McComb City Railroad Depot Museum

Home of ICRR Locomotive 2542 

                                                                                        

#2542      #9384      #51000     X92   IC100417

 

#2542 Steam Locomotive 

 
     

     With speeds topping out around 85 MPH, Locomotive #2542 - a Mountain type locomotive - served as a work horse for Illinois Central Railroad in both passenger and freight service during the middle years of the 20th century. #2542 is one of only two surviving 2500 class Paducah Rebuilds (named for the square "Paducah" sand dome atop the boiler) with a sister locomotive, #2500, residing in Centralia, Illinois. These were the largest steam engines in the ICRR fleet. The wheel arrangement for this locomotive was reconfigured in 1942 from a 2-10-2 to a 4-8-2 arrangement; beginning her life as locomotive #2906 in Lima, Ohio Locomotive Works in 1921.
     Owned by the City of McComb City, Locomotive #2542 was acquired in 1962 largely through the efforts of the late Oliver Emmerich (then editor of the McComb Enterprise Journal), the McComb Junior Auxiliary and other local civic groups. Her home was in Edgewood Park until relocated to this spot on June 21, 2000.

 

 Locomotive Specifications

 

Drive Wheels           70 inch diameter

 Boiler Pressure                240 pounds per square inch

Tractive Power        83,500 pounds

                               280,500 pounds on drivers

                               409,500 pounds total

                               255,500 pounds - Tender

Tender Capacity    Coal - 11 tons, water 11,000 gallons

Tender                           Powered BK stoker with auxiliary tank connection

Maximum Speed       Approximately 100 miles per hour

 

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