Illinois Terminal 2-6-0 "Mogul" Locomotives in the USA

Class 10 (Locobase 13155)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 35, p. 309, Vol 55, pp. 53. Works numbers were 35261 in September 1910, 37438 in January 1912, 38968 in December 1912, and 39009in January 1913, 39935 in June 1913, 43852 in August 1916. and 47390 in December 1917.

At least as far as Baldwin products went, the Mogul that was first delivered in 1910 became the IT's standard steam freighter and almost all of them would never leave the IT's 80-lb/yard (40-kg/metre) rails. The design essentially replicated the pair of Moguls delivered to nearby Southern Indiana in 1901; see Locobase 12268. Also see the photo postcard of locomotives from this class taken in later years and archived at [] (first of 13, click to see others), last accessed on 16 September 2011.

The one exception to the IT 2-6-0's static careers was the 10, which was sold to St Louis Transfer as their 55. SLT turned into the Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis in October 1925. TRRA sold the 55 to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive in 1927. BR & L found a buyer in February 1929 in the form of the Rapid City, Black Hills & Western. The RCBH & W operated the locomotive until 1949, when it sold it to another locomotive rebuilder/reseller Southern Iron & Equipment. SI & E probably scrapped the engine.

In contrast to their older sister, 11, 12, 8, 7 stayed with the IT throughout their service lives. 12 was scrapped in August 1935, 8 followed in June 1940 while the 6 lasted until July 1948 and 11 and 7 weren't cut up until August.

Class 15 (Locobase 14532)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Vol 62, pp. 54+. Works number was 47390 in December 1917.

The first "standard" Mogul design for the IT appeared in 1910 (Locobase 13155). When this 2-6-0 came along in 1917, it represented a tweak as the boiler had just eight more fire tubes of the same length and the grate grew by 5 sq ft (0.47 sq m). The railroad also changed gears, so to speak, by adopting the Southern's outside valve gear.

The 15 ran for about two decades before being retired and scrapped in August 1935.

Two more that came after World War One contained many more changes; see Locobase 14533.

Class 16 (Locobase 14533)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 62, pp. 56+. Works numbers were 53162-53163 in April 1920.

Four years after the 15 was delivered as a transition Mogul design, the IT ordered two much bigger and more powerful 2-6-0s. But at a time when many North American switchers were being delivered with superheaters, the IT stayed with its saturated boiler. This also proved to be a transitional design; the next engine would have a superheater; see Locobase 14534.

The 16 and 17 served the IT through World War Two before being scrapped in July and November 1948, respectively.

Class 18 (Locobase 14534)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 71, pp. 82+. Works number was 55860 in December 1922.

After buying a string of saturated-boiler Moguls from Baldwin over the previous decade or so (see several Locobases), the IT ordered a superheated version of its most recent pair of engines (Locobase 14533) two years after they had arrived. The usual tradeoff of tubes for flues resulted in a small drop in evaporative heating surface area, but the superheater's drier steam more than made up for any loss.

Another big difference was the signficantly larger and heavier tender.

More superheated 2-6-0s would follow; see Locobase 14355.

The 18 served more than twenty-five years before being scrapped in October 1948.

Class 19 (Locobase 14535)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitied by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 77, pp. 640-651. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 31 December 2016 email noting the weirdly high tender capacity then found in the data and supplying the correct figure.) Works numbers were 59073 in March 1926, 60003 in May 1927, 60467 in April 1928 and 60678-60679 in October.

Apparently satisfied with the effect of superheating on its Moguls, the IT ordered a duplicate in 1926 in all but one respect. The Southern valve gear was replaced by the more widely used Walschaert mechanism. Piston valves measuring 11" (229 mm) supplied steam to the cylinders.

The other four followed in short order with no major changes. Except for the superheaters, these were simple, albeit powerful locomotives. And trailing slightly lighter tenders (153,100 lb/69,445 kg), they were now the new standard of 2-6-0s on the IT.

All five were sold for scrap in June 1950 as the IT turned entirely to diesel-electric motive power.

Class 8 (Locobase 15919)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 26, p. 192. Works number was 23354 in December 1903.

The Illinois Terminal operated terminal-railroad service in Alton, Ill, but for some reason sold this Mogul to the Missouri & Northern Arkansas in January 1907. See Locobase 6641 for a surprising drop in firebox area.