Elkhart, IN: NS/NYC Railyard

(Satellite)

(Update: more information is in  NYC Roundhouses and Water Towers and NYC Depots)

This is one of the few railyards in the country that is just as important today as it was back in the heyday of railroading. The reason is that any railyards that Norfolk Southern has in Chicago have been converted to intermodal yards and all eastbound mixed freight trains are run through Chicago to Elkhart. Remember, a lot of freight traffic has been moved from mixed freight trains to unit trains and containers (and trucks) so a railroad needs fewer hump yards to handle carload traffic.

Richard Roberts shared 33 photos of the NYC/LS&MS railyard and depot including these two.

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Tim JT White posted, Facebook resolution
Don't remember where I got this article, but a short history up to the new Robert Young in Elkhart
[A photo of the Robert R. Young Rail Yards under construction in 1957.]

Elmer J Hershey commented on Heather's posting
Elmer J Hershey Elkhart

Rails Around Indiana posted

The facilities at Elkhart featured a large hump classification yard, built by the New York Central in 1957 and named after NYC President Robert Young. The yard had 72 tracks and classified all

westbound traffic for direct delivery to Chicago connections. In 1968 it became part of Penn Central. (Donald Pope, photos; David Oroszi collection)

Debbie Newsom Hampton posted
Elkhart (IN) Yard. Photo by Matt Burks.

Carl Venske posted
New York Central - B Elkhart Tower; East end of Elkhart yard - Elkhart Indiana, John Fuller Photo 1967 - Closed in 1958

Richard Roberts posted
Elkhart,IN from 1903.

Kerry Scaife $10 a month average wage. ... inflation really sucks.

Joe Barron posted three photos with the comment: "The powerhouse at the Elkhart Yard."

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Joe Barron shared
Sam Siklas It's quite likely that some of the engines in the yard at the time would have included the Central's well-known Hudsons which led the railroads' famed 20th Century Limited. The Century came through here on its regular route between New York City and Chicago. How many people don't realize how historic the yards are and the now Norfolk Southern line really is?
Joe Barron This is 1911. Notice the loco's are high wheelers. Hudson's came in 1927.

Timothy M Shanahan shared another Joe Barron post

Nathan Vester posted
2 separate slides I was able to stitch together. Elkhart, IN. Dated: 1964.

Morris Eastham posted four photos with the comment: "Elkhart Yard , Elkhart In."

[Some comments indicate that Conrail changed the name of the yard from Robert R. Young to Elkhart.]

Tim Moore: Work at the old west hump and new KC yard as a maintainer and signal maintenance foreman before retiring 2014 -60 bowl tracks,10 receiving and departure tracks.

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Ronald Neher posted
Aerial View of The Robert R. Young Yard opened for business on March 6th, 1958 at a cost of $14,000,000. At the time it opened it was then the largest train yard in the world.
Weston Ward Very nice photo. This is just the "Hump" assembly part of the yard. There is more.

Frannie Tepper shared
Jim Bourke What is the status of this yard today?
Carl Englund Owned and operated by NS
Eric Kammer The impressive thing is all these cars were sorted without computers just amazing

Tom Danza shared

Matt Brady commented on Frannie's share

Richard Van Vynckt posted
Elkhart, Indiana (95 sets of rails)...
Greg Fish: Soo it does not look like Elkhart yard. Spent 15 years as a engineer there. Also Elkhart yard has 72 and a half class tracks 15 receiving tracks 6 east bound tracks and 7 west bound tracks. [100 tracks] Not sure where they are coming up 95 tracks.
[There are a lot of replies to Greg indicating that this is Elkhart.]
Susan Gygi Yoder: Yes. The Elkhart yard used to be the largest in the nation. Might still be the largest. Keith Enck: Bailey Yard. The biggest in the United States. UP owns it.
Brian Cole: Crossroads of America. Only place I've ever seen signs that told motorists to turn off their engines while waiting for trains to pass.
[Several comments claim this yard is on the Russia target list for a nuke attack.]
[There are several comments about crossings being blocks. For example:]
Valerie Scott Bierlein: And they still block the crossings in Goshen waiting to get in there daily!
Ursula Digel Wishin: I think I looked once, and counted over 112 tracks. One of the biggest yards in the midwest.
J.B. Rail Photog shared

Four aerial photos

Seven 1978 photos  Includes view of the hump from the tower.