1972 eraly merger era ICG train passing through Stocton.

1972 eraly merger era ICG train passing through Stocton. a video by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

The early days of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad are alive and well at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.

It was a colorful time back in 1972, when the Illinois Central and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio railroads had merged, becoming the then "New" Illinois Central Gulf on August 10th of that year.

The early ICG trains were a real mix and match of equipment from both of the former railroads. There were color schemes ranging from G,M & O's maroon color scheme on the first generation Alco and EMD locomotives, to the solid 1960's era red, to the black and white on the 1960's era EMD 2nd generation roadswitchers, and finally the red and white G,M & O color scheme circa the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The Illinois Central still had several locomotives in the pre 1967 black and white color scheme featuring their green diamond logo, as well as several that were repainted in to the orange and white modernized "New Image" color scheme with the split rail logo beginning in 1967.

This train demonstrates how one of the early ICG local freight trains, may have looked like in the wake of the merger.