I've been looking at Google Earth and I was looking at the old NKP through Mellott In. I followed the old roadbed through Wingate and into Linden In. There the local grain elevator uses a small section as I don't know maby a siding. I continued following the roadbed into the town of Frankfort IN. where the NS has a classafacation yard. I guess the western termanus for NS on that line. Anyway did the NKP have an interchange with the Monon at linden? Was it possible to have a train go from the NKP to the Monon and go to Laffayette? Why doesn't the NS use the old roadbed for an interchange with CSX at Cauga IN? Do you think NS might consider re-using this route?I really enjoy finding info about the old line through Mellott, as I live in a little town north of there. any extra info would be greatly apperacited!!!
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I wish I had something more intelligent to say, as this line facinates me as well. In my old stomping grounds of Illinois, this line went about 25 miles south of me. In my current home in Indianapolis, it is about 50 miles north of me (same line). There has always been something about that line that facinated me. In Illinois, some of the birdges were absolutely fantastic (which is kind of an odd statement given how flat that part of the state is). Also, some of the curves on the line are very sharp.
Hope you get some meaningful replies.
Gabe
Isn't it though. I agree about the bridges are quit spectacular there too. I think that the old roadbed is an errie site. Just to look at it and see it's emptyness is just gastly like it's trying to tell us something. I'm only 13 so never got to see it in use. My grandfather worked at the CO-OP in Mellott blowing grain into boxcar's. and loading them with the John Deere tractor. This line will have a speciall place in my heart forever. I also agree about the curves in the line, some are very sharp! This line will continue to facanate me for many yers to come. If you happen to think of anything else just zap me an e-mail. mackjs01@sbcglobal.net Thank's for responding
bubbajustinI also agree about the curves in the line, some are very sharp!
That line was originally built as a narrow gauge. When I lived in Charleston, IL almost 20 years ago the old narrow gauge roundhouse still stood, only to be destroyed later by a tornado. The Eastern Illinois Railroad still operates the portion from Metcalf to Neoga.
I have a terribly vivid memory of this line in this area. I took my lawschool entrance exam in Charleston. I stayed in a hotel room in Matoon the night before so I wouldn't have to worry about car trouble or anything keeping me from the test.
As it turns out, I could not sleep a wink--either the exam had my nerves on end or the bed was horrible or both. So at about 4 in the morning I decided to drive around and explore the Eastern Illinois Railroad. There is a curve just north of Charleston, Oakland I think, that I would still pay good money to see a 100-car train go through--it is so sharp, I just can't picture it--to say nothing of passenger trains and Berkshires.
Too bad I didn't just decide to skip the test and spend the day looking at trians. I would have saved me a lifetime of sleepless nights . . .
Here's the tightest curve between Oakland and Charleston. I had a g/f back then who grew up in Rardin, just to the northeast on the line.
Thank's for the knoladagable replies all, but I don't know if were taliking about the same line here. It went through Mellott IN and Veedesrsburg, where it crossed the NYC. That curve is very impressive it is so tight trains accutaly went through there! I hope that were talking about the same line. Keep the info cumming if you can!!! Remember I live near the old line near Mellott INDIANA!!! I still appreciate the replies though! Talk to youre friends to see if there is any more info. More info would be greatly appreciated!!!
It is indeed the same line.
The line you're referring to is a portion of the Nickel Plate's Clover Leaf District, St. Louis Division, Third Sub-Division which extended from Frankfort, IN to Charleston, IL.
The portion of the sub-division from Frankfort, IN to Metcalf, IL, which includes Mellott, IN, was abandoned as the N&W had a superior route into St. Louis in the former Wabash line via Decatur, IL. In fact, the entire St. Louis Division became redundant and the N&W disposed of nearly all of it.
I know the NKP interchanged cars with the Monon at Linden, but there were no trackage rights.
Here's a link to the home page of the "Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society".
http://www.nkphts.org/home.html
Mike
It seemed strange to me that NKP would close this, as they were the primary shipper for Cargill at Linden. After they abandoned from Linden west, they continued the line to Frankfort for a few months.Cargill could have been the factor for these closings as most grain at that time went east for export. After closing, Soybeans and wheat were shipped on the MONON while most of the corn was trucked to Lafayette Staley sweetner plant. There is a large ethonal plant being built just next to Cargill unless its gone under as a few others have. I lived 3 1/2 mile from Linden for abou 60 of my yrs. and sold a few bushels thru there. Poneykeg said that.
The NKP line to St. Louis was fascinating for me also.
Growing up about an hours south of Charleston and having an aunt in Mattoon, we often spent the day in Mattoon, crossing the NKP line about 10 miles south of Mattoon. I never saw a train on the line. NEVER. The tracks seemed pretty well maintained.
Once I made a side trip from Mattoon to Charleston, probably about 1975/76. If memory is right, there was a tower at the PC crossing. I went into the tower, no one was there. In those days, I rationed my Plus X film and didnt take a picture of the tower. The PC line was pretty well shut down by then and the NW line was too, no trains, therefore no interest on my behalf. With no towerman, I left quickly.
Sure wish I would have invested a couple of exposures.
Back in the 90's I was able to catch a freight train working the yard on the shortline north of Charleston.
ed
I forgot to add on the previous post, the NKP had track from Frankfort to Lafayette through Mulberry and Dayton. That was all rebuilt and used to serve the Subaru plant at Lafayette.
Helo all, nice to here from you all!!! I am reading these posts with excitement as I love to learn about this line!!! I didn't know that anyone else knew where this line was at. I didn't know that this was part of NKP's Cloverleaf sub. So N&W did interchange at Linden,ok. Well if you think of anymore info just zap me an e-mail!!! mackjs01@sbcglobal.net Thank's again for all who responded I will still follow this thread. Again I really appreciate this guy's thank's a million!
poneykeg I forgot to add on the previous post, the NKP had track from Frankfort to Lafayette through Mulberry and Dayton. That was all rebuilt and used to serve the Subaru plant at Lafayette.
This line is a small piece of NKP's Lake Erie & Western District, Peoria Division which originally extended from Frankfort, IN to Peoria, IL. NS has disposed of the trackage west of Lafayette to Gibson City, IL.
MJChittickponeykeg I forgot to add on the previous post, the NKP had track from Frankfort to Lafayette through Mulberry and Dayton. That was all rebuilt and used to serve the Subaru plant at Lafayette. This line is a small piece of NKP's Lake Erie & Western District, Peoria Division which originally extended from Frankfort, IN to Peoria, IL. NS has disposed of the trackage west of Lafayette to Gibson City, IL.
This line is a small piece of NKP's Lake Erie & Western District, Peoria Division which originally extended from Frankfort, IN to Peoria, IL. NS has disposed of the trackage west of Lafayette to Gibson City, IL.
ValleyXMJChittick poneykeg I forgot to add on the previous post, the NKP had track from Frankfort to Lafayette through Mulberry and Dayton. That was all rebuilt and used to serve the Subaru plant at Lafayette. This line is a small piece of NKP's Lake Erie & Western District, Peoria Division which originally extended from Frankfort, IN to Peoria, IL. NS has disposed of the trackage west of Lafayette to Gibson City, IL. True, but the Kankakee, Beaverville, and Southern, operates some of the old LE&W between Lafayette and somewhere around Cheneyville, IL. The Third and Fourth Subdivisions of the St. Louis Division were doomed from the time of the N&W merger, it just took awhile for them to do it. It was a rough railroad to operate, from what I know, because it had been a narrow gauge and had the tight curves and the hill at Cayuga, IN, and other hills in Illinois that I'm not familiar with (Sorrento?) The N&W hauled many grain trains that came from Linden but the cost of maintaining the line must not have equalled the value of the grain.
MJChittick poneykeg I forgot to add on the previous post, the NKP had track from Frankfort to Lafayette through Mulberry and Dayton. That was all rebuilt and used to serve the Subaru plant at Lafayette. This line is a small piece of NKP's Lake Erie & Western District, Peoria Division which originally extended from Frankfort, IN to Peoria, IL. NS has disposed of the trackage west of Lafayette to Gibson City, IL.
Yes the KB&S, as known by locals like me, does operate some of the old NYC and NKP. The grade at Cauga I've heard the was very chalenging for engineers. Sharp curves = inner rail wear. N&W just didn't find it profatable.
Usually, it is the inside surface of the outer rail that wears faster in a curve.
This was part of the Cloverleaf Line when it was narrow gage. Parts of this line, East of Frankfort to Toledo made history as the longest stretch of track standard-gaged in one day.
Well that's what I meant. Sorry I didn't specify. Like the signature there Mike! (2-8-2)!!! Very nice!
Back in 1964 or so Kalmbach published a very thorough history - like 360 pgs. ? - of the NKP entitled The Nickel Plate Story by John A. Rehor. I know it had at least 1 chapter on the Clover Leaf. Any of you familiar with it ? Might add some more background to your experiences. I think I still have a copy upstairs . . . out there in the MidWest you should be able to find it in some local libraries or at a book sale or train meet or the like, I would think. If I can find mine I'll let you know if it has anything much on this line or area.
Back around then (1960's) we used to visit an Army buddy of my Dad's who had a farm in the Fowler/ Remington area of Indiana, which is a little NW of Lafayette, I believe. But I don't think I ever saw a train in that area - only in the big towns on the way out.
- Paul North.
Yeah, I think you guys will want to get hold of Rehor's book (he was an ICC staffer, and really understood signals and operations). Library of Congess Catalog Card No.: 65-27730, published by Kalmbach Publishing Co. in 1965 (at about the time of the merger into the N&W), 471 pp. Justin, and others - I suggest that you try an inter-library loan ("ILL") to get hold of a copy for a couple of weeks without having to buy it.
"The Clover Leaf" chapter is pgs. 142 - 169, which ends when the Van Sweringens bought it. Mellott is indexed once - pg. 270, as the start of 30 miles of automatic block signals installed in 1948 to Cayuga Hill to replace manual block. Linden is indexed once - as pg. 251, but actually on pg. 250 as one of the 2 places on the St. Louis Division where as late as 1937 all trains were required to stop because "track gates" (?) were still in use to protect the railroad crossing at grade there. Veedersburg is indexed once - pg. 136, as the start of train service to there on May 28, 1882 during the construction of the TD&B = Toledo, Delphos & Burlington RR. Charleston has about 18 index references - including a full-page photo of the coal chute on pg. 226, Cayuga Hill has 4 cites, and Cayuga has 8 references.
As these page numbers indicate, the territory you're interested in is covered in many pages outside of the Clover Leaf's chapter, it seems mainly with the original construction, and then in the operations, relocations, and other improvements after the CL was acquired by the NKP, along with a pretty good number of photos. One gripe I have with the book is the lack of intermediate-scale maps. The end papers are a system map similar to the one linked above, and there are several very detailed maps - to almost track-map detail - of selected towns. But there's not much in the way of in-between scale maps to help those of us who are not real familiar with the territory to find or understand where - and the relationships between - all the places that are mentioned in the text and photo captions. That wouldn't be a problem for you guys, though.
Hope this is helpful.
The NKP Historical and Technical Society put out a series of softcover books several years ago that covered each separate part of the Nickel Plate. One was devoted strictly to the Cloverleaf, another to the Lake Erie and Western. You might try http://www.nkphts.org/
While I can't help with any information in the Mellott IN area. There is still some of the NKP around on the EIRR
The station in Charleston is still there
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/32447/ppuser/4309
NKP phone box, Neoga
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/65954/ppuser/4309
NKP/B&O signals in Metcalf
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/50942/ppuser/4309
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/50946/ppuser/4309
inch
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
ValleyX The NKP Historical and Technical Society put out a series of softcover books several years ago that covered each separate part of the Nickel Plate. One was devoted strictly to the Cloverleaf, another to the Lake Erie and Western. You might try http://www.nkphts.org/
Reflections #3 booklet - $10, Depots book $30, 2 books of Track Charts @ $20 ea. - the index of one that's on-line indicates the diagram for Mellott is on pg. 48.
Looks like a very good active, group - lot of good stuff there. Wish there was as much for some of the RRs here in eastern PA.
Good post - thanks !
Hi all Thank's for the replies. I didn't know that anyone else in the world knew where Mellott IN was! I will go to the web sites that you have so graciosualy provided. Thank's to all.
inch53 NKP/B&O signals in Metcalf http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/50942/ppuser/4309 http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/50946/ppuser/4309
I was just through Metcalf yesterday. CSX has replaced the interchange signals on all four quadrants of this junction, evidently very recently -- the signal wire attached to the track didn't look weathered at all.
Intrestingly enough, I caught CSX switching the interchange. They picked up 40-50 covered hoppers which they ferried east, presumably to where the old B&O now ends. I talked briefly with the conductor/brakeman and he said this was extra work. But based upon the new signals, I suspect CSX is expecting fairly regular and significant traffic through here.
Ed
Awsome new signals! Also nice to see that you think there might be some more or increasd traffic through here.
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