois Central Railroad Company
Description
Ben Gelman (1920-2007) was a photographer for the Southern Illinoisan from 1956-1982 and later a public information specialist for Southern Illinois University Carbondale from 1982-1996. He captured these images depicting the final days of the Illinois Central Railroad’s operation of steam engines in Carbondale in early 1959. Gelman later used some of these photographs in a Southern Illinoisan feature article on the end of the steam engine era that appeared in the March 1, 1959 issue. By the spring of 1959 all but one shift of trains in the IC St. Louis division had been dieselized, and Gelman believed that “the last steam locomotive with any life in it will probably be gone from the area by April 1.” The IC was fully dieselized by the end of 1959.
Creator
Ben Gelman
Publisher
Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Date
1959
Contributor
Melanie Bilbrey, Matt Gorzalski, Ben Gelman
Rights
Copyright The Southern Illinoisan.
Format
Black and White Photograph
Language
English
Type
Image
Collection Items
Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith
An Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith works on shaping a steam engine part.
Blacksmith Elmer Loos
Illinois Central Railroad blacksmith Elmer Loos, Carbondale, Illinois, demonstrates how a piece of round iron is worked on the forge and on the anvil to form an eye. Gauging the temperature of the rod by eye, Loos removes it from the forced draft…
Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith
An Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith cuts a metal part from an unidentified Illinois Central Railroad engine of with a cutting torch.
Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith
An Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith works on shaping a steam engine part.
Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith
An Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmith works on shaping a steam engine part.
Blacksmith Elmer Loos
Illinois Central Railroad blacksmith Elmer Loos, Carbondale, Illinois, demonstrates how a piece of round iron is worked on the forge and on the anvil to form an eye. Gauging the temperature of the rod by eye, Loos removes it from the forced draft…
Blacksmith Elmer Loos
Illinois Central Railroad blacksmith Elmer Loos, Carbondale, Illinois, demonstrates how a piece of round iron is worked on the forge and on the anvil to form an eye. Gauging the temperature of the rod by eye, Loos removes it from the forced draft…
Blacksmith Elmer Loos
Illinois Central Railroad blacksmith Elmer Loos, Carbondale, Illinois, molds a red hot iron bar.
Illinois Central Railroad Blacksmiths
Two Illinois Central Railroad blacksmiths, Elmer Loos and his coworker,work together to mold a red hot iron bar.
Blacksmith Elmer Loos
Illinois Central Railroad blacksmith Elmer Loos, Carbondale, Illinois, molds a red hot iron bar.
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