Historic Railroad Photos, Page 9

By the looks of the tender Nickel Plate Road engine 745 has taken on water at milepost 411.50, just west of Claypool, Indiana. Notice that the number board is open, I don’t know the reason, but I have seen several pictures of 700s with them open while on the road. The 745 also has a solid pilot instead of the flat bar type normally used, this was the NKP’s answer to the Midwest snow. Near by Caldwell Lake supplies the water tank at this location. Photo courtesy of the Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society.

June 20th, 1957 finds a southbound Nickel Plate freight is crossing the B&O at KN tower in Walkerton, Indiana. Nickel Plate GP7s numbers 401 and 404 were built in 1951 and are from the first group of road Nickel Plate purchased. The crossing near the camera is the NYC’s Kankakee Belt. The tower is still standing (not in use) and the Elkhart & Western now crosses the CSX here. The NYC is gone, as is the freight house at the extreme left. Photo is from Bob Albert collection.

Nickel Plate engine 768 appears to have a good roll as it heads east across SR17 at Burr Oak, Indiana.
The train is probably number 56. That’s Dewey Overmyer’s coal yard on the north side the tracks, in the early 1950s that was still a very important business. All the other buildings in the picture, except the barn behind the flasher are still standing today. Photo is by Wilfred Nickel, HVRM collection.

A Nickel Plate westbound freight is bearing down on the Grand Trunk Western crossing at Spriggsboro, Indiana. I don’t know if there was ever a town here or not, but the NKP choose the name of Spriggsboro for some unknown reason, I don’t know what the GTW called it. A stone throw away was the Pennsy & GTW crossing. It was called Ft. Wayne Crossing on the GTW and the PRR called it Grand Trunk Crossing. Go figure. Photo is by Wilfred Nickel, HVRM collection.

November 3, 1968 finds a few railfans nosing around the joint Grand Trunk Western / Norfolk & Western (ex-NKP) depot at Stillwell, Indiana. The occasion is a fan trip with GTW 2-8-2 4070 and coaches from a variety of railroads, I think that is a Santa Fe coach in the background. As luck would have it the 4070 broke down and the whole train was towed back to Chicago by a GTW freight train, Arriving at Dearborn Station at 3 am!! What a trip. Photo is from Bob Albert Collection.

Nickel Plate engine 720 is crossing the Pennsy’s Indianapolis to Logansport line at Frankfort, Indiana on August 11, 1954. In a few hours the train will be pulling into Lima, Ohio. There is nothing remarkable about this picture except you gotta love that tower. Photo courtesy of the Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society

Erie Train #5 photographed between Disko and Akron, Indiana on July 4, 1951. Photo is by Sandy Goodrick.

An Erie westbound freight train east of Disko, Indiana crossing over Highway15 on July 4, 1951. Notice the two levels of the bridge and track. Photo is by Sandy Goodrick.

Since this photo is also dated July 4, 1951 and is also a westbound, it may be the same train that was pictured on the Highway 15 bridge. I believe the locomotives are F3s, because of their taller fans. Photo is by Sandy Goodrick.

This is the same train in the previous picture. Again notice the two level right of way, this was done when the Erie was double tracked in the early 1900s, probably to ease the grades. Photo is by Sandy Goodrick.

The Monon’s predecessor laid tracks through Wanatah, Indiana in 1852, The Pennsy’s predecessor was built a few years later in 1858. This undated postcard view shows the tower, a brick building and the Monon depot sometime around 1910. The tower and depot lasted into the Conrail era, but the brick building is still standing as part of a grain elevator complex. Former Nickel Plate caboose 1090 is now displayed near the depot site. Postcard from the Bob Albert collection.

Nickel Plate train 57, locomotive 557 and Pennsy train 93, engine 5802A collided at the crossing of the two roads at 6:45 pm on February 23, 1957. Both trains were traveling about 5 mph. The ICC report says that the Pennsy train moved on the crossing after the Nickel Plate train was authorized to move over the crossing. Photo from the Bob Albert collection.

The Erie depot at Kouts, Indiana (Porter County) was located at mile post 214. The depot was probably constructed about 1883-84 and lasted into the 1980s. Postcard from the Bob Albert collection.

Pleasant Mills is a small Indiana community located at the intersection of SR101 and US33 southeast of Decatur. This picture was taken in the late 1960s and shows what is believed to be the former Clover Leaf/Nickel Plate depot. The building is still in use as a residence as of October 2011. The false fronts and bay window have been removed and the building has been resided. The present owner is unsure of the history of the building, but said he remembered a general store and post office in the building and some kind of signal on the trackside. Any other information would be appreciated. Photo is by Tim Hackett.

On March 31, 1972 a Southern Pacific U33C #8653 is leading an eastbound Erie Lackawanna train over the Grand Calumet River swing bridge at Hammond, Indiana. The Nickel Plate also used this bridge; the Monon bridge is on the left, hidden by the train, Photo by George Kantola, HVRM collection.