ICG Sparta District, 1985 (Part 1)

Follow two Gulf Mobile and Ohio black and white geeps as they pull an ICG local (5 boxcars and a caboose) on the old GM&O mainline through southern Illinois in February of 1985. This line was abandoned and pulled up in April of the following year!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Railfan
• Railroads
• Trains
• GP30
• GP35
• GM&O
• ICG
• Caboose
• Illinois
• Central
• Gulf
• Columbia
• Waterloo
• Burksville

[phorneker]

Isn't this where "In the Heat of the Night" was filmed?

[eck3300]

You know your history. The movie was filmed about 25 miles to the south of my last clip, in Sparta, IL.

[ACLTony]

Does Amtrak service the refurbished station?

[eck3300]

The last time any train used the station was in 1958 (just over 50 years ago as of this writing)! The rails were pulled up in 1986.

[david1abc]

Thanks for posting the video pal. I lived in Valley Station, Kentucky, southwest of Louisville, KY. Illinois Central gulf went through that city and i waved at the engineer at the crossing and he waved back. I remember the orange and white color scheme with the circle-i logo going through the crossing. On August 27, 1986, Paducah and Louisville Railway Company purchased that part of the Illinois Central Gulf and still owns it today.

[eck3300]

To see a lot of that orange and white you mentioned, check out my "Sparta Sub, 1985 Part 3 of 3".

[miniproductions19]

I think the part in Sparta is still in use by CN.

[rando4038]

the last passenger train on this line was gm&o's gulf coast rebel train # 16 to st louis & # 15 to mobile al. on october 14 1958, it had eight cars, baggage car, rpo car ,three coaches, dining car & two sleepers & on the lead was two alco pa's numbers 291 & 292, the 292 was the former freedom train locomotive

[rando4038]

the ic & gm&o were both north south trackage serving alot of the same towns , when they merged in 1972 the icg was created and began abandoning redundant trackage, also to mention the gm&o's line south of this location was very curvey & hilly terrain & at alto pass illinois there was a 1.5% up hill grade, the ic's line was straighter & more level

[rando4038]

yeah that would've been the gm&o 's north bound gulf coast rebel train # 16 to st louis mo. , it was discontinued on october 14th 1958

[gaycowboy31]

@eck3300 I just watched that movie interesting movie indeed I gre up watching the series but the origional movie was great interesting train footge incuding the mopac scenes

[benschlechter]

What was the reason the line was abandoned? It is a sad day to see a railroad line be taken up.

[gebass6]

G.M.& O.in 1985?Thankfuly some railroads were slow to repaint some locos.I once saw a B&O geep in Chicago in '97!!!Imagine my suprise.

[celica825]

THIS... IS.... SPARTA DISTRICT!!!!!!!

[12engines]

Nice Video & Train!

[timotl36]

Really well done. Essential info is displayed so I know what's going on and it follows the train and I feel like I'm there. I really enjoy this ICG Spart series!