Lots of freight cars were built here until the early 1970s.
Before the mergers of the 1960s, there were four Class 1 railroads here, and one slightly inferior line. Now there are three Class Is (one of which operates over another in a surprising owner/tenant relationship) and two systems operating over the same track.
One of the Class I railroads had envisioned a port facility at the end of the line through here. This line is now gone, though the railroad’s successor isn’t.
There is a concrete coal dock here, but it’s not at the major servicing facility in town. In fact, that facility never had one!
Though Mookie would disagree, I think I’m in the Midwest. Passenger trains from Chicago run through here. Some even stop–and some even terminate!
I’ve got a little 'splaining to do…from my original post:
Lots of freight cars were built here until the early 1970s. Haskell & Barker was the carbuilder that was here during the post-World-War-I USRA days (and before); its plant was taken over by a company that became Pullman-Standard. Many of Pullman-Standard’s trend-setting PS-1 box cars were built here until the plant was closed in the early 1970s.
Before the mergers of the 1960s, there were four Class 1 railroads here, and one slightly inferior line. Those would be New York Central (previously Michigan Central), C&O (ex-PM), Nickel Plate, Monon, and the Chicago South Shore & South Bend. Now there are three Class Is (one of which operates over another in a surprising owner/tenant relationship) and two systems operating over the same track The three Class Is are CSX, NS, and Amtrak–NS does freight work on the Amtrak-owned trackage here. The South Shore runs NICTD passenger trains, and the SouthShore (one word) handles the freight on the same track. The two had an unplanned meeting west of the city last Saturday, which was the news item I referred to in a later clue..
One of the Class I railroads had envisioned a port facility at the end of the line through here. This line is now gone, though the railroad’s successor isn’t. It was the Monon that had the big vision. Its successor, CSX, still operates through town (sort of) on the former C&O/PM line.
There is a concrete coal dock here, but it’s not at the major servicing facility in town. In fact, that facility never had one! That’s because the coal dock is along Amtrak (ex-NYC) trackage. The major servicing facility in the city belongs to the South Shore, which never operated a steam locomotive!
Though Mookie would disagree, I think I’m in the Midwest. Passenger t
Many of Pullman-Standard’s trend-setting PS-1 box cars were built here until the plant was closed in the early 1970s.
Another real downer to the plant was the fact that it caught fire and burned to the ground in 1973- kind of bad for business!! Not much left of the plant complex today- most of the remnants having been razed some years ago.
I rode the CSS to Michigan City on a very cold December day in 1996- I thought the CSS facilities there were quite classy looking.