As we gear up for January’s CERA program, we’ve been going through our files, looking for IT photos. We will present them in three or four installments between now and January 24, when longtime CERA Member Robert Heinlein gives his presentation.

Today’s bunch are all from the era of color photography. Unfortunately, throughout the 1950s, electric operations on IT were winding down. Most of the electric locos were scrapped in 1956, although a few did find new homes elsewhere. The Illinois Railway Museum in Union has the largest collection of electric IT equipment extant.

-The Editor

Car 473 at the west end of the McKinley Bridge in St. Louis in April 1958, two months before passenger service ended. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 276-529-530-532 on an NRHS special, September 6, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 276-529-530-532 on an NRHS special in St. Louis, September 6, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 404, still in “Traction Orange,” in Granite City on June 10, 1952. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

The general barn view at Granite City on September 4, 1953. Car 415, now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum, is at the left. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

Cars 415-450-471-404-405 at Granite City on September 4, 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT local 454 in Venice, Illinois. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 277 at the Illinois Electric Railway Museum in North Chicago on September 15, 1957. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 415 at the Illinois Electric Railway Museum in North Chicago on September 15, 1957. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT car 451 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum on April 29, 1979. You can read an interesting history of this car here. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 405 in a very “country interurban” scene. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 453 on April 29, 1958, less than two months before passenger service ended. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at Shaker Square on May 30, 1976. Cars 450 and 451 were “on loan” to the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit due to a car shortage. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 450, temporarily taken out of retirement by the Cleveland RTA, is eastbound at Belvoir on May 29, 1977. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT loco 74 at Edwardsville on September 6, 1953. According to Don’s Rail Photos, it was “sold for scrap to Compressed Steel Co on March 27, 1956.” (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

This is Illinois Power Company (ex-Illinois Terminal) loco 6 at Danville on September 8, 1958. IPC bought three of the IT “class B” locos (1565, 1566, and 1568) after the railroad dieselized its freight in 1955. IRM bought 1565 from IPC in 1960. By then it was 50 years old. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT private car 234 in Champaign on September 8, 1958, after being purchased by the Railroad Club of Chicago. Don’s Rail Photos reports, “234 was built by Danville Car in August 1908, #504, as “Champaign”, a party car trailer. Shortly afterwards it was motorized as an office car. On May 28, 1927, it was demotorized and renamed “Sangamon” and used as a parlor car. It was later returned to office car service. On March 2, 1936, it was rebuilt with an arch roof, the arch windows were covered, it was motorized, and it was numbered 234. Soon afterwards it returned to trailer status. It was sold on February 1, 1956 to the Illini Railroad Club and is now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum since 1968.” (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

One of the three ex-IT Illinois Power Company locos in Champaign on September 8, 1958. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 202 in Riverton in June 1954. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 100, sister car to the 101 now preserved at IRM, in Granite City in September 1953. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at Shaker Square on the Cleveland RTA in June 1976. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 233, now preserved at IRM, in Champaign on September 8, 1958. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 457 is St. Louis-bound in this late 1950s view in Granite City. It couldn’t be any earlier than September 1957, since there is a 1958 Edsel in view. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 456 in Venice, Illinois on April 28, 1958. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT loco 1595 at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis on September 9, 1958. You can see a more recent photo of this “class C” locomotive here. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo – CERA Archives)

IT 451 in charter service on the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit in May 1976. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)

IT 451 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum (sometimes referred to as “Warehouse Point”) in June 1979. (Photographer unknown – CERA Archives)