Class 2499 (Locobase 1357)

Perhaps the only freight Hudson built. An unsuccessful rebuild of Berkshire 7038 that generated far too much tractive effort for the weight the engine put on the drivers. In 1945, after several futile efforts to tame the design, the IC trimmed cylinder size by 3" and put the engine into passenger service. It was the road's only 4-6-4. A photograph shows some odd features, including an outside-equalized front truck

The following memoir is reprinted from the November 1997 issue of the "Green Diamond",the Illinois Central Historical Society Magazine as reproduced on http://www.illinoiscentral.net/steam/IC1.html . "I'm sure most IC fans have heard or have read about the conversion of 4-6-4 No. 1 from 2-8-4 No. 7038, the result of a search for motive power for the fast merchandise trains that were too much for 4-6-2's as the traffic grew and 2-8-2's were too slow. 4-8-2's were sometimes a waste ofpower for these fast merchandise trains, and a possible solution was to rebuild 2-8-4's into 4-6-4's.

As we know now, this solution didn't work. I've read reports that said No. 1 was "slippery" and also top heavy and prone to derail. Now we come to why Stagner included the story "McIntyre's Baby" in his book North American Hudsons.

John L. McIntyre was born on a farm in ChampaignCounty, Illinois, on January 1,1871, and entered ICRR service on July 16, 1891, as a fireman. He became an engneer in December 1895 and was promoted to traveling engineer on the Springfield Division on February 8, 1921. He transferred to the St. Louis Division in 1929, returned to the Springfield Division in 1939, retired after fifty years of service and was honored at a banquet on January 3l, Í941, in Clinton, Illinois.

In late 1938 or early 1939, No. 1 was working out of Clinton, Illinois, on the Springfield, Division. John McIntyre was road foreman of engines at Clinton, and it became his responsibility to make a success of No. 1 . To correct the slipping, he had the weight equalization on the drivers changed, and some improvement was noted. Also changed during its Clinton stay was a reduction of thc cylinder diameter to 24 inches.

From Cimic to Clinton, No. 1 was ratcd at 4,600 tons while the 2500 series 4-8-2's were rated al 6000 tons. No.1 handled coal trains as well as dispatch trains from Clinton to Markham.

In I945, No. 1 was renumbered to 2499. It was placed in servicE between Louisville and Fulton, Kentucky, handling passenger trains. It was retired in 1949 and scrapped soon afterward, never returning to the Springfield Division.

McIntyre had done all he could to improve No.l, but it became a one of a kind on the ICRR. It did have the distinction of being the only 4-6-4 built expressly for freight service."