Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS 955 On The CF&E In Indiana

A few pics from Wednesday's NS 955 run across western Indiana on the CF&E.
1st, Hobart, Indiana at PC 433. Location known as County. Currently a hand throw switch, a new power switch and signaling is being installed here as NS plans to run the CF&E from Hobart west to to Gary with as many as 9 trains a day. In the PRR days this location was known as East Bart.

2nd, taken from the U.S. 421 overpass in Wanatah, Indiana. About mile post 415.5. A short section of the old westward main was left in here when Conrail single tracked the line in the 1980s for use as a short siding.

3rd, Hamlet, Indiana, about mile post 398.5. A large elevator is here, and the power used by the elevator is seen. The CF&E maintenance shack is to the left.

---

---

---

Hey, that's a smart looking building and logo there.

All nine trains in the same direction?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/14 18:16 by wabash2800.

I'd guess the Pennsy ran more than 9 trains a day?
Nice shots. Thanks.
Go

Three real nice pictures.
John

Are you kidding? In the heyday about 40 passenger trains alone.

Gonut1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd guess the Pennsy ran more than 9 trains a
> day?
> Nice shots. Thanks.
> Go

Doesn't really matter how many the PRR ran on it. After Conrail neutered the line west of Crestline in the early 1980's, it'd be hard pressed to take even the 9 a day referenced. Besides the trackage rights agreement that the NS traffic would operate under limits the NS to 6 a day west of Bucyrus and 9 a day between Bucyrus and Crestline.

Posted from iPhone

I believe some of the 9 trains a day would not run the entire length of the old Pennsy. What I am mainly referencing is the stretch from Hobart (County, PC4330 to Tolleston (Gary, Indiana.) Tolleston is where the old Pennsy was severed. CF&E trains get to Tolleston, where they get on the old NYC Michigan Central line, now known as the Porter Branch and owned by CSX. From there they go to the IHB at Blue Island.

Plans are to put the diamond back in at Tolleston. The NS trains using this line would cross the Porter Branch, then swing onto the old Wabash line still in place now used by NS to serve Indiana Sugars in Gary. It is referred to here as the Sugar Track. From there they could access Kirk Yard or probably the ex Conrail Chicago Line. The two NS trains that now run the CN from South Bend to Kirk would use this new routing.

Also was told by a maintainer that certain coal trains could use this new routing, so would get off the ex NKP line at Valparaiso and stay on the CF&E. Also has been speculation on using the routing to get some stack trains out of Chicago a little faster.

So it would maybe not be 9 new trains all the way across, but some diverted off the old NKP along with some running all the way across from Conway.

Nice pics!!!

Nice catches, wondering about the switch target in number one?
JB