Eastern Railroad Discussion > Railfan spots in Terre Haute, IN

Are there any recommended rail fanning spots in or near Terre Haute, IN ?

David Hulsey
Pipe Creek, TX

One of the best locations is a museum at the site of Haley Tower on the northeast side of town. Two CSX lines join there (former Conrail St. Louis Line and former CE&I line . . now part of CSX Triangle network). A group I belong to had our annual convention there a few years ago. Here's a image of our group watching an approaching CSX train. Haley Tower is the real deal . . . it was moved a short distance to the museum.

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Haley Tower Historical group:

http://www.wvrrm.org

A good place to watch trains, but I also like Mill Creek Park ("Otter Creek' to some railfans around here) on the east side of Terre
Haute, you can get a view of trains crossing the unencumbered deck bridge, or MP -72, in West Terre Haute where the double track
goes to single before CSX crosses into Illinois. There's an overpass by MP-72 you can walk to after parking nearby.

Most of the restaurants, motels, and other facilites are located on US-41, north and south, I-70 exit #7...

It's interesting to note that there were three crossings between the C&EI and Milwaukee Road in Terre Haute; Spring Hill, Belt Junction, and Dewey. Weird to have the same two lines cross each other twice in close proximity at Spring Hill and Belt Junction respectively. After CSX closed the ex-B&O Illinois Sub west of Flora, IL in 2015, the remaining trains that took the B&O routing were shifted to the St. Louis Line from East St. Louis to Terre Haute then south to Evansville. CSX uses some trackage rights on INRD between Preston, the crossing of the former CR St. Louis Line and the former Milwaukee, to Belt Junction to regain the CE&D Sub, allowing eastbounds on the St. Louis Line Sub to head south on the CE&D Sub. INRD had inherited the trackage rights on the CE&D Sub from CP and Soo Line in 2006 from Terre Haute north to Chicago, getting on and off CSX at Spring Hill. Not sure if INRD still goes to Chicago or not.

Joe Tarantine

What's the number of trains on these two CSX lines at Terra Haute?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

They also moved the Milwaukee Spring Hill tower to the museum a few years ago so it's available to look inside as well.