Elizabeth and I arose in Chesterton and following our regular morning preparations and checking out of the hotel, we went to Bob Evans for an excellent breakfast then drove to the station and were very surprised at what we saw, which was not here ten years ago when we were last in Chesterton.
New York Central Chesterton station built in 1914 which replaced a wooden structure built in 1852 for the Northern Indiana and Chicago Railroad, a predecessor road of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, that burned down in 1913. By 1914, Cornelius Vanderbilt of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad held a majority interest in the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. The Southern Railway's trackage provided an ideal extension of the New York Central from Buffalo to Chicago. On December 22, 1914, the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad merged with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway to form a new New York Central Railroad.
In 1968, the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad then in 1976, the Penn Central's freight service was consolidated into Conrail and it ended passenger service altogether. Passenger service to Chesterton ended in 1959.
Norfolk Southern caboose 86-2018 nee Santa Fe 1935 built by American Car and Foundry in 1930.
Chesapeake & Ohio 50 foot box car 23545 built by the railroad in 1963 from 1945 40 foot box car. It is owned by the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society and has been painted in Monon colors.
Pennsylvania Railroad Chesterton freight house built in 1914, now home to Riley's Railhouse, a bed and breakfast.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend caboose 1004, nee Santa Fe, number and year built unknown.
New York Central caboose 18511 built by the railroad year unknown.
New York Central box car date and builder unkown. We drove across the track to get pictures of the passenger cars we had not seen in 2013, all of which were part of a failed restaurant.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend combine 100, built by Pullman in 1926.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend interurban 17, built by Pullman in 1927. Now the cars that were new to us.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend combine 26, built by Pullman in 1929.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend combine 104, built by Pullman in 1926. We left Chesterton and made our way to South Bend.
South Bend Union Station built in 1928 used by New York Central and Grand Trunk Western. At the turn of the 20th century, South Bend was an industrial giant with factories belonging to Studebaker Corporation and the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, among others. The city also was fortuitously situated at the juncture between Chicago and cities in Michigan. The construction of Union Station took just under a year and was sesigned by the New York City architectural firm Fellheimer & Wagner, which also designed the Buffalo Central and Cincinnati Union terminals, the Art Deco structure boasted a 50-foot vaulted ceiling and elegant brick work.
For over 40 years, Union Station was the premier passenger terminal in northern Indiana but in 1970, the wheels of change began to turn when the South Bend Amtrak station opened on West Washington Street. The last train left Union Station on May 1, 1971. The building was given new life as a cushion foam-pouring plant in the mid-1970's and later became an event venue. Kevin Smith, founder of Global Access Point, purchased the station in 1979. Union Station Technology Center is now the nucleus for new technological initiatives developing in downtown South Bend.
From here I drove us to the National New York Central Museum in Elkhart.
The National New York Central MuseumThis museum recaptures the glory days when America's railroads were symbols of progress and goodwill ambassadors across the country. The Museum was founded in 1987 and is an ever-growing preservation site of both local and national railroad heritage pertaining to the New York Central System. The New York Central was once the second-largest railroad in the United States, with 11,000 route miles of track in eleven states and two Canadian provinces. Elkhart is a natural home for the Museum: the New York Central's Robert R. Young Yard (now Norfolk Southern Railway's Elkhart Yard) is the second-largest railroad freight classification yard east of the Mississippi River. Just as when the railroad first arrived in Elkhart in 1851, Elkhart functions as a vital link in the chain connecting the Atlantic Seaboard with the Midwest and beyond. The Museum's goal is to tell the story of the vast New York Central System and its predecessors and successors into the modern era.
New York Central wooden caboose 19211 built by the railroad in the 1910's.
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific observation car 454 "Minnesota", a former instruction car built from a coach in 1965 and originally built by the Budd Company in 1937.
We went inside and paid the admission then went exploring. For children, there is a fake steam engine to play on, as well as other activities. I then went outside to photograph the museum's collection.
New York Central coach "St. Joseph River" is really Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific coach 196691, ex. Illinois Central 2691, exx. Illinois Central 2808, exxx. Illinois Central 2907, nee
Illinois Central 2234 built by Pullman in 1919 and later modernized. It is the museum's exhibit car.
New York Central coach "Elkhart River" is really Illinois Central 3664 built by Pullman in 1918, later modernized and became Illinois Central 2694. It houses the museum's archives.
New York Central E8A 4085 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953. This locomotive had the distinction of being the lead unit on the 20th Century Limited when the train departed Chicago
for New York City for the final time on December 3, 1967.
New York Central 4-8-2 3001 built by American Locomotive Company in 1940. 3001 hauled both freight and passenger trains, including the 20th Century Limited. In 1957, it was sold to the City of Dallas to replace Texas & Pacific 638 at the Texas State Fairgrounds. In 1984, it was traded to the National New York Central Railroad Museum in exchange for former Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4903.
Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4882 built by the railroad in 1939. The GG1 was designed to haul 12-14 passenger car consists on the railroad's electrified sections between New York, Washington, DC and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 4882 served on the Pennsy, Penn Central, Conrail, Amtrak and finally, New Jersey Transit. Retired in 1983, it was one of the last three GG1s to be used in revenue service, but had the honour of being the last GG1 to run under its own power when it pulled 4877 and 4879 into the Matawan, New Jersey yard after a "Farewell to the GG1s Day". It arrived in Elkhart in 1989 and was repainted in Penn Central livery in 1998. Today, it is the only one of the sixteen surviving GG1 locomotives to wear the black Penn Central livery.
New York Central 150-ton capacity crane X-28, built by Industrial Works in 1923 and based at the railroad's large Harmon Yard in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
Baltimore & Ohio double-door box car 288257 built by the railroad in 1957.
New York Central transfer caboose 18136 built by the railroad in 1967 from a 1949 box car. It became Penn Central 18136 then Conrail 18136.
New York Central standard wooden caboose 19211 built by the railroad around 1910.
New York Central idler car 504472 for crane X-13 built by Industrial Brownhoist in 1949. It was the first of four oil fired, self propelled steam cranes built by the company and was based in Selkirk, New York then donated by Conrail in 1997.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend electric commuter car 15 built by Pullman-Standard in 1926. It was part of an initial order of twenty six all-steel cars to begin replacing the electric line's wooden cars, some of which had been in operation since the South Shore’s predecessor, Chicago Lakeshore and South Bend Railway, began operations in 1908. It was the first of the South Shore's cars to be lengthened to 78 feet by adding a new section in the middle.
Car 15 remained in service until the 1980's, when the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District began acquiring new equipment to replace the pre-World War II cars. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District continues to operate South Shore electric passenger trains between South Bend and Chicago. The National Parks Service acquired Car 15 after it was taken out of South Shore service and later released it to the National New York Central Railroad Museum.
New York Central railway post office-baggage car 5104, nee Michigan Central 1016, built by the Standard Steel Car Company in 1914. It was converted for work train service in the 1950's.
Merchants Despatch flat car 725220, donated by Norfolk Southern in 2007.
Merchants Despatch flat car 725023, donated by Norfolk Southern in 2007.
New York Central bay window caboose 21084, built by the railroad in 1963.
New York Central transfer caboose 18136 built by the railroad in 1967 from a 1949 box car.
Pennsylvania Railroad wooden box car 499656, with steel reinforced sides.
Conrail maintenance-of-way car 45710, ex. Pennsylvania Railroad RPO-baggage car 710, nee New York Central 9036. When owned by Conrail, it served as part of the Selkirk, New York wreck train and donated by Conrail in 1997.
New York Central one dome tank car 16039, built by the railroad in 1952 and donated by Sturgis Metal & Iron in 2006.
Wells Fargo Rail Corporation covered hopper 902, builder and year unknown.
Conrail maintenance-of-way car 45907, ex. Penn Central 4573, nee New York, New Haven & Hartford grill-dining car 953 built by Pullman-Standard in 1949. It was a less-formal alternative to the full dining cars and twin-unit diners that many railroads owned. When owned by Conrail, it served as part of the wreck train in Selkirk, New York and donated by them in 1997.
Union Refrigerator Transit Company refrigerator car 38794 built by General American in 1954 and leased to the Milwaukee Road.
Union Refrigerator Transit Company refrigerator car 38662 built by General American in 1954 and leased to the Milwaukee Road.
New York Central 4-8-2 Tender 3042 built by American Locomtive Company in 1940 and used as an auxiliary water tender on the American Freedom Train and the Chessie Steam Special.
Conrail bay-window caboose 21230 built by Fruit Growers Express in 1978 and is the only survivor of the three units built. It ended its days as part of the wreck train in Selkirk, New York and was donated by Conrail in 1997.
Baltimore & Ohio fifty foot double-door box car 288121 built by the railroad in 1957.
Museum scene.
Handcar shed.
The tool shed from Osceola, Indiana, about five miles away.
Norfolk Southern 4293 West came through Elkhart during our visit with WRFX 8859 in the consist.
Views inside the "City of Elkhart".
The Elkhart Lake Shore and Michigan Southern (later New York Central) station built in 1900 used by Amtrak's Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited.
We finished our visit here and acquired two T-shirts as souvenirs. Elizabeth put in the directions to our hotel but I made a wrong turn so we went through the countryside and passed 25 Amish buggies on the backroads of Indiana. Once we reached Interstate 69, we took that to Pennsylvania Toll Road 80/90, which we took to a Service Plaza and switched drivers, with Elizabeth driving us the rest of the way to Interstate 77 and Longhorn Steakhouse in Copley, Ohio. We had another excellent meal before I drove us to the Baymont Inn in Copley for the night.
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