Historic Railroad Photos, Page 2

A small amount of luggage or freight awaits an eastbound Pennsy train at Donaldson, Indiana. Now a small residential community, at one time the town rated a small depot and interlocking tower. The white object just past the tower appears to be a stock chute, but seems to be too close to the main track, and a section house is past the stock chute. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

Known as the “Egg basket of the Midwest”, Mentone, Indiana was an important point of the Winona Railway. The Winona had a small fleet of refrigerator cars for egg service. Pictured is the Winona’s sub-station and depot at Mentone. Surprisingly the building is still standing, but heavily remodeled. It is on the north side of highway 25 on the east side of town, a giant egg is across the road from it. The Winona passed under the Nickel Plate Road a block south of here. The bridge is still in place, but filled in. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

On October 11, 1947 only a couple of passengers and the agent await the arrival of Pennsy train 316 at Grass Creek, Indiana. The southbound doodlebug ran from South Bend to Logansport daily except Sunday. Note the mail crane at the extreme right of the photo, it is doubtful if it sees much use at this date. The depot is now located in the town park for civic use. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs, please check our links page for his catalog.

Ripley, Indiana, located on the Pennsy between Winamac and North Judson, is now just a wide spot in the road. In busier times several passengers are waiting for the train. Also shown are cars on the team track, stock chutes, gravel platforms and waiting shelter. Ripley must not have rated a full size depot. Check out the forerunner to today's hi-rail trucks next to the shelter. Today, everything is gone, including the tracks. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

This undated photo shows Nickel Plate Road 749, westbound, on the Argos turn at Sidney, Indiana. The school was located about a block south of here and I will assume that these kids are on their way home from school. It appears to be a rather cold day. The feed store behind the 749 is still in business, the depot was to the right of the store, but is out of the photo. Photo by Paul Weller, from Bob Albert collection.

On March 1, 1963, at Argos, Indiana, a Nickel Plate freight train on the IMC District backed into a train on the NKP main line with these results. The depot and a tool house were destroyed, caboose 1089 was damaged and burned on the site and the telegraph office was slightly damaged. Caboose 1089 was a sister to the 1090 on display at our museum. Plymouth Pilot-News photo, Bob Albert collection.

On March 28, 1946, the Erie depot at Rochester, Indiana was still in the less-than-carload freight business. At the east end of the depot is a large stack of chicken crates, some type of freight is on the baggage wagon and several box cars at the freight house dock. Also, note the track speeder on the loading platform. The depot is currently part of the Fulton County Railroad and undergoing restoration. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs; please check our links page for his catalog.

The Pennsy depot at Hanna, Indiana was located on the south side of the track at Wheeler Street. The depot was a standard PRR small town depot, which were in several towns in this area. At the far right you can see the tower at the Pere Marquette crossing. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

This undated photo shows Pere Marquette 2-10-2 1102 southbound at Wellsboro, Indiana. The 1102 is about to cross the B & O, the Grand Trunk Western is in the foreground. The scene has changed considerably, the tower was closed and razed about 1957, the depot was destroyed in a GTW wreck on November 21, 1985 and the former PM track was removed a couple of years ago. Oh yes, the 1102 was retired in January 1952 and sold for scrap as C & O 2976. Photo is courtesy of Harry Zillmer.

The Nickel Plate depot at Knox, Indiana had many additions to it during its lifetime. Here it is shown in its original form in this pre-WW1 view. The depot still exists, being moved to the north edge of town near the Yellow River on the former New York Central right-of-way. The water tank sits just west of what is now U.S. 35. The train order board was placed across the tracks from the depot because of track curvature. Postcard from the Bob Albert collection.

Erie E8a 819 appears to have the eastbound "Lake Cities" well in hand in June 1965 at Newton Tower east of Laketon, Indiana. The 819 is about to cross the Pennsy's Butler branch, which ran northeast from Logansport. Notice the signal rods on the left side of the track; at one time the Erie was double tracked through here. That's Bern Kelker's 1956 Plymouth V8 behind the GMC pick-up. Photo by Bernard Kelker.

This Vandalia bridge over the Eel River at Collamer, Indiana is interesting because of the protection on the pilings. The picture appears to be taken on the down stream side of the bridge and maybe from the north bank. It seems the photographer may have been looking into the sun. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

When a person stepped off a Monon train at Cedar Lake, Indiana they did not have far to go for a swim. The back of this postcard says "Cedar Lake's third Monon R.R. depot, built in 1898 replacing Armour and Paisley 1882 depots - all along western shores." Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

The Winona Railway is shown in the Akron, Indiana business district. In Akron, traces of the Winona can still be found on the Pike Lumber Company property in the form of bridge abutments where the Winona went over the Erie Railroad. The right of way is traceable both north and south of town. State Route 19 comes in from the north on the old right-of-way and you can trace it south of town by following an electric power line. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

On March 24, 1963 a Pennsy westbound freight derailed at Hanna, Indiana at the former Pere Marquette crossing. The line parallels U.S. 30, which was just to the north of the right-of-way. This made for easy viewing of the clean up. Six month old U25B 2515 was also derailed, while a sister engine remained on the track. Photo by Bob Albert.