With roots dating back to 1851, the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) transported millions of passengers and countless tons of freight. Most trips were completed without incident. However, there were occasional mishaps, including derailments and collisions with other trains or highway vehicles. Most accidents were minor, while others made the national news, such as the October 30, 1972, collision of two commuter trains in Chicago that killed 45 passengers. The IC frequently had to deal with flooding, for the railroad ran in close proximity to several major rivers. In January and February 1937, much of the southern half of the railroad was shut down because of flooding on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. This book depicts many of the accidents that have taken place along the Illinois Central through the years. The photographs are drawn from numerous sources, including the railroad's own photographers, amateur photographers, and photography studios.

The Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR) operated approximately 600 miles of mainline track throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, stretching from the Mississippi River to the central part of the state. In addition to Louisville, the states largest city, the ICRR also served dozens of small towns. Kentuckys economy was built around coal mining and farming, and the ICRR played a major role in both industries. ICRRs coal trains served as a conveyor for Kentucky coal moving to Midwest factories, and the road hauled a wide variety of agricultural products, including tobacco, grain, and fresh fruit. No mention of the ICRR would be complete without discussing the fleet of fast passenger trains that whisked Kentucky residents to and from distant cities. To maintain the locomotives that hauled all these trains the ICRR operated one of the nations largest locomotive repair shops in Paducah.

From the mid-1800s to the early 1960s, the most integral place for Central Illinois communities was the train depot. These buildings, home to wooden benches, telegraph equipment, and old train schedules hanging on the wall, were the gateway to the rest of the world. One could catch a train to almost anywhere in the United States back in the day, but during the postwar years of America, the railroad depot faded into history. Decreased train ridership due to the increasing popularity of air travel and automobiles led to thousands of these once-important buildings closing and later being burned or torn down. From larger union depots in cities like Bloomington and Peoria to smaller isolated stops, Central Illinois Train Depots tells the story of buildings that once played vital roles in the development of communities throughout Central Illinois.