ILLINOIS CENTRAL #1407

Built: August 1950
Builder: EMD; rebuilt by Illinois Central Gulf’s Paducah Shops
Type: SW14
Status: Storage; awaiting restoration

Illinois Central (IC) No. 1407 was built as an SW7 type diesel switcher locomotive in August of 1950 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD). Originally numbered 9411, the locomotive was used to switch cars in railyards all over the IC’s system spanning from Omaha, Nebraska to New Orleans, Louisiana. On August 10, 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG).

The ICG continued to operate No. 9411 until about 1980, when it was sent to the railroad’s massive shop complex in Paducah, Kentucky, where it was extensively rebuilt and upgraded. When complete, it was renumbered to 1407 and designated an SW14 type locomotive.

In 1988, the ICG renamed itself back to the Illinois Central Railroad, and in 1998, the IC was merged into the Canadian National (CN) Railway. Soon after, CN sold No. 1407 to a locomotive leasing company. It was leased out to various railroads around the United States, spending time operating in Minnesota, Missouri and Kentucky before being placed in storage at Lexington, Kentucky.

In early 2022, the 1407 was donated to the Monticello Railway Museum by the GATX Locomotive Group. It was moved via freight train to Monticello and arrived at the museum on August 1. It has since been placed into storage at the museum until the time comes for it to be restored.