Griffith, IN: EJ&E Railfan Action

EJ&E trains passing through the Griffith Junction.

BRHS posted
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Baldwin DT-6-6-20 center-cab transfer locomotive #921 at Griffith, Indiana on July 14th, 1970.

Kevin Piper posted
Baldwin-engined EJ&E 700-series Centercabs were not MU-equipped, so photos of them in action always show them working alone. Here 717 leaves Griffith, IN, for Gary on 9-18-66. LOUIS CERNY PHOTO
Kevin Piper There were manned helpers needed on occasion leaving Joliet and Waukegan eastbound.
Mike Gillespie They became m.u.-able after being rebuilt with EMD prime movers ??
Jeffrey Varney Yes, when they were repowered, they were upgraded with MU capability.

Bill Molony posted
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Baldwin center cabs #920 & #921 at Griffith, Indiana in January, 1972.
[The track in the foreground is the connector to the C&O. We can see Broad Street in the middle right. This train would be westbound. The coil cars are a reminder that the EJ&E was owned by US Steel back then.]

Mark Llanuza posted
Its the year 1975 I'm at Griffith Ind with westbound with SD-38 and a center cab.

Mark Llanuza posted
Its 1975 EJ&E crosses over the GTW and Erie.

Mike Matalis posted two photos with the comment: "EJ&E bicentennial SD38-2 #668 leading a westbound freight thru Griffith IN on 2/13/76. Ektachrome slide scan"

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Kevin Piper posted
Griffith, Indiana, was once the busy crossing of EJ&E, GTW, C&O, PC (NYC/MC), and EL. Looking east toward Porter from the GTW tower, the EJ&E 914 is westbound coming from Gary. The track visible to the left is the old Michigan Central which paralleled EJ&E all the way to Joliet. 2-12-66 LOUIS CERNY PHOTO/KEVIN PIPER COLLECTION
http://www.railfanguides.us/in/griffith/

Kevin Piper posted
Martin O'Connor Not sure if this is the same building, but we discussed the Freight House in depth here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/307645646089922/permalink/597628423758308/
Wayne DeMunn If it is the same depot in the Cerny photo above as the older depot photo posted by Bob Bruns, and I think it is, I'd say we're looking SE from Garfield. I'm also about 99.999% sure it was built by the II&M in 1904, although Jeff Kehoe may still have his doubts, lol.

Bill Molony posted
Four Gulf, Mobile & Ohio EMD GP35's, westbound on the Elgin Joliet & Eastern at Griffith, Indiana with 102 empty hopper cars on June 2, 1969.

Eric Berg posted
One of my favorite Griffith shots is of EJ&E 807 heading west across the diamonds on Sept 2, 1961. Unknown photographer.
Dennis DeBruler I still have to look at my maps of this junction to figure out what is happening in a photo. It is crossing the GTW tracks. In the foreground is one of the two tracks shared by C&O and Erie. The lower-left corner is the edge of the sidewalk.
Eric Berg Yes, that is correct Dennis DeBruler. Also, along the concrete pole line at left before the trees ran the MC line that paralleled EJ&E's Porter Branch here, which by the way leads off straight behind the train. The tower would be at immediate right between the GTW and EL / C&O tracks.

Richard Mead posted
EJ&E Baldwin DR 4-4-15 at Griffith, IN

Maurice King

I'm trying to remember the details... There were two sharks. The DR4-4-1500 and the RF16. IIRC, the DR had a 16" longer nose and the RF was a shorter nose? The EJ&E unit in the initial photo looks to be a short nose unit?

Richard Mead

Author

RF16 was 1600 hp

[Several more comments post photos of Baldwin sharks.]

Video a train with 11 locomotives including five IC Deathstars and an EJ&E (4 Ex IC, 4 Ex Citi-Rail, 1 CN, 1 EX EJ&E, 1 Ex CN, only the first two were powered.)

Randy James: Wow, that consist makes up a quarter of all the ic's sd70's !