Illinois Central Railroad
Missing image Illinois_Central_Diamond_Herald.png IC
Reporting marks	IC
Locale	central United States
Years of operation	– 1998
Track gauge	4 ft 8.5 in (1435 mm)
Headquarters

The Illinois Central (AAR reporting marks IC) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to New Orleans and Sioux Falls.

History

The IC was one of the older Class 1 railroads in the US. In the 1960s the railroad merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. The railroad has since dropped the "Gulf" from its name and is again known as the Illinois Central Railroad.

In 1998 the IC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN). As time passes, the IC identity is slowly fading through CN's maintenance and repainting programs, although some CN locomotives retain the IC reporting marks on their cabs.

Subject of song

The name of the railroad was popularized in the song "City of New Orleans" written and performed by Steve Goodman and covered by Arlo Guthrie among others.

External links

• Illinois Central Historical Society (http://icrrhistorical.org/)
• Illinois Central Railroad On-Line (http://www.trainweb.org/icrr/)

Current (operating) Class I railroads of North America

AMTK, BNSF, CN, CP, CSXT, FXE, KCS, NS, TFM, UP, VIA

Former or fallen flag Class I railroads of North America

ACL, AGS, ATSF, BAR, BLE, BM, BN, BO, CBQ, CG, CGW, CNTP, CNW, CO, CR, CRIP, CV, DH, DMIR, DRGW, EJE, FEC, GMN, GN, GTW, IC, ICG, LA, LAT, LN, MEC, MILW, MKT, MP, NKP, NNE, NOTM, NW, NYC, PC, PLE, PM, PRR, SAL, SBD, SCL, SOO, SOU, SP, SSW, STLH, TNO, TP, VGN, WAB, WP YMV