Might be going up there for a few days
Downtown Hammond isn't what it was but is still a pretty good place. The crossing is located at Hohman Ave just north of State St.
What railroads run thru there & how do trains run?
Is there a bridge over the tracks on Hohman Ave?Where would be a good place to park?
A fantastic website that deals with all of Chicago's junctions, including Northwest Indiana's.
http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/
I would suggest Pine Juntion. The NS and CSX's east west mains run side by side, with the CN also being in the area. It has been reported that railroad police will chase you out, however in my experiance that is only if you go somewhere you shouldn't. Stay on the main road and you should be fine.
An "expensive model collector"
Pine Junction is a good spot for sheer volume of freight. CSX, NS, and CN all go through there--CN is pretty much a yard lead, but the other two are main lines, parallel to each other. Park on the road (and I use the term loosely for Clark Road at the north end!), out of the way of any access roads, and you should be good--when you get out of your car, stay on the road. I've been there a time or two, andhaven't been bugged.
On the eastern side of Gary proper (west of Miller) is a road that leads to the Great Lakes Cafe (accessed off U.S. 12-20). Take that north, you'll immediately cross the SouthShore and a CN spur. Then duck under the CSX underpass, and there will be a place to park off to your right (stay out of the way of utility-type trucks). This is a good place to park for watching the action, but little warning is given. There are two underpasses beyond this spot--the NS main line and a spur off the NS. Beyond those (and a cross road) is another underpass, holding a lead for the CN.When you're hungry or need a bathroom, go under the NS and turn right at the stop. The Great Lakes Cafe is undoubtedly the best spot in town for lunch (you can tell by all of the firemen, police, and steel workers who come in). They're only open until about 2:00, though. (If you go there, tell Cindy or Jessica that I sent you and say hi. Cindy's one of the owners, Jessica's her daughter, and her husband is back in the kitchen...it's one of those places!)
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Pine Junction is busy. Lots of action, but stay on public property.
Porter is busy, even with the "downturn" in activity. There are over 100 trains daily on certain days. One can see NS, CSX, CP, and Amtrak.
Griffith sees quite a few CN trains daily and has the old EJE tower.
Michigan City has the South Shore with street running.
Just east of Merrillville about 10 miles is the crossing of the NS (NKP line), CN, and CF&E. It is closer to Valparaiso, but only about 20 minutes from Merrillville.
Lots of trains in NW Indiana. Everything from the east is condensed into a 10 mile wide stretch, with HUGE volumes passing thru Pine Junction.
Ed
How many trains go thru Hohman Ave up in Hammond each day?
CShaveRR Pine Junction is a good spot for sheer volume of freight. CSX, NS, and CN all go through there--CN is pretty much a yard lead, but the other two are main lines, parallel to each other. Park on the road (and I use the term loosely for Clark Road at the north end!), out of the way of any access roads, and you should be good--when you get out of your car, stay on the road. I've been there a time or two, andhaven't been bugged. On the eastern side of Gary proper (west of Miller) is a road that leads to the Great Lakes Cafe (accessed off U.S. 12-20). Take that north, you'll immediately cross the SouthShore and a CN spur. Then duck under the CSX underpass, and there will be a place to park off to your right (stay out of the way of utility-type trucks). This is a good place to park for watching the action, but little warning is given. There are two underpasses beyond this spot--the NS main line and a spur off the NS. Beyond those (and a cross road) is another underpass, holding a lead for the CN.When you're hungry or need a bathroom, go under the NS and turn right at the stop. The Great Lakes Cafe is undoubtedly the best spot in town for lunch (you can tell by all of the firemen, police, and steel workers who come in). They're only open until about 2:00, though. (If you go there, tell Cindy or Jessica that I sent you and say hi. Cindy's one of the owners, Jessica's her daughter, and her husband is back in the kitchen...it's one of those places!)
As several others have said it's hard to beat Pine Junction! I spent National Train Day there last May and got 90 trains in about 14 hours. I would have easily gotten over a 100 had it not got dark early because of all the clouds and rain. I can't wait to go back!
Every time I visit Pine Jct, I wish I had a mirror so my neck wouldn't get so sore looking over my shoulder.
Though my stiff neck could be from watching trains like I was at a tennis match.
If you're in need for refreshment in Gary, the 18th Street Brewery's Tap Room at 5725 Miller Ave has windows looking directly over the CSX mainline. It's also just a 5-minute walk from the South Shore's Miller station to the tap room.
Be careful in Gary ind very bad neighborhoods in some places,don't go out at dark
Could someone name a business, an address, or other landmark at Pine Junction, so I can look it up on Google Maps?.
I have found a big junction intersected by IN Hwy 73, near a Griffith Train Museum. Is that Pine?
Here it is.
Chicago Rail Junctions - Pine (dhke.com)
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