A.E. Staley Co. 105

Built: 1928
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Tank Car
Status: Operational

Featuring a riveted construction, this tank car has a capacity of 8,018 gallons. It was restored and painted in 2020 with assistance from the A. E. Staley Museum in Decatur, Illinois.

General American Transportation CO. 7297

Built: 1925
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Tank Car
Status: Operational

Very similar to A. E. Staley No. 105, this tank car is also riveted and has a capacity of 8,018 gallons. It is operational and occasionally used on replica freight trains at the museum.

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio 80129

Built: 1953
Builder: American Car & Foundry
Type: Hopper Car
Status: Operational

Designed and built to haul heavy and dense materials such as sand and cement, this car became Illinois Central Gulf No. 100040 after the 1972 merger of the Illinois Central and Gulf, Mobile & Ohio railroads.

Wabash 47947

Built: 1927
Builder: Unknown
Type: Boxcar
Status: Restoration

This car features wood sides and a wood floor supported with a steel frame. With the double-doors, this car was primarily used for transferring automobile parts between manufacturing plants. This car is currently in our wood shop undergoing some restoration work.

Wabash 82697

Built: 1941
Builder: Wabash Railroad
Type: Boxcar
Status: Inoperable; in need of repairs

Built in 1941 by the Wabash Railroad’s Decatur, Illinois shops, this car was used for transporting general merchandise. It is currently out of service due to some minor mechanical issues.

Illinois Central 41390

Built: 1937
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Boxcar
Status: Operational

The boxcar was once used for transporting automobiles and automobile components. This is one of several operational freight cars at the museum that are used on our replica freight trains.

Illinois Central Gulf 567595

Built: Unknown
Builder: Unknown
Type: Boxcar
Status: Display

This boxcar was built for the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O) as No. 55295. It went to the Illinois Central Gulf after the GM&O merged with the Illinois Central Railroad in 1972. It is currently on display at the Paxton, Illinois freight house.

Illinois Central 65018

Built: 1955
Builder: Illinois Central
Type: Hopper Car
Status: Operational

Built in the mid-1950s by the Illinois Central Railroad’s shops in Centralia, Illinois, this was used for hauling coal from mines in southern Illinois to power plants.

Southern 7990

Built: 1961
Builder: Magor Car Company
Type: Hopper Car
Status: Operational

Built of lightweight aluminum, this car, nicknamed “Big John,” revolutionized shipping grain via rail. This car allowed for easy loading and unloading of bulk grains, which had previously been transported in boxcars. It was designed and built to suit the needs of the growing southern United States poultry market.

Union Tank Car Co. 1145

Built: 1972
Builder: Union Tank Car Company
Type: Tank Car
Status: In storage

This unique tank car consists of 3 compartments; each compartment has a capacity of 3,380 gallons for a total of 10,140 gallons. This car is currently in storage in the museum’s Camp Creek Yard.

General American TransportATION CO. 509

Built: 1965
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Tank Car
Status: Operational

The 509 is 34 feet long, has an empty weight of 18 tons, and a capacity of 4,000 gallons. It was repainted by museum volunteers in 2021.

Wabash 3161

Built: Unknown
Builder: Unknown
Type: Tank Car
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration

This tank car is 34 feet long with an empty weight of 18.5 tons. It was last used by the Norfolk Southern Railway in Decatur, Illinois, as a stationary sludge storage tank.

Quaker Oats Co. 127

Built: 1964
Builder: Unknown
Type: Boxcar
Status: In storage

Originally built for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad (better known as the Frisco), this car was saved from a scrapyard in Decatur, Illinois and is currently used for storing tools and spare parts. In 2021, it was repainted by some of the museum’s younger members.

United Refrigerator TransportATION Co. 26012

Built: 1950s
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Insulated Boxcar
Status: Restoration

Built in the early 1950s, this boxcar has thick, insulated walls to transport temperature sensitive commodities. The insulation protected goods against both excessive heat and cold. This car is currently privately owned and being restored.

Chicago & Alton 3516

Built: 1906
Builder: Chicago & Alton Railroad
Type: Boxcar
Status: In storage; awaiting restoration

Chicago & Alton (C&A) No. 3516 was built at the railroad’s shops in Bloomington, Illinois. It was constructed with a wooden body and a wooden frame. Last used by C&A successor Illinois Central Gulf for storage, this car is currently stored indoors waiting for its turn to go into the shop for restoration.

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio 70528

Built: 1951
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Flatcar
Status: Operational

Once used for carrying large items that would not fit inside of enclosed cars, this flatcar is currently used with the museum’s Bates & Rogers crane.

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio 70557

Built: 1951
Builder: General American Transportation Co.
Type: Flatcar
Status: Operational

A sister car to No. 70528, this flatcar is currently carrying the old boiler from Southern 401 and is usually parked in the museum’s Camp Creek Yard.

Lauhoff Grain Co. 5571

Built: 1966
Builder: Chicago Freight Car Company
Type: Boxcar
Status: In storage

Originally built for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, No. 5571 spent the last years of its service life leased to the Lauhoff Grain Company. Donated to the museum in 1984, this car is used for extra storage space.