The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) is pleased to announce that Chicago & Illinois Midland (C&IM) 30, a rare type RS1325 diesel locomotive, has arrived at the museum’s site in Union, Illinois. The locomotive’s last operator, the Genesee & Wyoming, purchased the C&IM in 1996 and donated this historic engine to IRM. C&IM 30 is complete and in good condition.

The rare locomotive was one of two RS1325 “road switchers” that the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors built at its plant in La Grange, Illinois. This design was a modification of standard EMD switchers, stretched slightly and given heavier-duty Flexicoil trucks. EMD intended the design to include a high short hood with a steam generator to use with passenger trains, but the only examples built had a low nose and no steam generator. Both RS1325 locomotives saw use on the C&IM’s railroad between Taylorville and Pekin in central Illinois. They mostly hauled trains of southern Illinois coal destined for Chicago area power plants.

This is the only C&IM locomotive at IRM, owner of the nation’s largest collection of preserved diesel locomotives. The museum intends to restore this engine to its appearance while in operation on the C&IM. We can’t do it alone, though. We need your help! Donations will make it possible to pay for the storage, housing, and eventual restoration of this distinctive piece of Illinois railroad history. Click here to help.

IRM extends its thanks to the Genesee & Wyoming for their generous donation and to CSX Transportation for their assistance with transportation.