Monticello Railway Museum

The Monticello Railway Museum (initialized MRYM, reporting mark MRMZ) is a non-profit heritage railroad museum located in Monticello, Illinois, about 18 miles west of Champaign, Illinois. It is home to over 100 pieces of railroad equipment, including several restored diesel locomotives and cars.

Overview The museum offers a tourist railroad which operates excursion trains over a former railroad line that was owned by Illinois Terminal and Illinois Central Gulf. For a donation, guests can operate one of the locomotives during the "Throttle Time" program. Trains run from May through October and on holidays.

The Camp Creek yard was originally built by the museum's volunteers. The Terminal Division is a rebuilt Illinois Terminal right-of-way running from Camp Creek up to Blacker's towards White Heath. The Central Division was purchased by the museum from the Illinois Central. The Central Division purchase allowed the museum to enter downtown Monticello to the historic Wabash Railroad depot, which is the mainline of the museum's heritage railroad. The Central Division is currently being restored up to White Heath to allow occasional operation into that town. Only a short section of the Terminal Division is currently in use from the central switch down past Nelson's Crossing depot into Camp Creek Yard but has been restored to within a few miles of White Heath.

Location The Monticello Railway Museum is located off Interstate 72 at Market St. Exit 166. Turn at the stoplight onto Iron Horse Place at the Best Western Gateway Inn, and follow the frontage road to the end. Driving time is about 25 minutes from Champaign and Decatur; 50 minutes from Bloomington.

History The Monticello Railway Museum, a not-for-profit educational organization, was founded in 1966 as "SPUR, Inc" (Society for the Perpetuation of Unretired Railfans, Inc). Its original goal was to encourage the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to continue operating its steam-powered railfan excursions. When that effort failed, the organization decided to operate its own steam-powered excursions and began a search for equipment and a suitable location. SPUR contacted the Illinois Central Railroad about operating on the West end of ICRR's lightly used Rantoul District between LeRoy and Sabina, Illinois. For such an operation, ICRR would require SPUR's equipment to be in "ICC condition" and use the railroad's union train crews. SPUR concluded this would be prohibitively expensive for the organization and continued its search. In 1966, SPUR was invited to Monticello, Illinois by a member of the Illinois Pioneer Heritage Center and moved its first piece of equipment, locomotive #1, a 1925 Alco 0-4-0T, to a vacant lot near the Heritage Center in Monticello. The organization's name was changed in 1970 to the Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society, Inc., and then shortened in 1982 to the present day Monticello Railway Museum.

The first land purchased was about five miles (8 km) of former Illinois Terminal interurban right of way between Monticello and White Heath. This right of way had been abandoned a few years before and the grade had only ballast in place. A former popcorn field was purchased for a railroad yard and maintenance area. The volunteers prepared the yard area for the arrival of locomotive #1 and moved it from the Heritage Center's lot in Monticello. Through the years track was laid on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade toward White Heath until approximately miles was completed. A run-around was constructed at (Blacker's), about 2 miles from White Heath. No further construction took place on the former interurban grade and Blacker's became the North end of the line. In 1988, after the purchase of some of the adjacent Illinois Central Gulf's Decatur District, the portion of the museum's trackage built on the former Illinois Terminal interurban grade was designated the "Terminal Division."

In 1975, an old-time piano contest by the name of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival was started on the land of the new railway museum as a fundraiser. The contest remained at the museum using a piano on the back of a caboose and the audience in lawn chairs around it for about ten years, until it was moved to the football field of Monticello High School.

In 1987, the museum purchased miles of Illinois Central Gulf Decatur District trackage between Monticello and White Heath which parallels the Illinois Terminal right-of-way. The Nelson Crossing display track lead was extended to a new connecting turnout in the former ICG trackage, joining the museum's track with the newly purchased line. The connection was built by Museum volunteers in just two weekends. After a short "Golden Spike" ceremony, the museum's first run into Monticello was made. The former Illinois Central Gulf trackage to Monticello and White Heath was designated the museum's "Central Division."

Today the train ride primarily traverses the Central Division, using the Terminal Division only when pulling into the depot at Nelson's Crossing. The station names used on both the Central and Terminal Divisions were used by the original railroads.

Special events Railroad Days Among the special events at the museum, Railroad Days are held each year on the third weekend of September. One daily ticket allows riders to experience the ultimate railroad experience in the Midwest. A regular passenger train using former Illinois Central coaches and office car #7 and a mixed-freight train, run into White Heath. Other rail equipment operates throughout the event, including a caboose hop to the main shop facilities, where guests can tour.

Fireworks Special A fireworks special train, pulled by two locomotives, leaves at 8:00 pm and travels north to the museum grounds to view fireworks. Air-conditioned coaches, an open-air car, and open-window coaches are used.

Structures Nelson's Crossing Depot was donated in 1977. This Illinois Central Railroad depot was formerly located in Deland, Illinois. The depot was built in 1919 and rebuilt in 1942. The depot was moved to the museum in 1980 and is the ticket office and gift shop of the museum.

The Wabash Depot was built in 1899 to replace a smaller depot that had burned earlier that year. At the time the Wabash mainline went through Monticello between what is now the grain elevator and McDonald's. The line was moved west onto a fill, straightened, and a new steel bridge was built over what was the Illinois Central Railroad (now Monticello Railway Museum trackage). On April 20, 1904, the depot was moved to higher ground beside the new mainline. The depot was moved to its present location on May 29, 1987, and was restored by the Monticello Depot Association. January 1. 1993, that organization, its members and its assets were absorbed into the Monticello Railway Museum.

Equipment Locomotives +Locomotive details Number Images Type Model Built Builder Status 1 Steam 1929 American Locomotive Company Display 31 Diesel RS1325 1960 Electro-Motive Diesel Operational 44 Diesel 44-ton switcher 1940 Davenport Locomotive Works Display 191 Steam 1916 American Locomotive Company Display 303 Steam 1916 Baldwin Locomotive Works Stored, awaiting restoration 401 Steam 1907 Baldwin Locomotive Works Operational 784 Diesel SW1200 1955 Electro-Motive Diesel Stored, awaiting restoration 1189 Diesel F7A 1953 General Motors Diesel Division Operational 1407 Diesel SW14 1950 Electro-Motive Diesel Stored, awaiting restoration 1559 Diesel RS-3 1955 American Locomotive Company Stored, awaiting repairs 1649 Diesel NW2 1947 Electro-Motive Diesel Display 5764 Diesel E8A 1952 Electro-Motive Diesel Undergoing restoration 6071 Diesel SD40 1964 Electro-Motive Diesel Display 6789 Diesel FPA4 1959 Montreal Locomotive Works Operational 6862 Diesel FPB4 1958 Montreal Locomotive Works Operational 8733 Diesel GP11 1958 Electro-Motive Diesel Operational 9940 Diesel E9A 1950 Electro-Motive Diesel Display

Rolling stock +Rolling stock details Number / Name Images Type Built Builder Status 6 Office car 1911 American Car and Foundry Display 7 Observation car 1917 Pullman Company Operational 105 Tank car 1928 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 127 Boxcar 1964 Unknown Stored 405 Baggage car 1957 American Car and Foundry Display 509 Tank car 1965 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 758 Railway Post Office 1882 Chicago and Alton Railroad Stored, awaiting restoration 806 Caboose 1924 Illinois Terminal Railroad operational 827 Baggage car 1892 Pullman Company Stored, awaiting restoration 892 Combine 1918 Pullman Company Operational 903 Railway Post Office 1903 American Car and Foundry Stored, awaiting restoration 1145 Tank car 1972 Union Tank Car Company Stored 1238 Coach 1927 American Car and Foundry Undergoing restoration C1735 Caboose 1910 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Display 1827 coach 1947 Pullman Company Operational 1879 Caboose 1909 unknown operational 1907 Flatcar 1929 Nickel Plate Road Operational C2210 Caboose 1929 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Stored 2541 Coach 1925 Pullman Company Operational 2612 Coach 1947 Pullman Company Operational 2824 Caboose 1949 Wabash Railroad Display 2834 Caboose 1949 Wabash Railroad Out of service 2834 Caboose 1949 Wabash Railroad Stored 2855 Coach 1918 Pullman Company Stored, awaiting restoration 2920 Coach 1925 Pullman Company Operational 2954 Caboose 1968 International Car Company Display 3161 Tank car Unknown Unknown Stored, awaiting restoration 3312 Sleeping car 1942 Unknown Operational 3516 Boxcar 1906 Chicago and Alton Railroad Stored, awaiting restoration 3531 Coach 1950 Pullman Company Display 4110 Dining car 1946 Pullman Company Operational 4112 Dining car 1946 Pullman Company Operational 5571 Boxcar 1966 Chicago Freight Car Company Stored 7297 Tank car 1925 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 7990 Hopper car 1961 Magor Car Company Operational 9012 Sleeping car 1950 American Car and Foundry Stored 9365 Caboose 1972 Illinois Central Railroad Display 9570 Caboose 1969 Illinois Central Railroad Display 9831 Caboose 1941 Illinois Central Railroad Operational 9926 Caboose 1950 Illinois Central Railroad Operational 14042 Caboose 1891 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Undergoing restoration 26012 Boxcar 1950s General American Transportation Corp. Undergoing restoration 41390 Boxcar 1937 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 47947 Boxcar 1927 unknown Undergoing restoration 65018 Hopper car 1955 Illinois Central Railroad Operational 70528 Flatcar 1951 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 70557 Flatcar 1951 General American Transportation Corp. Operational 80129 Hopper car 1953 American Car and Foundry Operational 82697 Boxcar 1941 Wabash Railroad Out of service, awaiting repairs 99100 Caboose 1910 American Car and Foundry Stored 477692 Caboose 1909 unknown Stored 500836 Caboose 1943 Pittsburgh & West Virginia Ry Display 555047 Caboose 1976 International Car Company Operational 557530 Caboose 1960 Nickel Plate Road Stored 567595 Boxcar unknown unknown Display City of Decatur Parlor car 1927 Pullman Company Stored, awaiting restoration Gulfport Observation car 1942 Pullman Company Stored, awaiting restoration Nautilus Aquarium car 1949 Pullman Company Display Pleasant Valley Sleeping car 1942 Pullman Company Display Timothy B. Blackstone Sleeping car 1950 American Car and Foundry Stored, awaiting restoration

Monticello Railway Museum

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