Cities big and small throughout the United States have their landmarks and city parks. Among these city parks is Miller Park in the city of Bloomington in the U.S. state of Illinois. The park has trees, a playground, a small zoo, a manmade lake, a miniature golf course, a memorial to firemen and a war veterans memorial. Located in the southwestern area of the city on the Historic U.S. Route 66, it is a park within the city that is an oasis from the urbanization.
Some of you are saying, “It is nice that these cities have parks. These parks are great. However, there is a problem. Since this park has no railroad history, I will not be taking a walk in this park.”
Oh, you will want to take a walk in this park. Why? One of the big features of this park is Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive Number 639 and its tender. Another feature is Caboose Number 4770 from the Southern Pacific Railroad. Other feature include a whistle that was on top of the shops of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and pays tribute to the workers of those shops. (The shops are now gone.) Another feature is an old semaphore. (Semaphores have been replaced by the railroad signals today.)
The locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works and was used by the Nickel Plate Road. When the Nickel Plate Road decommissioned the locomotive, they donated it to the park. Today, it is on display with the Southern Pacific Railroad Caboose.
Miller Park is located at 1020 S. Morris Avenue in Bloomington, Illinois along the Historic U.S. Route 66. (It is west of U.S. Route 51 by way of Wood Street.) Parking is on side. The park is open sunrise to sunset, and the park is wheelchair accessible.
When in Bloomington, Illinois, visit Miller Park. See a locomotive that once ran on the rails of the United States of America.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 