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Historic Railroad Photos, Page 1
American Freedom Train - North Judson, Indiana
Twenty-five years ago our country had it's 200th birthday party. Part of that party was The American Freedom Train, a brainchild of Ross Rowland. Former Reading 4-8-4 2101 was rebuilt to pull the train in the eastern United States. Here the engine is seen on the New York Central passing through North Judson, Indiana in route to Peoria, Illinois from South Bend, Indiana on July 17, 1975. Photo by Bob Jachim.
B&O 2-8-2 #4635 - Alida, Indiana
Alida, Indiana was the junction of the Baltimore & Ohio's Chicago line and the Monon's Michigan City branch. The interchange track is visible between the house and the tower. On October 6, 1956 eastbound B & O 2-8-2 #4635 is just crossing the Monon. All the building in the picture and the Monon are now gone, only a handful of houses remain. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs.
Clover Leaf Depot - Bluffton, Indiana
Bluffton, Indiana's Clover Leaf Depot is one of two depots built to this design. The other is at Veedersburg. The Marion depot is similar by having the arched windows. Notice the order board on this 1903 built depot. The Marion depot had the same flimsy set up. What holds it up? The depot was demolished in January 1991. Postcard is from Bob Albert collection.
Erie 2-8-2 #3057 - Rochester, Indiana
Erie 2-8-2 3057 is westbound at Rochester, Indiana on December 27, 1947. Judging by the short train length, this is probably a local freight. Behind the caboose you can see the tower that protected the Nickel Plate crossing, one can see the water column near the center of the picture and the top of the water tank above the depot, the concrete tank base is still there. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs.
Erie 2-8-2 #3151 - DeLong, Indiana
The Erie mainline crossed the Pennsylvania's South Bend branch at DeLong, Indiana. On October 11, 1947 eastbound Erie Mikado #3151 has just crossed the Pennsy at MD tower. At one time a rather large depot sat just to the right of the 3151. Alas, the tower, the Pennsy and the Erie are all part of railroad history. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs.
LE&W Head-On Collision - Plymouth, Indiana
On Friday, March 22, 1912, the Lake Erie & Western had a head-on collision south of Plymouth, Indiana at Lake Muckshaw. Eleven passengers and four railroad employees were injured. Passenger train #25 left the Plymouth station five minutes earlier than their wait order stated and met a doubleheaded freight train just south of town. The passenger engine (on left) was driven back by the impact of the collision. Unknown photographer.
Monon Passenger Train - South Wanatah, Indiana
In 1947 John W. Barriger, president of the Monon, sent an exhibition train on a system tour to show off the new streamlined passenger trains. On August 9, the train is southbound at South Wanatah on the Michigan City branch. The lead unit, F3A 81, is about to cross the Nickel Plate main line. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs, please check our links page for his catalog.
NKP Caboose Depot - Tippecanoe, Indiana
Agent Herb Blocker shows off his "new" depot at Tippecanoe, Indiana sometime after the December 23, 1951 wreck. This served as the depot until the agency was closed. The caboose is a World War 2 era rebuild from a box car. The Nickel Plate, along with other railroads, had a severe caboose shortage during the war. Unknown photographer.
NKP Derailment - Tippecanoe, Indiana
On Sunday, December 23, 1951 at 4:25 a.m. the Nickel Plate Road, unintentionally, greatly altered the appearance of their depot at Tippecanoe, Indiana. Thirteen cars of a westbound coal train derailed, two of the cars went into the depot. Fortunately the agent, Herb Blocker, was not on duty at the time. What remained of the depot was after the wreck was torn down. Unknown photographer.
PFW&C Depot - Pierceton, Indiana
This postcard view, postmarked 1913, shows the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago depot at Pierceton, Indiana. The depot, which was built in 1867, has a large freight room on the left end and a small passenger waiting room and office on the right end. This building still stands and is the second oldest surviving Pennsylvania system depot in the state. Photo from Bob Albert collection.
PRR Depot - Plymouth, Indiana
This postcard (post marked 1911) view is looking west at Plymouth, Indiana after the 1903 double tracking of the Pennsy. The tower is visible, behind the platform shelter on the left and a signal bridge is the background. The water tank is just west of the Vandalia and Lake Erie & Western diamonds. The depot was later replaced with a red brick structure, which still stands. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.
PRR Trackman Noah Kersey
The date of this photo are probably lost forever, but the location is near the old State Road 17 crossing south of Culver. We do know the man setting on the track car is Noah Kersey, a Pennsy trackman from Hibbard, Indiana. Noah started his railroad career in 1924 and retired in 1971, spending most of those 47 years on the Logansport to South Bend line. The open-air motor car would defiantly not been a pleasure to ride in the winter. Unknown photographer, Bob Albert collection.
Scholosser Brothers Dairy Refrigerator Car
Schlosser Brothers Dairy was at one time the largest dairy in Indiana, having plants at Bremen, Fort Wayne, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Plymouth and South Bend. The dairy leased cars from Quaker City Refrigerator Line for transporting butter from Frankfort to Boston, Philadelphia and New York. I don’t know how many cars were leased or what other plants shipped by rail. Photo courtesy of Howard Ameling.
Wabash RR #2800 - Pine, Indiana
On October 26, 1947 Wabash 4-8-2 2800 visited Pine, Indiana. The 2800 probably took water here, judging from the man at the rear of the tender. Pine was also the junction with the New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois. The NJI&I was the Wabash's northward link to the industries of South Bend. Alas, nothing in this picture remains, even the track is gone, the NJI&I and Wabash tracks were removed in 2000-2001. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs.
Winona RR Refrigerator Car
In 1934 the Winona Railroad organized The Winona Refrigerator Car Corporation, which operated twenty-three cars numbered 701 to 723. The primary purpose of the cars were for loading eggs in the Mentone, Indiana area. Mentone was known as the egg basket of the Midwest at this time. This undated photo shows the 701 at an unknown location, apparently the car is out of service because the grab irons to the right are missing. Photo is by Wilfred Nickel, HVRM Collection.
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North Judson, Indiana 46366
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