Illinois Central No. 1

Infobox Locomotive
name = Illinois Central No. 1
powertype = Steam

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builder = Lima Locomotive Works (rebuilt by the Illinois Central Railroad)
builddate = 1926 (rebuilt 1937)
totalproduction = 1
whytetype = 4-6-4
uicclass = 2'C2'
cylindercount = Two
cylindersize = 27×30 in (686×762 mm)
boilerpressure = convert|270|psi|MPa|2|abbr=on|lk=on
driversize = 73½ in (1867 mm)
tractiveeffort = convert|68350|lbf|kN|2|abbr=on|lk=on
railroad=Illinois Central Railroad
roadnumber = 1, renumbered 2499 in 1945
retiredate=1949
disposition=Scrapped

The Illinois Central Railroad's No. 1 was the railroad's only 4-6-4 "Hudson" type locomotive and the only 4-6-4 in North America built for freight service. It was rebuilt in the railroad's own shops from Illinois Central 7000 class 2-8-4 "Berkshire" No. 7038 in 1937 as an experiment to haul fast freight trains, which were growing too large for 4-6-2 "Pacific" types and required more speed than the road's 2-8-2 locomotives could manage.

The experiment was not successful. The locomotive proved prone to slipping, because its factor of adhesion was very low; in simple terms it was too powerful for its ability to grip the rails. John L. McIntyre, the road foreman of engines at Clinton, Illinois where the locomotive was assigned during the 1938–39 period, made some modifications to the locomotive, including to the weight equalization across the locomotives' wheels and to reduce the cylinder diameter to 24 inches from 27. The latter was to reduce the starting tractive effort to a level the locomotive's grip on the rails could handle. The improvements were successful, but not to the degree that the railroad ordered any further conversions.

In 1945, the locomotive was renumbered 2499 and assigned to passenger service between Louisville, Kentucky and Fulton, Kentucky. It was retired from service in 1949 and soon after scrapped.

References

* cite web
url = http://www.steamlocomotive.com/hudson/ic.shtml
author = Barris, Wes
title = Illinois Central Hudsons
work = SteamLocomotive.com
accessdate = 2006-01-23
* cite web
url = http://www.illinoiscentral.net/steam/IC1.html
title = Illinois Central Number 1
work = IllinoisCentral.net
accessdate = 2006-01-23

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