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| Mike Snow posted Pennsylvania Railroad Depot for Churubusco Indiana located 55.9 miles from Logansport. this is the Butler branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Vandalia Railroad (Butler Branch) Completed in 1874 as the Detroit, Eel River and Illinois, this line was a 93-mile outlet for farmers. Looking for better crop prices, the line was built from Logansport, Indiana, to Butler, Indiana, crossing Whitley County from the southwest to the northeast. The line passed through Collamer, South Whitley, across the Pennsylvania at Columbia City, and on through Churubusco. The railroad entered into a lease agreement with the Wabash Railroad in 1879 for a period of 99 years. The Wabash was building a railroad to take on the eastern giants and the availability of the Eel River line provided the missing link. In an effort to smooth movements, the Wabash abandoned the shop facilities in Logansport in favor of their own in Peru, Indiana. The bondholders were outraged and began a cat and mouse legal battle with the Wabash trying to annul the lease agreement. After 10 years of legal fighting, the bondholders again had control of their railroad. The road, once an integral part of a major railroad was now an expensive piece of unprofitable property. Quickly the Detroit, Eel River and Illinois railroad was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1901 and folded into the Pennsy's Vandalia holdings. It was now known as the Vandalia Railroad. The Vandalia never amounted to much. Traffic diminished over the years and abandonment came piece by piece beginning in 1954 and ending in 1977 with the last section. This last section ran to the southwest through South Whitley from Columbia City's connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Today, precious few reminders of the Vandailia exist. In Collamer, only the bridge piers exist and exiting South Whitley remains a wooden trestle. A fantastic example of early railroading. And in Columbia City, a small relay box and line pole stands at the crossing site on Main Street. A few other buildings with distinct railroad heritage still exist in Collins and Churubusco as well as a very prominent grade that parallels Indiana State Road 205 to the north east of Columbia City. Photo taken from the cab of a 2-8-0 by Harvey Lehman in 1948 Richard Fiedler shared |
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| Map 14 from Mark D. Bej's CentHist, Copyleft via Dennis DeBruler |
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| 1957 Churubusco Quad @ 24,000 |
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| Nov 28, 1951 @ 28,400; AR1PJ0000030028 |
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