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…

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…

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…

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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