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History

Illinois Central Gulf

December 31, 2006 Railfanning.org

Thanks to a land grant from then President Millard Fillmore, the Illinois Central was chartered in 1851 to build a line from Cairo, Ill., to Galena, Ill. And during its long history, IC made its mark on the nation as a vital transportation route through the heartland of America – the “Main Line of Mid-America.” By 1870, the network reached Sioux City and, in 1878, it reached the Gulf of Mexico. On Aug. 10, 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, creating the Illinois Central Gulf. In 1999 IC merged with CN, becoming the only

Historic Profiles

Tennessee Central Railway

December 31, 2006 Todd DeFeo

The Tennessee Central Railway connected Nashville, Tenn., and Hopkinsville, Ky. The railroad operated until it went bankrupt in 1968. It was taken over by the Illinois Central Gulf, which operated trains through Clarksville until the early 1980s.

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Historic Profiles

South Carolina Canal and Railroad

December 31, 2006 Railfanning.org

In 1827, South Carolina granted permission to the South Carolina Canal and Railroad to build a line. In September 1829, the company hired Horatio Allen as its chief engineer and track work began on Jan. 14, 1830 – two years after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On Dec. 24, 1830, the railroad demonstrated the Best Friend of Charleston. The locomotive, designed by E.L. Miller and C.E. Detmold, was built at the West Point Foundry in New York City. The day after the trial run, the Best Friend of Charleston was placed into regular duty by the railroad and would remain