Walkerton, IN: NKP, B&O and NYC/CI&S/II&I Depots

(Since none of the depots exist today, I used the topo map at the bottom instead of satellite locations.)

Carl Venzke posted
"Sometime between 1946 and 1949, Nickel Plate 2-8-2 #669 was northbound past the Walkerton, Indiana depot. Notice the rider car behind the tender; this was used for an extra brakeman (also called listman) and LCL freight. Also notice the white pilot truck wheels, this is an indication that the wheels had recently been checked for cracks. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs"

The track going from the northwest to the southeast was the NKP by 1928. It was built by the Lake Erie & Western. We can tell by the angle of the street grid that this was the first railroad through the area and that this railroad caused the town to exist. The east/west tracks were the B&O. The track from the southwest to the northeast was the NYC ny 1928. But it is sometimes referred to by its predecessor corporate names. It was built by the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa. Then it became part of the Chicago, Indiana & Southern, more commonly known as the Kankakee Belt. Then the NYC bought it. The NYC tracks were abandoned by Conrail in 1982, and they have been removed. But the B&O tracks still exist as the mainline of CSX, and the NKP/LE&W track is now operated by the Elkhart & Western Railway.

1958 Walkerton Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Hoosier Valley
"The date of the photo is probably in the 1910s or maybe a little earlier. There are a lot of buildings in this picture and most are railroad related. From left to right: the B&O depot, don’t know about the building behind the depot, next is a small building at the crossing of the CI&S and LE&W, The CI&S water tank, next is a CI&S and LE&W transfer house, the next building is possibly a B&O and CI&S freight house, then the three story tower, a crossing watchman shanty, the CI&S depot and across the tracks is, what I assume, is a section house. Today, of all these buildings only the tower remains and it is now two stories tall. The Chicago, Indiana & Southern is also gone. Postcard is from the Bob Albert collection."

I am very disappointed by this topo map. The black rectangles are supposed to indicate the locations of buildings in 1958. But since the Junction Tower still stands, we know there should be a rectangle in the triangle made by the three railroads. I marked that triangle with a yellow circle. By using a 1956 aerial photo, I found the location of the B&O (blue line over the word "Gas") and NYC (orange line) depots that were west and south of the junction.  I'm not as confidant, but I think the NKP depot is now the parking lot that is south of the tracks and east of Illinois St (green line). The grain elevator in the background of Carl's post is consistent with the aerial photo.

1958 Walkerton Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 plus Paint