By Tony Cook
Chicago & Illinois Midland (C&IM) serves central Illinois from its base in the state’s capitol Springfield. The road was an all-Electro-Motive Division (EMD) stronghold for decades and owned common and some not-so-common examples on its roster. EMD’s SD9 came in late 1955 with five units (50-54) coming around the same time C&IM acquired SW1200s. The road would add EMD’s uncommon RS1325 with the only two built (C&IM 30 and 31) in 1960 and the not-so-common SD18 followed in the early 1960s with two units (60 and 61). The 1970s brought SW1500s and SD38-2 models to the road.

ABOVE: C&IM 53 and 52 (two of five SD9s on the roster) show off a slightly revised livery from their as-delivered appearance at the road’s headquarters in Springfield, Ill., on May 16, 1970. This is the scheme Walthers will offering for its Proto HO-scale SD9 model with a fall 2023 delivery planned.   — Owen Leander photo, Kevin EuDaly collection

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