A recent “Trains and Locomotives” video on the RFD-TV channel inspired Bill Linson to railfan Centralia, Illinois, historically an Illinois Central town, which now sees Canadian National, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Amtrak traffic. Bill captured blue skies and a variety of train...

Bob's Illinois Southern model railroad is an HO scale freelance merger of the Illinois Central and GM&O set in southern Illinois in the 1950s. The walk-in, loop-to-loop, single-track layout features a 153-foot mainline run, Digitrax DCC, and a Masonite and drywall backdrop....

Don Morice has built an HO scale detailed recreation of the Illinois Central Railroad St. Louis Division in Southern Illinois, Carbondale to DuQuoin, of the 1955-1960 (steam to diesel) era....

The Litchfield layout depicts the ever-gentle rolling countryside of Illinois from Centralia to Chicago. The main room is set in the 50s and 60s era when steam engines were becoming extinct and the "new" diesel locomotives were gaining in popularity. The smaller room is "Chicago." set...

Some favorite prototype photos by Kevin Hampton, Brad Joseph, Venita Lake, and Richard Schumacher....