Illinois Terminal (ITC)

NS-11R-11-24-2015 (15)

TGIF-4-Train-Friday-Scranton-Pa-6-18-2015 (230)

The Illinois Terminal Railroad was known as the Illinois Traction System (ITS) until 1937. It was an affiliate of the Illinois Power and Light Company and a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight service in central and southern Illinois from 1896 until 1982. The system’s Y-shaped main line stretched from St. Louis to Springfield, Illinois, with branches onward from Springfield northwest to Peoria and eastward to Danville.

Because the ITR had valuable trackage and customers it was acquired in June of 1956 by 9 different Class I railroads of the time and they operated the ITR as a short line to carry freight to the acquiring railroads.

For the next 25 years (until 1981) the ITR operated north and east of St. Louis providing freight business for the railroads that owned it. The Norfolk and Western Railway purchased its partners’ interests in the railroad on September 1, 1981 and ITR officially merged into the N&W on May 8, 1982.

As you know the N&W ultimately became ½ of today’s huge Norfolk Southern system which has honored its Illinois Terminal heritage with a bright lime green SD70ACe Heritage Unit #1072.

And though weather beaten from decades of service, the “Illinois Terminal” heritage of this hopper car shows through the rust!… Yes, this is the same Illinois Terminal that you see on the #1072 Heritage Unit!

Illinois Terminal Railroad