Outshopped in 1937, Illinois Central Class 2500 #2500 is the first of fifty-five Mountain (4-8-2) type locomotives rebuilt from IC Class 2900 2-10-2s between 1937 and 1943 at IC's Paducah, IL, shops. To make the new locomotives, the 2900's boilers were reinforced and laid on a new, single cast frame incorporating the 30" x 30" cylinders and air pump reservoir.
#2500 was built in 1921 by Lima as
2-10-2 #2953. It is on display in Fairview Park in Centralia, IL. Volunteers from the Age of Steam Memorial have looked after the locomotive ever since it was saved from the scrap heap in 1962.
Mountains were the most numerous of any type of steam locomotive rostered by the Illinois Central. The first fifteen came from Alco in 1923 (#2400-#2414). In 1925, twenty-five came from Lima (#2415-#2439) and then, in 1926, another twenty-five from Alco (#2440-#2459).
The IC built 2500s weigh 409,500 lbs, 280,500 lbs on their 70" drivers. The tender weighs 219,500 lbs light and has a capacity of 24 tons of coal and 11,000 gallons of water. The 2500s had a grate area of 88 sq ft, a 437.3 sq ft firebox, an evaporative surface of 5,160 sq ft and superheating surface of 1,285 sq ft making a total heating surface of 6,450 sq ft. They were fitted with Du Pont automatic stokers from the original Lima 2-10-2s and, operating at a boiler pressure of 240 psi, delivered 78,685 lbs tractive effort. They had a top speed of 100 mph.
In the early 1950s, like most of the 2500s, #2500 worked out of IC's Illinois Division freight pool based in Chicago, IL. The 2500s worked into the late 1950s, and #2500 was retired in September 1962 and donated to the City of Centralia.
You can see the only other surviving IC 2500, #2542 on the IC #2542 page of this website.
Related Links:
Age of Steam Memorial Website
Illinois Central Railroad Historical Society
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Alan R. Lind's From the Lakes to the Gulf: The Illinois Central Railroad Story, published in 1993 by Transport History Press, gives a great overview of the IC and its predecessor railroads (click on the cover to search for this book on Bookfinder.com).
Herron Video's 54 min colour and B&W Mid American Glory, The Illinois Central shows action on the IC from the 1940s to the 1960s, including the 2500 class (click on the cover to search for this DVD on Bookfinder.com).