Illinois Central Logo Pack
This pack adds several logos used throughout the history of the Illinois Central Railroad, known as the "Mainline of Mid-America". These logos were made with the actual fonts used by Illinois Central and are as close as possible to the real deal.
The Illinois Central, unlike most major US railroads, operated North – South rather than East – West. It was chartered in 1851 to build a line out of Cairo, Illinois which eventually reached Chicago. During the Civil War, the IC played a pivotal role in moving Federal troops and supplies south towards the front lines. In the 1870s, the Illinois Central started making moves to extend its reach to the Gulf Coast and established the first north-south connection between New Orleans and Chicago.
In 1900, IC engineer Casey Jones became known worldwide for the wreck that claimed his life but saved the passengers on his train in Vaughn, Mississippi. Starting in the mid 1920s, IC electrified its tracks around Chicago, creating a commuter railroad that survives today as part of METRA. During this time period IC operated legendary streamliner trains such as the Panama Limited and City of New Orleans which had a well-earned reputation for quality, comfort and service. A famous song was even made about the City of New Orleans.
A merger effort in the 1970s saw Illinois Central merge with its chief rival, the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, to form the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. Not long afterwards, ICG started to abandon many of its rail lines, including a significant portion of the GM&O trackage it had acquired, in a doomed effort to focus on industrial manufacturing under the banner of IC Industries. In 1988, IC Industries would split off as a separate company, becoming PepsiAmericas, and ICG changed its name back to Illinois Central Railroad.
IC’s history came to a close in 1998 when it was purchased by Canadian National Railway. Today, very few locomotives retain their Illinois Central paint in CN service, with the letters "IC" painted on a cab being the only indicator that a locomotive used to operate for the Mainline of Mid America. Illinois Central’s unique "orange and chocolate brown" passenger train paint scheme that adorned its streamliners survives on the coaches and locomotives operated by the Iowa Pacific Railroad.
