Hi I’m looking for information on rail roads that ran coal trains over the IC/ICG during the early to mi 70’s. Any info will be appreciated. Thanks,wayne
I can’t say for sure about the early to mid 70’s because I had left southern Illinois by that time, but from WW2 until 1960 only IC coal trains used IC tracks.
Today, I think Union Pacific and perhaps even Norfolk Southern have trackage rights over the IC (now Canadian National).
Martin Station…
Exactly what are you looking for? I recall (grew up on Southern Illinois near IC mainline) northbound coal trains for Inland Steel and a Wisconsin electric company. These were originated on the IC and had IC power.
Also believe there were unit coal trains that ran up the old GM&O to Joliet area.
Can you be more specific?
Ed
Ed, sorry it’s taken so log to get back to you but I guess the forum system was down for maintenance this afternoon because I could not get it on line. What I’m looking for was possible run through trains on the I.C./ICG in south-central Illinois such as Santa Fe or Cotton Belt. I model that area and just wondered what other, if any railroads I could add. Being a large coal mining area I thought maybe that other railroads would possibly use I.C.'s lines. Of course general freight would be fine also. Thanks to both you and Cacole for responding, Wayne.
I went to work in marketing for the ICG in 1975. As I recall, there were no run through operations when I started. One of my first assignments was to help develop the first run through. It was a train focused on autos and auto parts between Chicago’s Markham yard and Pine Bluff, AR on the SP/SSW. (The dang SP kept stealing our locomotives.)
Aside from that, the ICG was not really positioned to do run throughs. What we did set up was a system that forwarded freight originating in the south (mainly chemicals and paper products) going to the northeast in to Centralia yard, At Centralia we made three blocks for Conrail. 1) Avon, 2) Selkirk, and 3) Conway. Conrail trains originating from St. Louis going to each of these major yards would pick up their assigned blocks at Effingham, IL. (there were reverse movements to Centralia from the northeast.) We put in a similar plan for N&W traffic which was interchanged at Tolono, IL. Aside from that, we were not in position to develop any other run through operations.
I do not recall any coal run throughs. Illinois coal was used to feed Chicago area steel mills and power plants.
Thank you, this was exactly what I was looking for. I grew up along the line into Evansville, In. and outside of an occasional GM&O loco once in a great while after it became ICG, it was pure I.C. geeps. But at least once a year we would see a rerouted passenger train and if I remember correctly, that may have been C&EI.
In 1961 the C&EI started to have ownership split between Mo Pac & L&N. It is posible some of the passenger trains you saw were L&N until Amtrak took over the Floridian. Not sure if L&N would have routed any Ky & TN coal via C&EI to the Gary-south Chicago steel mills. I have seen pictures of orange L&N cars in the Chicago area.
Hey, I also grew up along that same line to Evansville, up around Milepost 173, actually a little north of that between Olney and Newton. We did have some GM&O units, but for the most part the ugly orange and white rebuilt geeps.
I have a vivid memory of waking up one night and seeing a passenger train pass thru town (lived a block from the tracks). For years, I never knew if it was a dream or real. Finally the mystery was solved on the Yahoo Group devoted to that line…there was a military passenger train movement in 1968. That was what I saw, no doubt. After that was revealed, I often wondered how many young men did not return home from Viet Nam that were on that train.
Where did you live, if you don’t mind my asking?
Ed
Martin…one more thing, actually if you get me going there will be many things about that line…
There were coke trains which operated on the line after IC sold the line to Indiana HiRail. I saw one of those monsters once around 1992 or so and got photos of it with Alco locomotives. The train waddled along at 5-10 mph on horrible track. I believe the train was destined for Robinson, Il. but may be mistaken.
It was really sad to see the line slowly go from a 35mph line with 100 car Mattoon - Evansville trains (I learned to count by counting cars with my mom when the trains passed) to a 5mph railroad. Now, sadly…it is gone.
Ed
I actually grew up close to Martin Station which was between Poseyville and Evansville,In. I also remember the Indiana Hi-rail and its ex L&N and Monon Alco C420s which added some much needed variety to the line which was built as the PD&E (Peoria, Decatur & Evansville). Just down the road a few miles was the Big Four line that connected Evansville and Mt.Carmel Ill. Today the tracks are gone on both lines but Harwood Yards are still in use I believe for car repair and cleaning and are worked by a couple of old geeps in the Indiana Southwestern (Pioneer Railcorp) colors. Also Indiana Hi-rail had some ex Peabody Coal Alligators and some C 425s but the Green Diamond geeps and rebuilds are what I grew up with. Wayne.
Wayne:
Have you been to the Yahoo PD&E Group? Lots of information.
Just pulled my 1941 INDOT map and found Martin. I never knew there was a Big Four route to Mt. Carmel from Evansville. What was the activity on that line? Was there any coal handled?
I was at Mt. Carmel once around 1975 and found the tower (Southern/PC) and took a photo of a EB Southern train, but other than that never got down to that area. Spent some time at Vincennes at the L&N/B&O crossing.
Ed
Ed, I have not been to that web site, I will have to check it out. I did find a site called thepde.info/history that gave me a lot of information on the line from it’s beginning to when ISW acquired the line. As for the Big Four line I best remember it serving grain elevators like the one at Nisbet Station, which btw has a restaurant that served BBQ or at least did, called THE NISBIT INN. What was special about this place was that it originally was a railroad hotel that through the years served as a tavern/grocery store then restaurant again. Nisbet is located a mile off hwy 65, just south of I-64. The grain elevator is long gone, but as of a few years ago the restaurant was still open. As for as the rail line I was told L&N had taken over the line before it shut down but I can’t confirm that, but it was built as the Evansville Mt. Carmel and Northern Railway Company but was purchased by the Big Four before it started operation in 1911. That’s about all I can tell you. Thanks again for all the information, it’s been good talking with you, Wayne.