Passenger equipment
OPERATIONAL passenger cars
Rock island 2541
Built: 1925
Builder: Standard Steel Car Company
Type: Coach
Status: Operational
Rock Island No. 2541 was built for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad for use on commuter trains in the Chicago area. Retired in the early 1970s, No. 2541 was purchased by the museum in 1972 and has been operating on our trains ever since. Extensive work was done to the car in 2011 and again in 2020.
illinois central 892
Built: 1918
Builder: Pullman
Type: Combine
Status: Operational
Illinois Central Railroad No. 892 is a car type called a “combine”, meaning half of the car is a baggage area and the other half has seating for passengers. This car was sold by the ICRR to American Steel Foundries of St. Louis, there being heavily modified for high speed brake testing. After ASF no longer needed the car, it sat unused at ASF’s facility in Granite City, IL, until acquired by the museum. This car usually operates on our regular weekend excursion trains.
Nickel plate road 1907
Built: 1929
Builder: Unknown
Type: Open Air Flatcar
Status: Operational
Built in 1929 as a flatcar for freight service on the Nickel Plate Road, No. 1907 was converted to an open air “vista gon” passenger car by museum members. This car, along with No. 892 and No. 2541, usually make up our normal weekend train consist.
Illinois central 2612 “Carondelet”
Built: 1947
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Coach
Status: Operational
Illinois Central (IC) No. 2612, the Carondelet, was built for use on streamlined IC passenger trains such as the City of New Orleans, Panama Limited, and Green Diamond.
iLLINOIS central 2920
Built: 1925
Builder: Pullman
Type: Coach
Status: Operational
This coach is a typical 1920s era passenger car that saw use on various trains on the Illinois Central Railroad. It has comfortable reclining seats and is equipped with heat and air conditioning.
Illinois central 7
Built: 1917
Builder: Pullman
Type: Office Car
Status: Operational
Illinois Central No. 7 was built to carry railroad executives and acted as a mobile office. It features a lounge, bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and an open air platform on the rear of the car. Privately owned, No. 7 is used during special events at the museum.
NORFOLK & WESTERN 1827
Built: 1947
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Coach
Status: Operational
Originally built for the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1947 as their No. 4803, this car was later sold to the Wabash Railroad, then passing into the Norfolk and Western’s hands at the merger of the Wabash in 1964. The car was later sold to the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and was used frequently throughout the 1980s and 1990s on steam train excursions over the lines of the Norfolk & Western and successor Norfolk Southern.
Illinois central 4110 “Shadrach Bond”
Built: 1949
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Dining Car
Status: Operational
This dining car was donated to the museum in 2015 by the Pacific Railroad Society of San Dimas, California. A thorough restoration was performed by museum members, and today, the car is used for special events.
Illinois central 4112
Built: 1946
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Dining Car
Status: Operational
Originally built for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad as their No. 505, named the “Shakamak Inn”, this car was sold to the Illinois Central in 1962. It was donated to the museum by the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and arrived in Monticello in 2007. Like No. 4110, this is a functional dining car used for special events.
DISPLAY PASSENGER cars
delaware & hudson 405
Built: 1957
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Baggage Car
Status: Display
Delaware & Hudson No. 405 was built in 1957 and sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad in 1963. Now permanently displayed at the museum’s Nelson Crossing depot, it houses rotating exhibits about railroad history for visitors to enjoy. Museum volunteers rebuilt the interior of this car in 2022 and installed new displays.
Santa fe “Pleasant valley”
Built: 1942
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Sleeping Car
Status: Display
Built for use on streamlined passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, this car was later sold to the University of Illinois’ Illini Railroad Club (IRC). The IRC used it on excursion trains. After IRC stopped running the car in excursion trains, the car languished in the AT&SF’s coach yard in Chicago. AT&SF then repossessed the car, and donated the car to the AAR, which in turn donated the car to Monticello Railway Museum. It has been restored to give visitors an example of what a traditional sleeping car from the 1940s would have looked like inside and out.
Nickel plate road 329
Built: 1929
Builder: Pullman
Type: Baggage Car
Status: Display
This baggage car was built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (better known as the Nickel Plate Road). It was used as a baggage and mail car and is currently used to house small displays at the Nelson Crossing depot.
illinois central 404
Built: 1918
Builder: Pullman
Type: RPO (Railway Post Office)
Status: Display
This car was used to sort and deliver mail by train and is on display at the Nelson Crossing depot for visitors to explore. It was rebuilt in 1947 at the Illinois Central’s Burnside Shops in Chicago.
Wabash 6 “Iowa”
Built: 1911
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Office Car
Status: Display
Wabash No. 6 was built by the American Car & Foundry Company of St. Charles, Missouri as parlor car No. 81. It was rebuilt into an office car at Decatur, Illinois, in November 1929. For the rest of its active railroad career, it was used a mobile office for railroad executives across the Wabash and successor Norfolk & Western’s systems. Later sold into private ownership, it was stored for decades in a Bedford Park, Illinois warehouse before coming to the museum in 2009. A thorough restoration of No. 6 was completed in 2018.
Shedd Aquarium “Nautilus”
Built: 1949
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Marine Life Specimen Transport Car
Status: Display
One of the most interesting cars in the museum’s collection is the Nautilus, a converted Chicago & Eastern Illinois passenger car that was rebuilt to carry fish and other ocean specimens from ports around the United States to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The large saltwater tanks that were used to carry the specimens are still inside of the car today.
illinois central 3531 “Council bluffs”
Built: 1950
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Sleeping Car
Status: Display
This sleeping car was built for the Nickel Plate Road as the City of Findlay. It was purchased by the Illinois Central in 1965 and rebuilt. This streamlined sleeper is known as a 10-6, meaning there are ten roomettes, and six double bedrooms. This car was donated to the museum in 2001 by the Pacific Railroad Society of San Dimas, California.
Illinois central 635
Built: 1911
Builder: Pullman
Type: Baggage Car
Status: In storage
This baggage car was originally built as a coach. It was later rebuilt by Illinois Central shop forces into a baggage car. For many years, this car was used in maintenance service on the Illinois Central and successor Canadian National.
Illinois central 1906
Built: 1916
Builder: Pullman
Type: Crew Dormitory
Status: In storage
The Illinois Central rebuilt this car in 1952 at their Burnside Shops in Chicago. This type of car originally provided living quarters for dining car and lounge car employees, who generally stayed with the train for it’s entire journey. The car can sleep 28. This car was sold by the Illinois Central into private ownership, and was slightly modified for the owners purposes as a vacation retreat for family. It is currently stored at the museum’s Camp Creek Yard, and is still used by the family.
illinois central 518
Built: 1937
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Baggage Car
Status: Display
This car was used by the Railway Express Agency, a forerunner to present-day UPS, to transport mail and packages around the country on Illinois Central trains. This car is usually displayed at the Nelson Crossing depot.
cars awaiting restoration
Illinois central “gulfport”
Built: 1942
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Observation Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This round-end observation car is one of the two observation cars built for the famous Panama Limited passenger train operated by the Illinois Central. It is currently in storage waiting for its turn to go into the shop to be restored.
Illinois central 2855
Built: 1918
Builder: Pullman
Type: Coach
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This car is a slightly older sister car to the museum’s operational No. 2920. It was rebuilt by the Illinois Central in 1955. It was used on a few occasions in service at the Museum, but was later stored awaiting an interior/floor and body restoration.
Illinois central 3336 “forest Park”
Built: 1948
Builder: Pullman Standard
Type: Lounge Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This unique car was used on the Illinois Central’s Green Diamond streamliner which ran between Chicago and St. Louis via Gilman, Clinton and Springfield, Illinois. It features a coach section and a lounge area with a bar. It was acquired in 2020 and trucked to the museum.
Wabash “City of decatur”
Built: 1927
Builder: Pullman
Type: Parlor Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This car was originally named the Clara Morris and was leased by Pullman to various railroads in the eastern United States. When purchased by the Wabash, it was renamed the City of Decatur and saw use on their various passenger trains running throughout the Midwest.
wabash 1238
Built: 1927
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Coach
Status: Under restoration
Rescued from a Decatur, Illinois scrapyard in the 1980s, No. 1238 was used for years in commuter train service in the Chicago area by the Wabash and successor Norfolk & Western. This car is currently being restored by volunteers; when complete, it will be operational and used on our trains.
Gulf, mobile & ohio “timothy b. blackstone”
Built: 1950
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Sleeping Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This streamlined sleeper is known as a 8-4-3-1, meaning there are eight sections: four roomettes, three bedrooms, and one drawing room. This car was donated to the museum in 2015 by the Pacific Railroad Society of San Dimas, California. While the car wears Amtrak colors, this car was never owned by Amtrak. The Pacific Railroad Society used the car in excursion service during the time Amtrak required all private cars to be painted in their colors.
Chicago & alton 758
Built: 1887
Builder: Chicago & Alton Railroad
Type: Coach/RPO (Railway Post Office)
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This wooden car, equipped with a commonwealth steel underframe, was used as the museum's “Snack Car” for a number of years, serving up burgers, BBQ sandwiches, chips and drinks to hungry museum members and visitors. It’s original configuration was a combination coach/Railway Post Office car. In 1929 it was converted to a Coach/Baggage car, and in the early 1930’s it was relegated to Company Service.
Chicago & alton 827
Built: 1892
Builder: Pullman
Type: Baggage Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This wooden car, also with a commonwealth steel underframe, was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad as the “Caesar”, as a baggage/smoking car. The car was used on the “Colonial Express”, running between Washington, DC, and Boston. Two other cars were also built to the same plan, plan #970, for the same service, those being the “Anthony” and “Brutus”. In July of 1920, these three cars were rebuilt into a full baggage cars, with the addition of steel sheathing over the exterior wood sides, and the removal of one of the vestibules. They were then sold to the Chicago & Alton Railroad, with the Caesar later being converted to Company service.
Chicago & alton 903
Built: 1903
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: RPO (Railway Post Office)
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration
This car, again of wood with a commonwealth steel underframe, was built as a full Railway Post Office car. The car, like the other C&A wooden cars, was later relegated to Company Service