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| Gary Sturm posted C&O caboose on the C&O Chicago District is crossing the Erie-Lackawanna mainline at North Judson, Indiana in 1973. Bryan Preslar: Looks like mud under the Diamond. Probably pumping up and down a lot. Gary Sturm posted C&O caboose #3199 rolls west across the Erie-Lackawanna mainline in northern Indiana. This view looks east toward Marion, Ohio. The caboose is crossing the ex-New York Central Kankakee Belt Line. The location is North Judson, Indiana on July 19, 1973. The C&O tracks are gone east of here and just a small portion of the E-L track remains to the east. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum uses the C&O track to the west for excursions. |
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| John Wampler posted THE ART OF THE RAILS. There is an artistic quality to these North Judson Indiana rail scenes. The rails and their designs are all works of art. The intersection of the steel rails supported by the wooden ties, crossing thru and over each other at the same time is something that catches the eye. This picture shows the maintenance required to keep everyone safe. Like many corporations. railroads had strong divisions of labor. Working In the train were the "clean hand" types. Waiters, porters, and conductors. They were the face of the company. Be nice and be polite. The passengers were respected. The second tier of employee was also In the train. They were the folks hidden from the passengers view. Worked in the kitchen, the mail car, tended animals being transported and the engineers helpers. They were the ones who's hands got dirty as they traveled. The king of the train has been and always will be the Engineer. Large and In charge he was the equivalent of the airplane pilot. He was the maestro and conducted the music the train made. The outside support also had two tiers. The "cleaner hand" group were the ticket takers, baggage handlers and the rail express delivery folks. People who were fine being part of the background scenery. Little more hands on and less contact with the customer. Lastly, the higher paid and the most physical crews are seen here. Worked outside regardless of the weather. More likely to be hurt on the job and wear out early. They tended to make more with the trade out being the shortest careers The folks making these never ending repairs were always behind the scenes making sure the music of the countless train cars continues in safety and harmony. Doing this always made the Engineer along with everyone else, look better. John Wampler posted with the same comment |
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| John Wampler posted WOULD THE LAST TRAIN TO LEAVE PLEASE SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS? 1976 showed the end of the line for the Erie Lackawana Railroad. The final train to pass thru North Judson Indiana and caught by a depressed photographer. Some way to celebrate our Bicentennial year. The Erie Lackawana Railroad led a short life. Formed in 1960 with the merging of The Erie and the Lackawana and Western Railroad. These lines were losing passengers, freight (to the growing highway system) and, most importantly, money. Like most train lines in this period, they all came out of the war bloated with federal funds, padded payrolls and an invincible attitude. This is not an attack at all, just a statement of fact. As the 1950's progressed, none of these corporations could cut costs fast enough or draw up more financially solvent plans. The fault was everywhere...... Too many overpaid executives with too many perks on one hand. On the other hand were the unions who refused to watch any jobs disappear. This left a payroll on the rise as the revenues were in free fall. A money hemorrhage with no regard to the failing health of the goose laying the golden egg. It was an unavoidable disaster in the making. As the 60's limped on into the next decade, Hurricane Agnes hit the east coast and especially North East Pennsylvania destroying everything in its path, including hundreds of miles of track owned by the Erie Lackawana. These big guys were all self insured. The company had to bear the cost of repairs combined with a halt to the revenue stream while these repairs were made. This combination quickly put them into Protected Bankruptcy. Nothing was ever the same again. In 1976, with little fanfare, the Erie Lackawana Railroad breathed its last. There was no happy angle to this at all. This death was another signal of a loss by the railroads to the a fleet of hard working truckers who enjoyed the protections of the highway lobby. |
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| HoisierValley-interlocking, p1, rotated |
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| HoisierValley-interlocking, p2, rotated |
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| Carl Venzke posted "The postmark on this card is hard to read, but I believe it is February 14, 1911. Anyway, it is a great view looking north (east) on the Chicago, Indiana & Southern at North Judson, Indiana, The Panhandle (Pennsy) runs across the center of the picture, but the tracks of the Erie and C&O are not visible. The buildings from left to right are: CI&S section house, tower at the PRR and Erie crossing, hotel, Erie depot, CI&S passenger train, a passenger car on the ground, another CI&S building, PRR / CI&S transfer house and the Peoples Grain Co. elevator. Postcard is from the Bob Albert collection." John Wampler posted WE MAY HAVE BEEN SMALL BUT WE WERE...... During the time when the Civil War had just ended, came tales of a most unique tiny town in northern Indiana. One where four major railroads all crossed or came within yards of each other. A town named after either the President of the first railroad to pass through or a beloved Rail Engineer who also passed through.. They both had the last name of Judson. All of the rails interlocked, within a small, in town location. That tiny area contained two passenger depots and an Interlocking Tower along with countless peripherals helping both the rails and the town. Every building was in sight of the others. They told us they would be her forever and when they werent, we died a bit. The town was North Judson, Indiana and the four railroads were the Erie/Erie Lackawanna, the Pennsy, the New York Central and the Chesapeake and Ohio of Indiana. What a load of steel. What a story! If records were kept by Guiness on trains and small towns, we would occupy the standings with pride. Our population numbers have never passed 1800 but that never limited our love affair with the 4 sets of rails. North Judson was my most favorite place in the whole world. As an early "baby boomer", I saw alot of the interactions of town and rails. Each benefited from the other. This town rose and fell as the railroads did the same. The hypnotic and soothing sounds of art in motion are no longer. Neither is the frustration of trying to drive anywhere and crossing the same train line multiple times as the trains passed through and crossed countless streets and highways. Like siblings, both sides learned to fight, respect and help each other anyway they could. |
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| Jim Hudson posted |
These photos were both taken at North Judson, Indiana. I captured the upper view in 1972 as the eastbound E-L train crossed the Pennsy Panhandle. My view is west toward Chicago with the tower on the right.Of the 8 "spokes" that used to go to the town, only the C&O spoke to the northeast is still connected to the outside world, and it is operated by the Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad (CKIN).
Matt Ditton photographed the lower image in 2013. Matt's photo was taken in the same aspect as mine from 1972. I've marked the location of the junction of the Pennsy Panhandle with the E-L.
This is definitely one of those 'tear in the beer' kind of before and after comparisons we wished never had to made.
The junction at North Judson was where the Erie-Lackawanna crossed the Pennsy Panhandle, the ex-NYC Kanakee Belt and the C&O.
Most of the abandoned spokes still have land scars on a satellite map. So I added lines on a satellite image to indicate where the routes went through town.
- PRR Panhandle: Blue
- NYC Kankakee Belt: Yellow
- C&O is the active track that comes in from the northwest, goes south of the museum, and then curves south to a runaround stub.
- Erie-Lackawanna: Purple. The Museum track is evidently a remnant of siding/yard tracks. The RoW is now the N. Judson Erie Trial. The Erie, NYC, and C&O used to all cross at the same spot! The Erie and the NYC crossed the Panhandle a little further west.
The Panhandle and C&O paralleled each other to LaCrosse, IN.
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| Historic Aerials, back when non-commercial use was allowed. |
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| Satellite |
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| Matt Ditton posted |
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| Matt Ditton posted |
Another before and after at North Judson Indiana. The first photo taken by Gary Sturm in the early 70's is looking north on the NYC Kankakee Belt toward the crossing with the PRR Panhandle with a Penn Central train crossing.The second picture was taken by me on 1-16-16.It was very difficult to find where the NYC right of way was.As you can see everything is gone.
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| Erie Employees Magazine, November 1959, search for "MP 199" From the collection of Larry Berger |
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| Mark Hinsdale posted In June, 1973, an eastbound Penn Central train with a head end of orange EJ&E steel coil cars picked up at Hartsdale IN is crossing over at busy North Judson IN. The ex PRR Chicago to Logansport "Panhandle" main line was still handling numerous daily through freight trains, but would be completely shut down and abandoned by Conrail ten years later. Photo by Mark Hinsdale Bob Lalich Hartsdale, more specifically Schererville Yard, was a busy interchange back then. I miss the Panhandle line. Bob Lalich Anthony Schandon - I know that PRR interchanged with CWP&S at West Pullman north of the IC crossing. I'm not certain how much traffic remained in the PC era. There were numerous factories in West Pullman, including International Harvester and a paint plant. Farther north, PRR and PC served the Chicago Bridge & Iron factory in Washington Heights. South of West Pullman, PRR/PC served Acme/Interlake's Riverdale plant. Adam Powell In the early days of the line they hauled a shit ton of sand from downtown Lansing. They served the many clay holes of the Illiana brick Co. witch supplied bricks for Chicago buildings. |
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Bob Lalich commented on Mark Hinsdale's posting
Here is a portion of a 1952 map showing the West Pullman industrial trackage of the CWP&S, and the connections to the PRR and IC.
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| Matt Lasayko posted PRR Panhandle at North Judson IN looking west.Joe Zeller I like the Erie B unit in the background. The Erie must have crossed over the Panhandle in 2 different areas?Matt Lasayko Yes at Kouts and Judson [Note the Pennsy positional signal has been converted to a "red eye" in this 1971 photo.] |
David Parker posted eight pictures with the comment: "Ex PRR Tower and Depot. North Judson, IN. May 16th 1982. (EL-C&O-PRR-NYC Crossing).....Photo's by David Parker"
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| 1 Ex PRR Tower. North Judson IN. May 16th 1982 |
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| 2 Looking North on PRR Panhandle line. North Judson IN. May 16th 1982 |
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| 3 Ex PRR Depot and Tower. North Judson IN. May 16th 1982 |
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| 4 North Judson IN |
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| 5 This would look good on my wall. North Judson IN. |
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| 6 North Judson IN |
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| 8 Looking West on EL (To the right of the tower), with the C&O the only track intact. The ex NYC Kankakee Belt in the foreground and the ex PRR Panhandle line behind the tower. North Judson IN. May 16th 1982 |
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| Marty Bernard posted PRR E7A 4213 with Train 70, the former Union - Redbird - Forth Hayes, arriving at the North Judson, Indiana station on November 25, 1966. A Roger Puta photo. Rodney D Zona: Nice shot!! Old Pennsylvania RR Logansport, IN based passenger train and engine crews worked to and from Cincinnati, OH,. Also, The old Pennsy RR the South Wind, later became Amtrak's the Floridan between Chicago and Louisville, via Logansport and Indianapolis, IN until 1975 when the Floridian rerouted via the ex Monon RR until that Amtrak train discontinued October 1, 1979. James Thornton: PRR's Union and Redbird ran Chicago-Cincinnati via Logansport, skipping Indianapolis. One each way lasted til Amtrak began. Steve Merriam: This train would divide into two separate trains in Logansport, one to Cincinnati, one to Columbus. In a previous time there was a third train to Louisville via Indianapolis. The head end was paying for the train. The PRR Panhandle line through here is abandoned, but another line, the Chesapeake and Indiana's ex-C&O route is still there. The Hoosier Valley RR Museum Is in North Judson, and has a depot as part of it, but I think it is the Erie depot. The Erie main line and the NYC Kankakee Belt also served North Judson. Today, you can see the old ROWs approaching the town from several directions. In my 1958 Guide, 70 is the Red Bird, the morning train from Chicago to Cincinnati. Passengers for Columbus would have gotten off at Richmond and connected to #4, the Penn Texas. 72 was the Union, the mid afternoon train and it is shown as being a Chicago-Cincinnati train with through cars for Louisville being cut off at Logansport and Columbus cars being detached at Richmond. The South Wind also passed here every other day without stopping. There was also an overnight train, the Buckeye/Kentukian with through cars for Cincinnati, Columbus and Louisville. Panhandle passenger service would have been interesting to ride and watch. North Judson would have been an entertaining place to spend time watching trains, with the Panhandle, and Erie mains, the C&O's Chicago line and the NYC Kankakee Belt all crossing close to each other. |
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| Matthew Ditton posted Here's a before and after of North Judson Indiana. The first picture was taken by John Strombeck in 1973 looking down the Erie Lacawanna tracks. The current picture was taken by me in January of 2016. The C&O tracks still cross in the foreground and only see excursions from the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum now. The other tracks seen crossing here were the former NYC and were abandoned in the early 80's |
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| Josh Lemier posted
Here in our new cover photo we see Erie Lackawanna 3623 rush across the Penn Central Panhandle from Cincinnati at North Judson, Indiana on July 31, 1975.
Photo Credit To John Eagan.
Rex Hauser Wow, the panhandle be looking like the dusthandle with some choice weeds thrown in! Wayne Hudak By then most of the Panhandle was 10mph! Amtrak even took their Floridian off it. |
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| Tim Shanahan shared When North Judson, Indiana was a just a bit more active... Pennsylvania SD40 #6098 rattles across the Erie Lackawanna diamond with a manifest on November 25, 1966. Roger Puta photo/Marty Bernard collection. Mike Snow shared Michael Dye Taken from the upper deck of the PRR's 'N. Judson' tower, looking (kinda) towards the NW (The EL tracks seen are towards Chicago). That EL/PRR interchange track (at the photo's far right) sure looks rough. Mike Snow Side Note: The locomotive in this photo is alive and well today Ex-CR, Rebuilt from CR/PC/PRR SD40, to SD33ECO NS 6223 03/19 locomotive was originally built 3/66 Marty Bernard posted PRR SD40 6098 crossing the EL mainline taken from the PRR tower at North Judson, IN on November 25, 1966 by Roger Puta. Lisa Renee Ragsdale: The original SD40's did not sell as well as the dash-2's, but several roads did have them!! Dennis Stanczak: A U25C trailing! Rodney D Zona: Great shots!! Long gone now!! Final run of the remaining passenger train on the old PRR Panhandle Line was the Amtrak the Cardinal, which was made in April, 1982. Marty Bernard shared Michael Heavener: Just thought of a question. Which road owns the land under the diamond? Which road pays the taxes? Which road does the maintenance? Do these question have the same kind of answers at all crossings? Jon Moore: From what I've read over the years is that the last railroad to a location pays for everything unless other arrangements are negotiated. Michael Schwiebert: each crossing is set up on its own. Generally speaking the second railroad (which causes the crossing to be necessary) will have responsibility for the diamond, interlocking etc. It can also be split on a percentage basis.  North Judson was a crazy junction town not unlike Griffith, IN in its heyday. Pennsy, Erie, C&O and NYC all crossed there. Marty Bernard shared Steve Drassler: Is that view looking to the north/northwest? JIm Kelling: Steve Drassler yes, Erie line to Chicago is at left. Steve Drassler: Jim Kelling I worked for the NYC that passed through North Judson also. It would be to the south then, at the photographers back. Busy place fifty years ago. Marty Bernard posted |
Mark Llanuza posted two photos with the comment: "Its March 27th 1976 Eastbound Erie goes past North Judson tower. I went back to the same location in 2008 only a few line poles are left."
Justin Oates Sad. I always wished the town of N Judson and HVRM could've kept the junctions all intact and make it a park/museum.
Mark Llanuza posted three photos with the comment:
Mark Llanuza posted four photos with the comment: "A really cool place to photographed the Erie and Penn Central was North Judson Ind . Both double main line tracks and the C&O had four trains a day plus Amtrak and Penn Central east west line .Sad to say i was only there a few times and it was towards the very end but still busy."
Ted Howard Great pictures! Is that the same 2 story building which is part of the North Judson Museum?
Bob Barcus No, our tower came from the Indiana Harbor Belt in East Chicago.
Matt Myers I've been to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum twice, and the model they have of the four railroad layout circa mid 20th Century is incredible. Just so hard to figure out where all the lines ran once you're back outside looking around! Great museum.
Mark Strahlendorf We went there this summer and it's very difficult to figure out where everything ran.
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Mark Llanuza posted three photos with the comment:
On March 27th 1976 long time friend Gary Clark and i went out to North Judson Ind to capture the final last days of operation on the Erie .One busy place back then was North Judson tower with the Penn Central Pan Handle line double track main to Ciny and the double main line of the Erie with up to 20 trains a day over 24 hours .Its unreal that both lines are gone off the map .Here in these three photo's was eastbound Penn Central crossing the Eire and right after that was Erie with four E-units hauling ass big time through the Jct .I was only 19 years old at the time ,What a thrill it was for Gary Clark and i to see this for the last time.
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| Bill Molony shared In this interesting lashup, Rock Island F7A #114 leads a New York Central freight at the once-busy junction of North Judson, Indiana on November 25, 1966. Roger Puta photo. Wayne Hudak Great rare photo shoot of the Kankakee belt. Thanks for posting. Rock Island power often ended up at Elkhart.Dennis DeBruler So the Kankakee Belt was an effective bypass around Chicago until Conrail abandoned the segment from the power plant spur east of Wheatfield to Elkhart. |
Mark Llanuza posted four photos with the comment: "A really cool place to photographed the Erie and Penn Central was North Judson Ind . Both double main line tracks and the C&O had four trains a day plus Amtrak and Penn Central east west line .Sad to say i was only there a few times and it was towards the very end but still busy."
Ted Howard Great pictures! Is that the same 2 story building which is part of the North Judson Museum?
Bob Barcus No, our tower came from the Indiana Harbor Belt in East Chicago.
Matt Myers I've been to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum twice, and the model they have of the four railroad layout circa mid 20th Century is incredible. Just so hard to figure out where all the lines ran once you're back outside looking around! Great museum.
Mark Strahlendorf We went there this summer and it's very difficult to figure out where everything ran.
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| 4 Carl Venzke posted Photo of track work in North Judson, Indiana (SE of Chicago) in March 1967. The view is looking west from about the front of the present shop building. The C&O comes from the lower left and curves off to the upper right. The Erie eastward main is where the men are working grinding the diamond. The men behind the worker are standing on the NYC which crosses from left to right. The other track which comes in from the center right is the Erie westward main. The Pennsy’s double track is hidden behind the tower. Notice that the Erie tracks are on about thirty foot centers to accommodate the NYC and C&O diamond. The photo is from the HVRM collection. |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Conrail train westbound at North Judson Ind on the former Logansport line getting ready to cross the Erie Lackawanna 1977 Josh Lemler It's on the Ex-Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle that ran from Chicago to Cincinnati. Mark Llanuza Yes Josh Lemler your right its the old Pan Handle line .Its amazing how fast the weeds come up within a few years. Chad Quick Also running against the current of traffic or as we often said the “wrong way”. Nice shot Ken Miller From the looks of the consist, it looks like a scrap train. |
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| Mark Hinsdale posted In June, 1973, an eastbound Penn Central train with a head end of orange EJ&E steel coil cars picked up at Hartsdale IN is crossing over at busy North Judson IN. The ex PRR Chicago to Logansport "Panhandle" main line was still handling numerous daily through freight trains, but would be completely shut down and abandoned by Conrail ten years later. Photo by Mark Hinsdale Bob Lalich Hartsdale, more specifically Schererville Yard, was a busy interchange back then. I miss the Panhandle line Anthony Schandon How much information do you have one the Panhandle line? I remember those tracks on South Side of Chicago when I was a kid. I seen one train on those tracks at 123rd st grade crossing. Did the PC interchange with CWP in West Pullman? Bob Lalich Anthony Schandon - I know that PRR interchanged with CWP&S at West Pullman north of the IC crossing. I'm not certain how much traffic remained in the PC era. There were numerous factories in West Pullman, including International Harvester and a paint plant. Farther north, PRR and PC served the Chicago Bridge & Iron factory in Washington Heights. South of West Pullman, PRR/PC served Acme/Interlake's Riverdale plant. Dennis DeBruler http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../prrs-chicago... |
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| Matthew Ditton posted We're at North Judson Indiana along the Erie Lackawanna right of way. The first picture was taken by John Bjorklund and provided by the Center for Railroad Photography of an Erie Lackawanna freight that had just crossed the PRR Panhandle on 3/28/76. The current picture was taken by me on 3/31/18 and I was able to match it up because the bases for the relay case on the left and the semaphore on the right still exist although covered by brush.. [Yet another angle on the tower.] |
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| America-Rails.com posted Pennsy GP7 #8587 rattles over the Erie Lackawanna diamond while working local service at North Judson, Indiana on November 25, 1966. Roger Puta photo. Raymond Storey shared Marty Bernard shared his post PRR GP7 8587 with a local freight north of the North Judson, IN PRR tower on November 25 1966. A Roger Puta photograph. Marty Bernard posted |
James Boudreaux posted five images with the comment: "North Judson photos (GPE)...4/67. Diagram date unknown. Pennsy hammers the EL diamond...11/66...R.Puta photo."
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its March 27th 1976 only a few days left before Conrail takes over this section of the railroad at North Judson Ind on the Pan Handle line going past the station .By late 1982-83 Conrail Abandoned this division from Chicago to Cin Ohio where at one time this was the prime route with Amtrak and up to 20 -25 Frt's a day .I went back in Spring of 2015 to line up my photo i did over 40 years ago .I was standing on the cement foundation of the old signal to in the same spot where the Penn Central used. |
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| Forgotten Railways, Roads, and Places posted All of these lines are no more, with the exception of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum. |
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/el7274age.jpg Erie Lackawanna ALCO FA-1 7274 crosses the Pennsylvania at North Judson, Indiana in April 1967. Photo by George Elwood
Bill Latimer posted two photos with the comment: "North Judson, Indiana 1982. 4 rail lines crossed here. The Erie, the Pennsylvania, the New York Central and the Chesapeake &Ohio."
Bill Latimer Sure enough.
Bruce Wukovits Is this the Erie we are looking down. It and the Pennsy were double track correct.?
Bill Latimer The Erie double main in photo is top to bottom, the C&O left to right with NYC, behind the tower is the Pennsy.
Bob Johnson What remains is a branch of the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad (33 mile short line).
Dana Thomas Is that at least five diamonds I'm counting?
Robert Willhite Dana Thomas That is what I count, if you can include the one that would be just out of the photo to the right.
Bill Latimer 4 more at the tower for a total of 9
Steve Zalimas That's alot going on in that top photo. Even the bottom photo is intriguing. All those telegraph/signal poles that still exist there. Most RR had their poles eliminated years ago.
Lawrence Smith so at one time you had pssgr trains hammering through there on the Panhandle (which became 3 routes to Columbus, Richmond and Indy), Erie and C+O. Last big pssgr burst was in the 40s.
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| Bill Latimer commented on his post Bill Latimer Looking east from the former EL Before & After |
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| Bill Latimer commented on his post Looking north from the Panhandle toward the EL diamonds in 1976 and 1983. Photo by Mark Llanuza. |
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| Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum posted Yet another historic freight car joins the Hoosier Valley collection! Former Pennsylvania #665244 H39 coal hopper built in 1960 has just arrived and is in the process of being unloaded. [According to the comments, this is a 1960 PRR hopper.] |
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| Gary Sturm posted Erie-Lackawanna #3630 heads east as it had just crossed the x-Pennsylvania Panhandle Line and is about to cross the C&O Chicago District and x-New York Central Kankakee Belt Line at North Judson, Indiana in 1972. The only track left there today is the C&O. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum uses the C&O tracks for excursions. |
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