– photographer unknown, from the collection of Chris Dees

March of 1982 brought word to Conrail employees in Harrisburg, Illinois that the line sale to Southern Railway had finally been completed. In what some would see as a parallel to the book of Exodus, the line had experienced its share of oppression and plague: washed out tracks south of Olmsted since 1973, multiple 5 mph slow orders on weed covered tracks, deferred maintenance, Clean Air Act legislation, and the overall decline of coal mining in the area. With possessions packed, the final Conrail train to depart Harrisburg, Illinois begins the trek north to Mount Carmel. Southern will begin operations the following day.