Illinois Central Gulf. 1985. Photo courtessy of Fallen Flags.Org / www.rr-fallenflags.org

Illinois Central Gulf. 1985., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

One of my all time favorite railroads I had grown up with in Chicago during the 1960's, 70's and 80's, was the former Illinois Central Railroad, and the 1972 succesor Illinois Central Gulf.

There was plenty of orange and white Illinois Central Gulf locomotives rolling around during the mid 1980's, as wel as pre 1967 black and white Illinois Central locomotives, and several former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio locomotives that were still rolling around in pre 1972 factory paint and markings.

By 1987 and 1988, the company would reorganize and sell off several former G,M & O routes, and reorganize as the "Illinois Central" re using one of the original roadnames, and re introducing a black and white color scheme with a "New" A,T & T style logo, which many railfans refered to as "The Death Star" from the movie "Star Wars".

In 1999, the Canadian National purchased the Illinois Central, and merged it in to their system.

Although the Illinois Central is now a "Fallen Flag" railroad, I still enjoy the hapy memories it gave me, and now I model the early 1972 era ICG in H.O Scale.