Steam Freight in the '80s: The Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railway (Illinois, USA) скачать в хорошем качестве

Steam Freight in the '80s: The Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railway (Illinois, USA)

Full length video available at patreon.com/VintageRailroadFilms On July 2, 1971, the Crab Orchard & Egyptian railroad was first founded and incorporated and the new company started off by creating a vintage tourist line operation alongside Illinois Central Gulf owned trackage. The railroad's first common carrier freight services would commence with the first revenue train on October 18, 1977. Freight customers started growing rapidly with CO&E's new locally owned and operated service; piggyback service was also eventually added in December 1978 when a large fleet of more than 200 new flatcars and 600 highway trailers painted for the CO&E were delivered. Not long afterward, the first test run of 2-8-0 #17 finally occurred on May 10, 1979 after an extensive four-year overhaul and quickly became the primary power of choice. As the next decade started for the Crab Orchard & Egyptian, steam-powered freight service was still expanding and the railroad purchased several different freight cars of its own. On the afternoon of September 8, 1986, the #17 was out switching coal hoppers when the dry-pipe inside the boiler suddenly collapsed and indefinitely put the engine out of service. The CO&E's national fame of pulling common carrier freight trains, including intermodal piggyback cars, with a steam locomotive, finally came to an abrupt end. The incident also marked the end of an era for American-wide railroading in general. Diesel locomotives were substituted and carried the railroad into the 21st century. 2-8-0 #17, widely known for holding the historic title as the last operating common carrier steam locomotive in America, currently sits on display at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, IA and is still painted with the CO&E's classic pyramid logo. In late 2012, American Rail Heritage, Ltd. sold the railroad to Progressive Rail Incorporated, with December 19, 2012, being the final day of operations for the old company. The railroad is now known as Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railway, a Division of Progressive Rail Incorporated. Filmed by Walter A. Martin in the 1980s.