Spriggsboro, IN: N&W "J" Class 4-8-4 #611 at Spriggsboro, IN

I don't normally post about a photo of yet another train on a track, but this is an exception because it is a N&W "J" class 4-8-4 #611 running with a clear stack at Spriggsboro, IN; and Spriggsboro forced me to learn more about the Fort Wayne Crossing.

Wayne Hudak posted
Norfolk & Western "J" class 4-8-4 #611 westbound at Spriggsboro Indiana, 1985. #611 has been restored a second time and hopefully she will be in NWIndiana for 2018.

My first issue is that when I looked it up in Google Maps it auto-corrected the spelling to Springboro, IN, which is down near Lafayette. The 2005 SPV Map showed Spriggsboro as the junction between NKP and GWT that is west of Valporaiso. A comment by James L. Ludwig on a posting by Mark Hinsdale explains that was NKP's name for that crossing.

Funny how it had three different names for the three different railroads-Grand Trunk called it GT called it Fort Wayne, Conrail's ex-pennsy called it C Valpo and Norfolk Southern's ex-Nickel plate called it Spriggsboro.

The GTW owned the tower that was in the southwest quadrant of their tracks crossing Tower Road (N 250 W), so that is the name on the tower and thus the most common name for these junctions. James named the junction between CFE/CSX/Pennsy and GTW as "C Valpo." But the SPV Map names it Grand Trunk.

Update:

Wayne commented on his posting
Spriggsboro today, looking west on NS.

Hammond, IN: Monon and Erie+C&O Depot

(Satellite, it was between Condit and Doty Streets where the track curves slightly to the west)

Wayne Hudak posted
The quaint little combined railroad passenger station of the Monon and Erie Railroad at Hammond, late 1950's. Trains are gone and so is the station. A concrete slab from the foundation can still be seen to this day. C.I.L. photo

Bob Lalich commented on Pete Fileca's post
The building on Douglas [that is in the background of many Erie Yard photos] was a storage warehouse. Borden's was north of the warehouse. Here is a John Barriger photo showing both.

Bill Molony posted (CARH group)
This station in Hammond - built in 1953 - was served by the passenger trains of the Erie and the Monon.
Bill Molony posted (NWIRU group)

Wayne commented on his posting
 A Gary Wilson photo......

Wayne Hudak commented on Bill's NWIRU post
Mid to late 50's a 'modernized' sign was designed.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's CARH post
This topo map allowed me to identify the curve in the Monon mainline  that we see in the photo.
1953 Calumet City Quadrangle @ 1:24,000
So the depot was somewhere east of Lyman Ave. between Condit and Doty Streets.
https://www.google.com/.../@41.6124684,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's CARH post
The building in the right background is still standing.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...
The watchtower in the photo would have been for the grossing guard at Douglas Street.

Note the crossing over the Monon tracks in the photo at the top that goes to the right (east). This crossing goes to the Erie platforms that were along the tracks we see on the far right in the top photo. That Erie platform would be under the snow between the mainline tracks in this photo.

Josh Lemier posted

Here we see the Erie Lackawanna 825 flying through Hammond, Indiana with the last run of the Lake Cities on January 4, 1970.

Photo Credit To Joseph Petric.

Michael Dye posted (original post)
Since I have discovered that the information used to make my first posting of this aerial of Hammond, IN was incorrect (The C&O passenger service used the Erie depot, rather than having their own), here is the corrected version.
Here (With the photos having been taken with West being at the top), are the locations and addresses for all of the centrally located Passenger stations, as they were in 1930. This shows all stations in the downtown area, except the PRR, the Wabash and the South Shore (Off photo to the right), as well as showing structures at the Erie's 'Douglas Street Yard' (At the lower left).

Michael Dye shared

The street in the foreground is Sibley.

Mark Llanuza posted
Its Nov 1976 the Erie has already been shut down only Amtrak and the C&O use this section of the former Erie double main line track .It still had crossing gate man at downtown Hammond Ind .I went back in the year 2014 to try to line everything back up to match my before shot and now its a park.
[Street View, 3D Satellite]

Mark Llanuza posted two photos with the comment: "Photographer Don Ellison captured this Erie Frt in downtown Hammond Ind Feb 1976."

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Update:

Michael Dye posted

A photo, looking North, taken from a floodlight tower in the Erie's Hammond yard, in JUN 1957. The single Monon track to the left with the Erie's main and yard leads to the right. I believe that is Douglas Street in the foreground. [Actually, it is Clinton Street back when it still went across the tracks.]

Nice view of the layout of the Monon and Erie/NKP Calumet bridges, in the far background.

Photo taken by my late Grandfather, C.L. Coates, Signal Gang foreman, Erie Signal Gang 33.

Marty Bernard posted
1. EL - Monon Depot at Hammond, IN in July 1963. Rick Burn photo.

Bill Molony posted
Erie Railroad class K-5 4-6-2 Pacific-type #2931 at Hammond, Indiana with train #2, the eastbound Erie Limited. - Undated.
Bob Lalich Stopped near the old station on Sibley. Note the carts in the background.Jeff Holbrook Look at those drivers! They are huge. >70 in diameter? Wow!Bill Molony 79" drivers, to be exact.

Michael Dye posted two images with the comment:

The first photo is a Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Hammond, IN, dated 1915. The map shows the Passenger stations of the Erie, the Monon and the Nickle Plate, all laid out along Sibley Street.
A few interesting things are shown on this map;
A. The Yellow, shows that the Erie station was wooden (No great surprise there!).
B. The Monon station is pink, with a blue border, which shows that the station was brick, overlaid with stone. But, note that the blue doesn't cover all of the outside of the depot; part of the portion facing the Monon Hotel seems to be shown as having been left in brick (Zooming on the depot in the 1930 photo seems to support this conjucture).
C. The NKP station is shown as brick, with a large wooden overhang all around.
D. Previously, I had seen internet postings which stated that the C&O passenger station was located in the triangular building at 143-145 Sibley, beneath the Erie. This map seems to prove otherwise, as the 'S' characters inside the pink buildings shows that they were Stores. Perhaps this suggests that the C&O shared the Erie station?
The second photo is a conjoined aerial photo of Hammond, dated 1930. On it, I had annotated the location of the various railroad depots and their addresses. Comparing the first (1915) and the second (1930), it appears that the addresses along Sibley changed at some time between the two.
A. In 1915, the Monon's address was 121 Sibley, but in 1930 the same building was listed as being 423 Sibley.
B. The 1915 Sanborn doesn't have an address for the Erie depot, but it can be 'guesstimated' to be between 129 and 141, but on the 1930, the address was 439 Sibley.
Perhaps Hammond just added three blocks and shifted the addresses?

Michael Dye shared 

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Jerry Stack commented on Michael's share
Here is a "snip" from a 1930 Official Guide. Apparently the Erie and the C&O shared a station.

David Daruszka posted

Griffith, IN: Erie, GTW, EJ&E and C&O Depots

My thanks to Wayne Huduk for teaching me were the Erie, GTW, and C&O depots were located around the Griffith Junction. The title lists the depots from north to south.

I put this one up here because it includes both the GTW and EJ&E depots.

Don Panek posted
GTW 6323 slams the diamonds in Griffith, IN in 1961. She is now a part of the steam collection at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Erie Depot

This photo shows the Erie depot peaking out behind a C&O Mikado (2-8-2). The C&O joined the Erie tracks just south of the Griffith Junction.

Wayne Hudak commented on a posting
 A C&O Big Mike #1162 at Griffith eastbound past the Erie station about 1956. From my Al Chione collection.

American-Rails (source)

Wayne Hudak commented on the same posting
This photo is looking northwest. Broad Street is left(S) to right(N) in the photo. The building with the dark roof to the west side of Broad St in the upper right corner is the Erie depot. The building to far left is the GTW depot. The C&O had a depot behind the photographer's back, maybe 750-1000 feet.
[Out-of-frame to the left would be the white EJ&E Depot.]

Erie Employees Magazine, November 1959, search for "MP 240"
From the collection of Larry Berger
[The Erie depot is on the right]

5 photos and a long description concerning the Erie Depot

GTW Depot

Paul Enenback's 1970 Flickr photo shows the backside of the GTW depot, and it is painted grey.

Scott Griffith posted
Chad Quick GF Tower. Gotta love those "wrong way" TO signals which show trains running with current of traffic but with the eastbound or northbound trains on the left hand track

Wayne Hudak Amtrak's James Whitcomb Riley on the former C&O/Erie. Track in foreground is the former Michigan Central (Joliet Cut Off)
[The GTW depot is the first building on the right and the tower is the second building.]

Josh Lemier posted

Here in this super cool photograph we see Erie Lackawanna 3656 leading a manifest through Griffith, Indiana about to cross the diamonds on December 21, 1973.

Photo Credit To John Eagan.
[GTW depot on the right, the tower in the middle, and the MC track in the foreground. That is probably the crossing guard ]

Bill Molony posted
The Grand Trunk Western depot in Griffith - 1969.

Walt Fles posted
Grand Trunk and Western, May 1974, Eastbound at Griffith, Indiana. Jeff Glinka Photo
[I would have thought by the 1970s, the crossing gaurd we be controlling crossing gates rather than still walking out into the street with a stop sign.]

Trains Unlimited posted (source)
Grand Trunk Western Depot - Griffith IN - 05/25/74 - {Jeff Glinka Photo} - (the original location) - Also EJE and GTW ROWs.
Thomas Bunce That depot was moved across the tracks to the right in the late '70's and now serves as the town's railroad museum. The interlocking tower that's off screen behind and to the left was also moved to the right.
Eric Zerkle The GTW had those goofy backwards semaphores..
[The EJ&E depot must have been torn down by now because Paul's photo shows that it was quite close to the GTW depot back when it was still brown.]

Wayne Hudak commented on the first posting

Al Whitlock posted
Merry Christmas
Griffith, IN Depot
12-26-2009

EJ&E Depot

There is also a white building on the north side of the tracks on the other side of the junction. 

Paul Enenback's 1969 Flickr photo shows the bay window of the EJ&E depot and its close proximity to the GTW depot.

This photo shows the EJ&E Depot peaking out in front of the eastbound train.

Bill Molony posted
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Baldwin DT-6-6-2000 #920 passing through Griffith, Indiana back in August of 1965.
This locomotive was delivered by Baldwin in August of 1948 as EJ&E #120.
It was rebuilt with EMD 567C prime movers and modified EMD switcher hoods at La Grange in February of 1958, and renumbered to #920 at that time.
Bill posted again
Dennis DeBruler With the EJ&E depot peaking out on the right side.
Bill posted again
Greg Benco IC hoppers. Guessing off the IC. Wonder where it was going.Richard Schwanke Possibly going to NIPSCO Dean Mitchel Station.

Marty Benard posted Roger Puta's photo
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway 920 (Baldwin DT66-2000 rebuilt by EMD) at Griffith, Ind. in January 1965
Bill Molony shared
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern DT-6-6-2000 #920, since rebuilt with Electro-Motive 567C's, rolls through the busy junction of Griffith, Indiana during January of 1965. Roger Puta photo.
Peter KZ I know it's really kind of a pointless design, but I still think transfer locomotives just have their own kind of cool.
Kevan Davis The design was to replace steam locomotives and get the power of two for one crew. Early diesel reliable concerns were also at play. Crews were used to looking down the side of a boiler and fro safety put the cab in the middle.
Cameron Sczerba Wow... Only one of these left

Mark Llanuza posted
Its the year 1975 I'm at Griffith Ind with westbound with SD-38 and a center cab.
[Either the EJ&E had two buildings along the track, the depot has been "trimmed down," or the depot has been replaced by another building.]

Kevin Piper posted
Here is a view of Griffith, Indiana, showing the EJ&E depot and GTW tower. The towerman controlled access to the junction by all railroads using it. The crossing watchman is the man on the right. 5-30-66 LOUIS CERNY PHOTO/
/KEVIN PIPER COLLECTION

Mark llanuza posted
1975 Griffith Ind
[A rare view, the side away from the junction.]

C&O Depot

Wayne Hudak commented on the first posting
Here's an old 1930's photo looking towards that C&O depot, marked in red, heavily zoomed in. I remember one time, and one time only, the Amtrak James Whitcomb Riley stopped there in the 70's.

Brian Skrabutenas posted (source)
[This is at, rather than of, the C&O depot. We see the GTW depot in the left background.]

Wayne thinks road access to the C&O depot was west from Colfax along the south side of their tracks.

Winfield, IN: Erie Depot and Milk Cans

Wayne Hudak posted

More Crown Point Indiana area. Well before it was called the Erie Lackawanna The Chicago and Erie had a small station at Winfield Indiana (east of Crown Point). The Chicago and Erie (also previously named the Chicago and Atlantic) ran from Marion Ohio to Hammond Indiana, obviously the E-L's west end. The Erie bought the route in 1895, kept the name Chicago and Erie, and did not merge it into it's system until 1941.

Photo 1915 from NWIndiana Genealogy, Shook Collection.
Dennis DeBruler The 2005 SPV Map shows a Winford about a third of the distance between Palmer and Crown Point. So I think the hamlet identified by Mark-Patty Sadowski was the station. Judging from a 1952 aerial photo (the oldest I could find), it was either west of Benton Street or on this diagonal property: https://www.google.com/.../@41.4048112.../data=!3m1!1e3...

Leroy, IN: Depot and Water Tower

Wayne Hudak posted
Leroy Indiana Depot on the Pennsy's "Panhandle" Route about 1911 (appx 37 miles from Chicago IL). Leroy is an unincorporated town between Crown Point and Hebron Indiana. It had a small population in the early 1900's and still has a small population today.
Wayne Hudak I always counted cars on trains when I was a kid and the longest one I can remember was a PRR Panhandle train between Leroy and Hebron..... about 210 cars! Oh... and 10 F units.
[Quite a few boxcars on the siding for such a small town. An indication of how important the railroad was before cars and trucks.]

Palmer, IN: Erie Embankment Trestle and MS Tower

Wayne Hudak posted

Just east of Crown Point Indiana (of John Dillinger fame) is Palmer where the old Erie Railroad passed through. The area, being quite marshy, caused the railroad's track to sink and become uneven. In 1915/16 the railroad built a trestle through the area to alleviate that problem. The trestle was then filled over with earth to give it more stability. The embankment is still there and the track abutment for Randolph Street is still there. If anyone ever decides to remove it, they will find a buried bridge. Many railroads built this type of roadbed in marshy areas.

Photo: Construction of the Palmer trestle before being covered-1916

Michael Albert The Wabash Railroad in Westville was built the same way.

[I also found this photo on a Hoosier Valley page.]

Wayne Hudak commented on his posting
The Erie was a double track main through there, the two mains were separated a wider distance than normal mains. The Erie was known for that. Here's a shot of the well separated mains after abandonment between Crown Point and Schererville, looking north to US30.

Erie started with a broader gauge than the standard 4'8.5". But I think they converted to standard gauge long before they built their route into western Indiana. So I wonder why they stuck with such a wide double-track right-of-way.

Update:

Cal Venzke posted
Working on the railroad... "During 1915-1916 Robert Grace Contracting Company made a sizable cut at Palmer, Indiana for the Erie’ realignment project. Most people have never heard of “MS” tower, which is shown behind the steam shovels. This was when the Erie was doing a grade reduction and realignment project. Photo from HVRM collection."

Merrillville, IN: C&O Depot

Wayne Hudak posted two pictures with the comment:

Merrillville Indiana C&O station, which was at 73rd & Broadway. It was razed in the 1960's. A work/camp train always sat there where the station was well into the 1970's. Tracks are now long gone.

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Wayne's comment on his posting
Here's a 1960's photo of the 73rd & Broadway station just before it was razed.

Freeing up prime real estate at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Broadway for a law office is the only part of the C&O RoW that has been rebuilt except for the strip along US-30.

Satellite

But looking at a 1952 aerial, it looks like the depot was further north, and it could have been preserved as a very nice trail head. I believe the depot is the black rectangle in the upper-left corner of this excerpt. Now it is just trees and vacant land with concrete foundation remnants.

Chesterton, IN: NS/NYC/LS&MS Water Tower, Water Pans, 1914 Depot and Freighthouse

Depot: (Satellite for the depot from the road in the vintage photo)

Wayne Hudak posted two photos with the comment:

Chesterton, 1997. Right across from the Northside Diner right after the BNSF merger. New GE's to be delivered in Chicago still in ATSF paint, hastily relettered for BNSF sitting on the Coffee Creek bridge. Nose door was open, engineer saw me and closed it for photos. Then asked me if I wanted to come up. HELL YEA! By the time I packed away all my equipment (I even had a video camera) they got the call to move on! crap!
B&W photo is same location 91 years earlier. Photog is on top of a railcar. Northside Diner would be out of camera to the right. Of course it didn't exist in 1906. I would be standing just to the left by where the water stand is for my photo. 111 years later the Railroad Park (now Thomas Park) still exists!

The water tower is of particular interest because it has spouts on both sides.

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Joe Barron also posted

Raymond Storey posted five photos with the comment: "Chesterton Ind...Photo credit Alan Coslet."

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[Note the track pans.]
Raymond Storey also posted
Joe Barron also posted, but without the brown petina and lettering
Raymond Storey also posted a B&W copy

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Brent Keen posted
One of my favorite picture of downtown Chesterton. The road in the crossing is calumet rd. Picture is from 1906Wayne Hudak Called Valparaiso Road at the time. Building on right is most likely a pump house for the water tank, taking water from Coffee Creek. Photo is also a favorite of mine.

Of the three railroads that Calumet Road crosses, this is the one that is near Coffee Creek.

Joseph Stachler posted
More scans courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.Brent Keen Couple years ago scrapers stole the copper gutters off the building.Brent Keen The building is on historical register when they where stolen the town had to replace them to original specs.

Since it is on a historical register, it is still standing.

Joseph Stachler posted
More scans courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.

Both of these pictures are labeled Lake Shore Depot. But they are clearly not the same building. Is the second picture an older depot or is actually a freight house? It has freight doors and a loading platform rather than a bay window for the agent's desk.

Joe Barron posted
Lakeshore & Michigan Southern Railroad (later New York Central) trackpans near Chesterton. The trackpans were designed to allow the tender to fill with water by means of a scoop, without stopping. 1915.

Raymond Storey posted

Raymond story posted four photographs with the comment: "CHESTERTON IND...SOURCE PORTER COUNTY HIST SOC"

Tim Shanahan shared

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Noah Haggerty posted

Here is a photo from fifty years ago in May of 1976, of the old New York Central depot in Chesterton, Indiana. The depot was built in 1914, passenger service ended in 1959, with newly-formed Conrail being the owner of the rail line. 

Today the building hosts the Chesterton/Duneland Chamber Of Commerce, and a small display of old cars has been added. Behind the photographer to the right sits the NYC freight house, now known as "Riley's Railhouse", a bed & breakfast along the busy Norfolk Southern line. 

J. David Ingles Photo, Thomas Dyrek Collection.

The freighthouse is on the right, and the depot is in the background.

Street View, Jul 2024

The depot and some of the rolling stock.

Street View, Jul 2024

The passenger cars in the above view are out-of-frame to the right in this view and obscured by trees.

Street View, Jul 2024

And the freight house has some rolling stock next to it.

Street View, Jul 2024

The passenger cars.

Street View, Jul 2024

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