JeffPo's Illinois Central Railroad Conductor Lantern Page
Created: 05/07/24
This Dietz #39 brass conductor lantern was used by the Illinois Central Railroad. The globe is cast with I.C.R.R. on one side and SAFETY FIRST on the other side. Conductor lanterns, sometimes called presentation lanterns, were used by conductors on passenger trains. Unlike the daintier ornate conductor lanterns, this one is a full size #39. 39 is stamped underneath, in the middle of bell bottom.
The fuel found is a twist off version. The actual tank can be removed too. It is threaded to the bellbottom.
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad was incorporated in 1836, and founded in 1851. The Illinois Central was the first land-grant railroad in the United States. Upon its completion in 1856, the railroad was the longest railroad in the world. Over the course of its history, it ran from the great lakes (Chicago) to the Gulf of Mexico (New Orleans). The Illinois Central was the major carrier of passengers on its Chicago-to-New Orleans mainline and between Chicago and St. Louis. In 1972, the Illinois Central Railroad merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. In 1988, after rail assets were spun off, it became the Illinois Central Railroad again. In 1998, The Illinois Central was bought by the Canadian National Railway.