Where are we? – Santa Fe and intermodal traffic has always been synonymous with one another. Here we observe two “blue bonnets” pulling in with a long string of tables for loading at this intermodal “lift” facility which served an “outback” location on the ATSF system in the 1980s. Today the yard exists to unload windmill components for one of the largest wind-farms in the country and is served by a member of one of the large shortline conglomerates. Sub. by Chris Dees
Story and Photographs by Chris Dees
The Great Northwest!!! Pine forests, mountain grades of four and five percent, logging railroads… that’s a reason for any railfan to pack for the weekend with the cameras, scanners, and favorite overalls. And if the trip would feature one of those fantastic Shay locomotives tackling steep grades – that would make this trip even better. Well, the weekend before Fourth of July was just such an event for myself – and it was a LOT closer than Oregon, Idaho, or even Washington. How about a 90-minute drive just north of Lafayette?
Whoa!!! What’s this regarding mountain grades and logging locomotives? Everyone knows that northern Indiana is nothing but flat fields of corn. Well the Hesston Steam Museum in Hesston, Indiana, allows even the hardest core steam fan to get his or her fix of that familiar smell of coal smoke. And with short (but steep) grades, the full-size and scale-size trains give passengers a way to experience mountain steam railroading in the Northwest Indiana county of Laporte.
The desire of a few local steam buffs to perpetuate the use of steam power necessitated the purchase of suitable land for an annual reunion in 1956. Twenty two acres was purchased and hundreds of thorn apple trees cleared. A dam was built in Mud Creek to form Duck Lake as a source of water for the engines. The group, then called La Porte County Threshermen, held their first show and reunion in 1957. Traction engines were the main feature and provided most of the power. A sawmill was added in 1959, the electric plant in 1961, and the Browning crane in 1962.
At the suggestion of Bruce Achor, a couple of members purchased a steam locomotive from Elliott Donnelley of Lake Forest, IL in 1964. With Donnelley’s generous financial assistance during 1965-1968, the remainder of the 155 acre site was purchased, and a unique dual gauge (24″/36″) railroad was constructed. The La Porte County Historical Steam Society was chartered as a not-for-profit organization on December 16, 1968, and the original La Porte County Threshermen club was absorbed and dissolved. In 1969, IRS granted recognition as a 501(c)-3 not-for-profit corporation.
Hesston keeps the memory of narrow gauge steam railroads alive. If you’re a steam fan or long to relive your days of youth at your favorite amusement park, you’ll love the sights, sounds and smells as you ride over hills, past lakes, and through farm fields on a two and a half mile journey back in time. You’ll love it!
My job with TRW Automotive Commercial Steering Systems in Lafayette involves being the technical liaison between several TRW manufacturing locations and over 200 different component suppliers. While most of these suppliers are in the Midwest region of the United States, occasionally I get to travel outside the states to foreign locations. In the last days of January 2012, this Gringo headed south to our manufacturing facility in Queretaro, Mexico facility to work on a new product launch.
Please understand that on trips like this, the most important thing is not railfanning. However, if you drop enough hints and ask around, occasionally you’ll get treated to at least a small glimpse of railroading in such faraway places. In preparing for this trip, I did a fair amount of research on the internet, including the popular and most helpful MEXLIST yahoo group. After a couple hours of browsing, I had enough information on the local area to be able to know about a great railfan spot close to where I stayed – and that place was the main train station in Queretaro.
In the early 1950’s, the Toledo Peoria & Western advertised itself as the “Magic Carpet of Railroading”. Over the years, this classic midwestern line has rostered red-and-white GP38-2’s, ran doublestack intermodal service, and served as the Santa Fe’s only reach into the Hoosier state.
Now part of the Rail America family, the TP&W can still be considered a “magic carpet ride” among Hooser railfans. On a balmy 60 degree day in early January 2012, TP&W GP 20 #2048, a former Santa Fe unit, rests after a long week of work in Logansport, IN.
Submitted by Chris Dees.
(Reprinted from Greene County Daily World Monday, August 26, 2011)
Submitted by Chris Dees
Indiana Rail Road Company (IRRC) will announce a major capital investment at a groundbreaking ceremony today in Jasonville. IRRC President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas G. Hoback, along with state and Greene County officials, will participate in the 11 a.m. ceremony at IRRC’s Hiawatha Yard near Jasonville. Hiawatha Yard is the operational heart of the 500-mile Indiana Rail Road system, which is headquartered in Indianapolis and provides nearly 200 jobs in central and southwest Indiana, and east-central Illinois. The event will announce a $65 million, five-year investment plan IRRC is undertaking to prepare for growth in its rail traffic over the next five years. IRRC’s current traffic levels take the equivalent of 800,000 truckloads of freight off highways each year.
The planned improvements will include construction of a new locomotive maintenance shop, a parts warehouse, a two-story yard office and storage warehouse. In addition, about 4,000 feet of new track will be laid in the yard. To accommodate IRRC’s expansion plans, a permanent closure of about 775 feet of Queen Four Road (CR. 800N) was granted by the county commissioners. INRD currently has about 5,000 feet of usable track between Shanklin Street and Queen Four Road (CR 800). Closing the crossing at Queen Four Road will allow the railroad to expand its holding capacity and be able to handle the large, modern 140-car coal trains that can exceed 8,000 to 9,000 feet in length.
Hoback told the Greene County Daily World that the major reason for the planned expansion at the Jasonville yard is a contract his company has with Peabody Coal Company’s new Bear Run Mine near Dugger, which is the largest surface coal mine east of the Mississippi River. The mine is about 12 miles from the Hiawatha Yard and Hoback expects his company to grow 50 percent in the next five years with commitments to be hauling about 70 percent of the coal mined at Bear Creek. IRRC will spend $17.5 million to build a new five-mile rail spur into the coal mine.
The yard is also located just south of the planned Landree Mine and in close proximity to two other contracted mines, Sunrise Mine near Carlisle and a Vectren Energy Mine near Oaktown.
IRRC spokesman Chris Rund pointed out expanding the Jasonville facility is critical to the rail company.
“It’s the hub of the wheel and will allow the company to modernize its facility and grow the number of local employees,” he said.
For many years Purdue operated the Schenectady No. 1 and No. 2, on a dynamometer in an engineering laboratory on the West Lafayette campus. These were 4-4-0 type steam locomotives manufactured by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. At the time, Purdue did not have a mascot. After much debate, it was decided to build a locomotive on an automobile chassis. The choice allowed the mascot to build on Purdue’s engineering and railroading heritage, as well as represent the school’s nickname Boilermakers in a meaningful way. The Boilermaker nickname came about during the early years of Purdue football when rumors of the university enrolling burly boilermakers from the Monon Railroad shops in Lafayette as football players. The current mascot, Boilermaker Special V, was introduced in 1993. Submitted by Chris Dees.
Back In Black: Newly arrived US Rail GP40 # 400 rests just north of the Wabash River bridge after switching the Rail America (TP&W) interchange at Van Tower in Logansport, Indiana. US Rail operates two former Winamac Southern (Pennsylvania RR) branches out of Logansport – one to Kokomo, the other to Flora. Date: June 17, 2011. Photographer: Chris Dees
With the storm images from the south fresh on everyone’s minds, thought this historical photo would bring back memories from the 1974 Super Outbreak.
An F4 tornado struck Monticello (IN), resulting in an estimated $100 million dollars in damages.
Part of the destruction included the Penn Central Railroad trestle over the Tippecanoe River.
Many of the spans were ripped off their concrete piers and thrown yards upstream of the bridge. The bridge was rebuilt and continues to serve Rail America’s Toledo, Peoria & Western line to Logansport, Indiana. Photo courtesy of Tippecanoe County, Indiana Amateur Radio Emergency Services April 2011 meeting. – Chris Dees.
From Railway Age (www.railwayage.com)
Submitted by Chris Dees
GE Transportation said Friday that it intends to open a new 900,000 square foot locomotive manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Tex., “to meet accelerating global demand.” GE said it will invest up to $96 million in the new plant and will create more than 500 new high-tech manufacturing jobs.
At the same time, GE Transportation also will expand its manufacturing workforce at its Erie, Pa., plant by hiring an additional 250 workers.
“GE Transportation is experiencing strong U.S. and global growth because of its technical leadership and we need to increase our manufacturing capacity and flexibility,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt. “This new state-of-the-art plant in Fort Worth, Texas will produce the world’s most advanced locomotives and transportation products, expand our service and repair capability, and create hundreds of new high-tech manufacturing jobs.”
“We are excited to expand our operational footprint in the United States to better serve our customers,” added Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “We see robust growth in the U.S. and around the globe. A new site will help us to effectively respond to the cyclical demand in the transportation industry and to strengthen our overall position.”
The State of Texas will commit up to $4.2 million in incentives toward the project through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF). GE Transportation said its new manufacturing site in the U.S. will complement its existing manufacturing operations in North America. The company noted it has recalled approximately 800 production workers at its Erie manufacturing facility since late 2010 and announced 450 new jobs since April (including those announced Friday). GE Transportation operates at more than 50 GE and customer facilities in the United States.
http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/ge-to-open-texas-locomotive-plant-3142.html