Illinois Central Power Works the Homewood Yard

Homewood, Illinois. This yard used to be a bustling hub for the Illinois Central-until 1998, that is. That's when the Canadian National purchased the IC, the first in a long string of acquisitions. The Wisconsin Central, British Columbia, Elgin, Joliet, & Eastern, Bessemer & Lake Erie, Duluth, Missabe, & Iron Range, and the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific all fell to CN's swift axe in the following years. Most of the merged power has been repainted (retaining the old reporting marks), but thankfully, a handful of units survive in their original liveries. IC 1000 is a great example of one. Built in September and October 1995, standard-cab SD70s 1000-1029 were the last new locomotives for the Illinois Central. Since CN's acquisition, they've stuck around Chicago for the most part, being rotated between local and mainline duties. I hope they remain that way for a long time. The Geeps seen in this video aren't as lucky, all of them being covered in CN paint. They do retain some old IC features, such as their new-cast Nathan P5 horns, but everything else is enveloped by red, white, and black, with a big noodle to boot. If you like what you see, please consider subscribing :)