Chris Parker and I drove up to the Knightstown station and started our pre-trip photography.
The trip would be aboard the Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley Railroad, whose emblem was on the side of the station.
The trackage that is today the Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley has a long history. It began as the Grand Rapids, Wabash and Cincinnati in 1869. It was buitl from Marion and ran southward through Summitville, Alexandria (where it crossed the Lake Erie & Western) and Linwood. Panhandle trackage (Pennsylvania Railroad Richmond Branch) was used to enter Anderson until a bridge could be built over the White River. The road was completed into Anderson in 1876. In 1880, title passed to the Cincinnati, Wabash and Michigan, allowing the railroad to reach Benton Harbour, Michigan in 1882.
The line was continued south through Shirley, Knightstown and Carthage until it reached Rushville in 1891. A t that time, the road's operation was combined with that of the Vernon, Greensburg and Rushville under control of the Big Four (Cleveland, Cincinnti, Chicago and St. Louis Railway) allowing the railroad to reach North Vernon and by the use of trackage rights over the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern, the road gained entry to Louisville, Kentucky. This created a north-south rail line from Benton Harbour on the north to Louisville on the south, with Anderson at its mid-point.
In 1915, the CCC&StL became owner of the line. In 1930, the line became part of the New York Central System with the line north from Anderson to Benton Harbour being known as the Michigan Division and the line south of Anderson becoming the North Vernon Secondary. Ownership passed to the Penn Central in 1968 and then to Conrail in 1976. The Dow Secondary (now the Marion Branch) from Anderson to Elkhart is the remaining northern portion of the line and is now controlled by the Norfolk Southern, while the southern leg ends 7.3 miles south of the South Anderson Yards at Emporia and is a part of CSX.
The southern portion of the North Vernon Secondary below Carthage was abandoned by the Penn Central in 1973, leaving slightly over 20 miles below Emporia to be serviced by the Hoosier Connection in the early 1980's, then the Indiana Midland and finally, the Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley. It was when the CK&S abandoned freight service that the line was abandoned to a point about a mile below Emporia by 1989.
Tom and Marion Allison have owned the CK&S Railroad since 1987. Tom, the primary engineer, is a retired fireman who volunteered with various train groups for several yaers. Marion runds the office and gift shop. The CK&S departs from the old New York Central freight and passenger station at 112 West Carey in Knightstown. The train travels a five-mile stretch of the old Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, heading south out of Knightstown, crossing the National Road (US 40) and passing under the old Pennsy railroad bridge.
The train and Knightstown station.
Our train in front of the station.
Today's consist was CK&S 45 ton switcher 468, open car 758, coach 7102 and an un-numbered caboose.
I went inside the station, met the train crew and looking around the gift shop before checking in with Sarah Jennings and boarding the train, choosing coach 7102. Once everyone was aboard, we departed for Carthage, travelling south through Knightstown and crossing US 40. Despite the rain, everyone was in good spirits. We passed through farmlands before going under a Pennsylvania Railroad bridge, turned left and proceeded straight south. A photo runby at the Big Blue River bridge was planned but it was cancelled because of the rain. I went out to the covered open car for the crossing of the river and discovered that the outside temperature was rapidly dropping.
Our train crossed the Big Blue River at Milepost 192.2. Here I spotted Joe Harper, my friend from Centralia, Washington, who was videopating our excursion.
We had almost reached Carthage, Milepost 192.41.
The train arrived, passing the Welcome to Carthage sign.
Penn Central coach 1291, nee New York Central, builder and year unknown.
Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley coach 7102, ex. Knox and Kane Railway, nee Long Island Railroad 102 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.
A grain elevator still stands.
We continued down the track as far as it was safe to do so.
The locomotive then reversed and pushed us back to a siding.
The engine was getting ready to run around our train.
Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley 45 ton switcher 468 built by General Electric, year unknown. It was now ready to go around the train and once it passed my location, I reboarded.
Views from the rear car.
We went back under the former Pennsylvania Railroad bridge at Milepost 189.08, originally the Indiana Central Railway completed in 1853 betwen Indianapolis and Richmond, Indiana, before returning to Knightstown.
Our train passed the station and we went as far north as possible.
We continued north at a slow pace.
We passed the switch to the Knightstown siding and crossed Morgan Street before we stopped.
As we did so, one could see the sleet coming down because the temperature had rapidly dropped.
As far north as we could go. We returned to the Knightstown station, whose platform was covered with sleet, and said our goodbyes to everyone.
Chris Parker and I then drove north to Interstate 70 which took us to Indianapolis, where we stopped for dinner at a Steak and Shake, then drove west to Interstate 465 to Interstate 69 to Indiana Highway 31, which took us to Noblesville. We exited Indiana Highway 31 and checked into the Quality Inn, where I checked my e-mail before going to the room. It had been another great day of train riding and photography.
Tomorrow would be the Indiana Transportation Museum photo freight, but first a good night's sleep was in order.
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