An early 1970's era Illinois Central Gulf local freight crossing the Missisippi River lift bridge.

An early 1970's era Illinois Central Gulf local freight crossing the Missisippi River lift bridge., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

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

Growing up on the near southwest side of Chicago like I did during the 1960's and 70's, I always enjoyed seeing the freight trains from the Illinois Central, and the 1972 successor railroad Illinois Central Gulf.

The Illinois Central Gulf was created from the August 10th 1972 merger of the Illinois Central, and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio railroads.

Like most mergers, the firstt few years or so would see trains with a mix of locomotive and caboose color schemes on any given freight train. It would take quite awhile to eventually repaint everything, and luckily the ICG didn't. Several G,M & O and Illinois Central locomotives, would be retired by the mid to late 1980's still wearing their 1960's era factory paint schemes.

My train shown here, represents an early 1972 merger era ICG train, with an Illinois Central EMD SW 900 yard switcher, still wearing the I.C's pre 1967 color scheme on the head end.

Thanks.
Eddie K.