Headquartered in Chicago, the Illinois Central Railroad was known as the "Main Line of Mid-America," as it was a major railroad cutting through the middle section of the United States with two major routes: the Main Line, which ran south out of Chicago toward New Orleans, and the Western Lines, which ran west toward Iowa. The Illinois Central Railroad had eight major freight yards in Chicago, which in 1937 handled nearly two million freight cars. It was also well known for its passenger service and operated some of the finest passenger trains: the Green Diamond, the all-Pullman Panama Limited, and the City of New Orleans. Chicago and the Illinois Central Railroad covers the railroad's operations within the city of Chicago, plus the outlying suburbs, from the late 1800s to 1960. It explores, through vintage photographs, the passenger and freight trains, suburban trains, locomotives, shops and repair facilities, and people that made the railroad function.

The Illinois Central Railroad (IC), between 1851 and 1856, built a rail line from Chicago IL, to Cairo IL. In 1876, IC entered Kentucky by purchasing the Mississippi Central Railroad that ran from East Cairo KY; via Fulton KY; to Canton, MI; and the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad that operated between New Orleans LA, and Canton MI. In 1896, Chesapeake Ohio & Southwestern and Ohio Valley Railroad were sold to IC. In 1896, when IC bought the Ohio Valley Railroad, that gave IC a route from Evansville IN, to Hopkinsville KY. End of track for IC in Louisville KY was Central Station, built in 1891 and served IC both as a depot and office building. In 1927 at Paducah KY, IC built their main locomotive repair and erecting shop. In 1970, IC operated some 550 miles of track in Kentucky. In 1972, IC merged with Gulf Mobile & Ohio Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICG). Then in 1998, IC was sold to Canadian National Railway (CN) and lost its identity.