Illinois Central #4112

Builder: Pullman Standard
Built: 1946
Type: Dining Car
Status: Operational

Dining car No. 4112 was built by the Pullman Standard Company in Pullman, Illinois in 1946 for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois (C&EI) Railroad. Originally numbered No. 505 and named the Shakamack Inn, the car was sold to the Illinois Central (IC) Railroad on October 24, 1962, as the C&EI began to phase out passenger train operations. The IC removed the car’s name and renumbered it to No. 4112. It was used on their passenger trains until 1970 when it was retired.

The car’s interior is typical of postwar era dining cars in North America, featuring a large kitchen with refrigerators, pantries, stoves, sinks, counters, and other necessary cooking appliances. There are doors on each side of the car at the entrance to the kitchen to make the process of loading food and other supplies easier. The dining room area can seat 48 people in comfortable cushioned chairs. Dining tables are set up next to large windows, allowing diners to view the passing countryside while they eat.

Following its 1970 retirement, No. 4112 was acquired by the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and placed on display at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge with the Chapter’s other equipment. In 2007, it was donated to the Monticello Railway Museum and moved via freight train to Monticello. Volunteers performed a thorough interior and exterior restoration. Today, this historic car is operational and used for special events at the museum.

Scroll down to see pictures of the car during its restoration.

The kitchen is nearly intact. Missing only a freezer taken out for HVAC installation by its previous owner.

This car was purchased from the C&EI by the IC on October 24, 1962. This car was used by the IC in general service.

This car is the last piece of IC equipment needed to complete our IC trainset, and also has the potential of being a revenue producing car.

Here’s the dining area stripped out so the work can begin.

A little window leak plus time can cause big problems. Not only is the floor gone, but the conduits in and under the floor did not do well either.

Another one of the window sills that is now dimensional rust and will have to be replaced.

The electrical locker begins to take shape.

No more purple!!! Once the wall covering is gone, cleanup begins.

The walls get stripped before the new wallpaper goes up.

A major portion of the hallway floor and side sill had to be replaced.

The interior was painted during the May 2010 Spring Fling.

The exterior gets lots of epoxy in order to create a smooth finish.

After 12 days of applying and sanding epoxy, the car needed a bath as well as the shop.

In yet another primer coat the diner makes the trip back to the car shop.

The only color on the diner at this point is masked off for the number.

Back on the inside, the wallpaper gets installed in early 2012.

Spring 2012 and the painting begins. Yellow first, then orange.

With the roof already done we were able to double team the side painting.

The end result, now back to the interior work.

4112 will be getting a generator, here it is painted ready to go on.

Here's the generator mounted under the car.

Some of the many parts that have had the paint stripped off and have been polished.

Here's one the of refrigerator units being assembled. There are 4 such units in the car.

Generator fuel fill and sight glass installed.

Corner trim for the bench type seats that fill the corner.

Baseboard trim is starting to be installed.

On December 26th, 2007, Norfolk Southern delivered our newest acquisition, ex-IC diner 4112, (originally built for the C&EI as # 505, the Shakamack Inn). Donated to Monticello Railway Museum by the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the NRHS the car is shown here under the train shed at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum that had been its home for the last 37 years.