The Illinois Railway Museum. Union Illinois. July 1988.

The Illinois Railway Museum. Union Illinois. July 1988., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this photograph during a July 1988 visit to the Illinois Railway Museum, located in the town of Union Illinois. www.irm.org

Several cabooses, many from long gone fallen flag railroads...are a key part of the museum's collection of vintage American railroad equipment. While they once brought up the rear of many freight trains prior to the early 1980's, these examples are occasionally coupled on to the museum's passenger trains.

The caboose to the left, is a steel caboose from the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad. The two cabooses from the right are from the former Illinois Central Railroad. The red caboose in the middle, is a steel steam era side door caboose from the Illinois Central, and is wearing the Illinois Central's pre 1967 red caboose color scheme. The caboose on the far right, is a modern wide vision caboose from the late 1960's / early 1970's era, and is wearing the early 1980's era simplified ICG markings from the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.

Both of these railroads were eventually acquired through merger by the Canadian National Railroad.

Thanks.
Eddie K.