Crab Orchard & Egyptian on January 7th, 1986

The Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad was the last common carrier railroad to exclusively use steam in freight service in the U.S.
This footage was filmed by railfan Paul Speith, who visited the line on the cold afternoon of January 7th, 1986. Canadian-built 2-8-0 #17 was recently painted, and looked great as she went about the business of moving freight on an eight-and-a-half mile shortline.
Eight months later, #17's career would come to an end and the CO&E would switch to former Missouri Pacific SW1200 diesels.

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Southern Ps4 whistle?

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It's an Illinois Central whistle that was purchased from the railroad by a pair of teenaged St. Louis area railfans. It had been on their favorite locomotive: 2-10-2 #2807. After #17 was retired, they got their whistle back and it was occasionally used on Frisco 1522 (1522 fireman Don Morice was one of the owners). It was later sold to Jerry Joe Jacobson and is now at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Ohio.