Extra south taking coal

NG502068

Extra south taking coal

Steam Locomotive

The so-called 'Cairo' line of the Big Four, running for 260 miles from Danville to Cairo, has stagnated badly in the years since World War II. Its greatest glory, of course, was during the seven month period in 1943 when the 'Big Inch' pipeline terminated at Norris City, about 45 miles south of Mount Carmel. In this short time, nearly 125,000 cars of oil were hauled out of Norris city over the single-track, manual block-operated railroad. These were brought to Mount Carmel in 75-car trains by turnaround crews out of that point, and were delivered from there to the B&O at Lawrenceville, the main line at Midland, and the Line West at Lyons. This traffic was in addition to normal business, which consisted of a train a day of miscellaneous freight out of Cairo and three or four coal drags out of Harrisburg, plus a passenger train each way between Chicago and Harrisburg. The oil business was temporary, of course, but the coal business has since slumped to the point where two trains are often enough to handle all traffic north of Mount Carmel, including the trickle which comes in off the branch from Evansville. (Passenger service was discontinued in 1956.) In this picture, the 2988 is shown taking coal at Dock, Illinois, a facility 70 miles south of Lyons and 55 north of Mount Carmel. She was headed south at the time on a train of 150 empty hoppers.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

12/1953

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4-8-2

510

L-2d

#2988

Alco-Schen

Dock, IL