I’m looking for radio frequiencies and good safe spots to railfan in NW Indiana and Illinois(Decatur,Tolono,Watseka,Danvillie areas.)Also good websites of these areas that are updated would be helpful. I’m going out that way in September.
Doug
The excellent Chicago Area Rail Junctions web site
has information on Danville that should be useful.
I’ve heard it said that Woodland Junction would be a better spot than Watseka, but you’d see the same stuff in either place. Watseka itself should be reasonably safe; don’t expect to see much on the TP&W.
I will give you an idea of NW Indiana tomorrow. Brain dead after 33 hours of moving my son to college.
Lots to see up here, but ya gotta know the territory.
ed
Tolono,eh? Good bit of action up there! I have some Freqs. for up there, but only for the CN/IC line there.
They are: 161.190; 160.290; 160.770
And just in case, the local weather frequency is 162.550 if the weather gets bad!
You should also make a trip to Tuscola, which is south on Rt.45, You’ll find a CSX-UP-CN/IC crossing down there.
Amazing what 7 hours of uninterupted sleep will do for you. Feeling great this morning.
What exactly are your goals for NW Indiana?
Are you wanting to photograph trains? Watch trains? Ride trains?
Are you wanting quantity? Mainline railroading? Shortlines? Interurbans? Are you interested in pastorial settings or gritty, grimy industrial settings. Are you comfortable in urban settings? (A man with $2000 worth of camera equipment will attract a certain type of local interest)
What is your definition of NW Indiana? What kind of driving do you expect to do? How many days do you have? Are you expecting a quick in and out, give me a spot with lots of trains so I can get bang for my buck or does the quality of the settings (wait for hours for a single train) matter most.
Give me some direction and I will attempt to “guide” you.
Are you interested in old standing railroad architecture/structures such as coaling towers, depots, interlocking towers? Are you interested in new freight car manufacturing (cant get you in the plant, but you can see new cars that literally gleam in the sun). Mainline action? NS and CSX do it hard. CN is not far behind and CP is respectful.
Terminal roads? IHB and EJE are heavy hitters. Shortlines? CFE and South Shore can be considered shortlines, tho the sight of a 100 car 10,000 ton train on the CFE is hardly “shortline”. Nor is the South Shore a typical short line. Street running? South Shore does that in Michigan City.
Share your interests and I will try to help.
ed
I’m looking at railfanning mainly NS ,but really any railroad between Chicago and Elkhart,IN. I 'm looking for relativly safe spots(bringing my 4 year old son) and fairly busy spots(atleast 15 trains a day).I’m coming from Des Moines,Iowa.I also am going to drive down to the central part of Illinois. I would like to catch some South Shore and EJ&E trains. Urban and rural settings both work for me. A friend of mine,who also is going,and myself have railfanned around Chicago,so urban areas don’t bother us. Thanks for the help.
Doug
Doug, you might want to use your Downstate route to avoid the Chicago area completely–I-80 is a disaster area due to construction from the Junction of 294 to the Indiana line.
Thanks for the heads up.
Doug
Doug:
I find the city of East Chicago fascinating, but i am not sure I would take my 12 year old there railfanning as it is a pretty busy area.
Knowing that you want to connect with NS and South Shore I would suggest the following:
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Chesterton/Porter area. The South Shore will run very frequent trains during the weekdays. Schedules on their website. There is a great station at Chesterton which should be very safe for you and the family. Porter is only 5 miles away and there is quite a junction with the busy NS mainline with the branch to Gibson Yard and the Michigan line (Amtrak) and the CSX line. Look on the Trains hotspots for a descrption. NS action is nearly nonstop…upwards to 60 - 75 trains daily with the Amtraks included.
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Michigan City has a couple of neat features. The South Shore has street running. There is a coal tower on the Michigan line which the Amtraks pass thru.
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On east on US 20 is Hudson Lake, a very pastorial setting with South Shore and NS running side by side.
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Wellsboro is a busy junction with the CN mainline and CSX mainline crossing. Figure on 30 and 50 trains scheduled for both lines. A former CSX branch runs south and brings in grain trains for the CSX.
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If you are still hungry for trains, 10 minutes north is Laporte with the NS mainline. The old depot stands.
I would suggest you contact the Indiana DOT and have them send you a couple of state highway maps. Invaluable as the maps should railroads and highways.
If you want more info let me know.
ed
Do you know what radio frequiencies the NS,CSX,and South Shore use.
Doug
NS Chicago - Elkhart line is 180.800
CSX is 160.23
NS Chicago - Fort Wayne is 161.49
ed
The South Shore’s frequencies are AAR Channels 60 (161.010) and 83 (161.355).
Is there any decent roads that follow or cross several railroads in Indiana between Elkhart and Danville,IL? I sent for an Indiana DOT map,but haven’t received one yet.
Doug
If it were me, I would take I74 to Crawfordsville, then head north on US231, which parallels the former Monon line. There were semaphore signals just north of I74 a few years ago. Coordinate your time with the passage of Amtrak. At Lafayette I would take Indiana 25 across to Logansport then take US 24 over to Wabash and then 15 north.
At Silver Lake 15 parallels the NS line up to Goshen and then you can back door into Elkhart.
Should see trains on this route.
ed
Try the IN portion of the EJ&E… It’s an interesting RR. Radios freqs and lots of other info is on my EJ&E site: http://www.ejearchive.com Dave http://www.dpdproductions.com - Featuring the TrainTenna Railroad Radio Antennas -
Thanks to everybody for their information. My trip was fantastic. I caught two South Shore trains on the street running in Michigan City,Porter Jct. is great. I’ll try and do a trip report once I get some sleep.
Doug