The story: In November 1959, Engine 4971 of the Illinois Central left Chicago for Omaha, with a line of passenger cars in tow. As 4971 made its way across northern Illinois, Heavy snow and heavy fog made it hard for the engineer to see. It was a quarter passed midnight when 4971 crossed the bridge over the Mississippi River into Dubuque, Iowa. Then just as the lights of the city coming into view in the distance. 4971 hit a broken rail and derailed. 200 passengers died that night and many more injured. 4971 was deemed wrecked beyond repair as were the antiquated coaches it had been pulling, so the IC scrapped the whole train and settled with the grieving families. However since that time the ghost of 4971 has haunted the former Illinois Central tracks on snowy November nights
