A steam powered Illinois Central Railroad freight train crossing the tall steel trestle. The Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club. Oak Park Illinois. July 2013.

A steam powered Illinois Central Railroad freight train crossing the tall steel trestle. The Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club. Oak Park Illinois. July 2013., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this photograph last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.

A steam powered Illinois Central Railroad freight train, is viewed crossing the tall steel trestle, on a section of the club layout representing the state of Iowa.

Although the Illinois Central slowly began to dieselize their freight and passenger trains during the 1940's and 50's era, the old I.C squeezed every last mile out of their steamers, and operated them in daily operation in some places until 1960.

The locomotive in this photograph, is a Bachman, model of a Baldwin U.S.R.A (United States Railway Administration / 1918 era light 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotive wearing Illinois Central colors and markings.