Eastern Railroad Discussion > info on Indian Hill & Iron Range

Back in the 1950's one of the pleasures of life was to watch the rotary dumping operation on the lakefront in Hammond, Indiana. The Bairstow Co. used to get hoppers of slag from the mills and they were dumped into trucks at this site.

My recollection is that motive power was sometimes provided by the Indian Hill & Iron Range. I even remember some steam being used for this.

I have searched for more information on this industrial line but haven't found anything other than a mere mention on some web pages.

Anyone know where I can go for more info?

Sure wish I had taken some pictures...

Footnote: Bairstow had dumped slag along the lakefront--I'm not sure how legal that was. That slag heap is now part of what is called the "migrant trap" which is apparently a great place for watching migrating birds. Who would have thought that this unsightly dump would in 40 years become a bird sanctuary?

There are a couple of photos in a recent Morning Sun book. IIRC, it's "Trackside in Chicago- 50's&60's" by Ed de Rouin. One of my favorite books.

The following is what I obtained from H. Bairstow Co. for my reporting to Blackhawk NRHS's newsletter at the beginning of 1979:
Early 1960s had seen the last of the very active operations of H. Bairstow's slag track in Hammond/Whiting IN. The Indian Hill & Iron Range Ry. was privately owned and operated by Barstow to transfer steel debris at the slag track near Lake Michigan and Calumet Avenue for truck deliveries. The scoria was brought to IHIR's yard behind Conrail's Colehour Yard by the EJ&E Ry steam power (ex-B&O 7927[?]) had been used over the slag track up to about 1960. Bairstow purchased a diesel locomotive from the TP&W RR (#302), and it had been on an assignment for a few years. Chgo Short Line's 1000 hp loco #101 was sold to Bairstow and was the only unit used on IHIR at this reporting. It was maintained by CSL. IHIR activities had been reduced considerably for the past 10 or 15 years to about 3 hours weekly. Its loading operations performed in 1960 within 5 minutes amounted to a period of 2 weeks to a month then. Memories had seen the glory of IHIR. Den

Thanks for the information to both of you. I did not realize that the IH&IR was owned by Bairstow. I had presumed that it was owned by a steel company. Amazing that they maintained steam so long but I guess since it was maintained by another RR it was not so costly.