CSX's Line West of Evansville Indiana

[gabe]

I was browsing the Indiana Railroad's midwestern rail map on their web site today (pretty good map by the way, for the internet).

I happened to notice CSX's line West out of Evansville, Indiana--it goes through Mt. Vernon, Indiana and Mt. Vernon, Illinois. I also noticed that it stoped about 50 miles before St. Louis. I didn't know they pulled this line up before reaching St. Louis.

Can anyone/everyone tell me what they know about this line? What is its etiology? I assume it is the old L&N main? What is traffic like on the line? Is it a regional spin off candidate? What are track conditions like? I might have to check this one out should I ever get a chance.

Gabe

[nanaimo73]

The St. Louis & Southeastern was chartered in 1869 and I guess the line was probably complete by 1872. The SL&SE went bankrupt in 1874 and the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis bought it in 1879. The NC&StL was trying to build a St. Louis to Atlanta system. The Louisville and Nashville bought 55% of the NC&StL stock before they could build a Nashville to Evansville line.The L&N then took the line and made it part of their own system.
In November of 1989 CSX moved through traffic to the former B&O line to the north. The section from Belleville to Venedy Station was pulled up in November 1993. The right of way west of Belleville is now the St. Louis Metro to Mid-America Airport.
This line was ABS. The August Trains has a map of L&N coal mines in 1966 and none are shown on this route which seems strange.

[Junctionfan]

The traffic is quite heavy at times. I'll find out more from a friend of mine tonight at the club who is a big fan of that area.

[Junctionfan]

CSX now call it the M&M Subdivision and is dispatched AG dispatcher. About a dozen or so coal trains a day. I believe it connects to or near the Evansville line toward Howell Yard in Evansville. I believe some of the trains go to a power plant and other go to coal docks somewhere along the line.

I believe it crosses several railroads including Union Pacific, Illinois Central (CN), and Norfolk Southern. I believe CP has running rights on the line too; I know on the Evansville line but I think they do some running on that line too. There might be a CSX grain train on that line that goes somewhere too.

[nanaimo73]

During 1983 this was called the St. Louis subdivision of the Evansville division.
I could not find any coal mines active in Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton or White counties in Illinois. I do not believe CP ever had or has trackage rights on this line.
Mount Vernon Indiana has a coalbarge transloading facility and there is a power plant east of town.

[MP173]

I grew up in that area, but cannot say I ever did any railfanning on the line. I would be surprized if there is that kind of traffic (dozen coal trains per day) on the line. I just dont think there is that much coal left in Southern Illinois, particularly since it is high sulfer content.

Somehow the CSX's act of cutting off the line doesnt surprize me. They seem to have had that attitude in the past.

I just returned from Southern Illinois last night and have to report that the CSX St. Louis - Cincinnati line was BUSY. That line was in danger a few years ago of being abandoned. I will issue comments and questions on another thread, so as to not take over this one.

BTW, i watched an excellent tape on the Illinois Central called "Today's Illinois Central, Main Line of Mid-America, Volume One, North." The basically discuss the mainline from Chicago to Fulton with videos of junctions.

In the video they refer to the crossing of the CSX at Ashley (the former L&N) as
"seldom used". That reference was obviously to the CSX line.

ed

[gabe]

Ed,

Thanks, and I agree with your assessment. I think Junctionfan was mistaking it for CSX's B&O line.

Part of the reason I am interested in it, is CSX has been spinning off a lot of track lately. I wonder if another regional railroad is in our future?

Following this thought, the only think I disagree with you about is the amount of coal left in Southern Illinois. Last I heard, Southern Illinois has the largest deposit of coal in the United States. The good news is, it has a very high BTU rating. The bad news is, it has an even higher sulfur rating.

However, given fuel prices, there have been rumor about taping the Illinois coal and using it to make synthetic diesel.

I realize there are 100 ifs in this assertion. But, it is worth following in my estimation.

Gabe

[MP173]

I probably meant that there is very little actually mined.

The high sulfer content has reduced the demand for the Southern Illinois coal. Obviously with all of the PRB coal running thru Illinois en route to eastern destinations, it is an issue.

An alternative use of the coal would be great. Southern Illinios also has a supply of oil and with the higher prices, more drilling is going on. I talked to some people last weekend and quite a bit of drilling has occurred this year.

Hopefully, if this energy situation continues, we will keep more $$$ within our borders.

The B&O line, as far as I know, has no coal mines on line. Like I indicated earlier tho, PRB coal is moving now on the line.

Love those CPL signals!

ed

[nanaimo73]

I still can't figure out why CSX kept the line to Venedy Station. Something must of been wrong with the bridge over the Kaskaskia River. The CSX website has a map which suggests the 14 miles from Venedy Station to Nashville is now gone.
I think Junctionfan's friend was talking about the first 19 miles from Evansville to Mount Vernon, Indiana. This would serve Vectren's (Cigeco's) A B Brown 500 MW gererating station and the port of Mount Vernon. Does this plant burn Kentucky coal ?
The 94 miles from Mount Vernon, Indiana to Nashville, Illinois is probably based on agriculture now and could certainly be sold off.
CSX is selling their line in Michigan that runs through Muskegon. They are keeping the first 16 miles from Holland to West Olive to serve the Campbell generating station and selling the remaining 48 miles to Fremont to the Mid-Michigan RR.

[Junctionfan]

If it connects to other lines, it might be a good secondary track if something went wrong with the primary used mains without having to request running rights on another railroad.

[Anonymous]

These tracks are almost dead. In the past 10 years, I have spotted maybe 2 or 3 trains moving on this line. I know that that is not all that runs on it, but I have been to Mount Vernon Illinois maybe 1,000 times in my life, and of those 1,000 times, I have only seen something on the CSXT tracks maybe 5 times. The rails are rusted over and weeds grow up through it, the ties are old and worn out and don't look like they've been replaced for 20 years, I don't even think the signals work. My Uncle Mike was deer hunting with my Uncle Melvin at McLeansboro which is along these tracks, they came up to this track and noticed that the signal box was rusted over badly, and the computerized equipment inside the box was completely gone. About 2 weeks ago, I followed these tracks to Mount Vernon Indiana, I noticed that the tracks seemed to improve East of Carmi. As we got closer to the Wabash River, I noticed several grain silos that were being serviced by CSXT, and I noticed a small coal loading facility with about 5 CSXT coal cars. I think that the main reason why they keep the line open west of Carmi is because there are Interchange tracks with the BNSF Railway. I noticed at Woodlawn Illinois that there were 2 old worn out gondolas sitting on the interchange track. Other than maybe 10 cars that might go through on this line a week, this line is almost dead. I looked at a map of the city of Evansville, and I think this line comes off of the CSXT main just north of Howell Yard. TO SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING: THESE TRACKS ARE THE DEADEST TRACKS IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.

[waltersrails]

NO csx did take up the line 50 east of st louis and sold it to metro to run. The Evansville and Western now owns the line 1 train a day east of carmi il. 3+ trains east of carmi.

[BaltACD]

CSX now call it the M&M Subdivision and is dispatched AG dispatcher. About a dozen or so coal trains a day. I believe it connects to or near the Evansville line toward Howell Yard in Evansville. I believe some of the trains go to a power plant and other go to coal docks somewhere along the line.

The CSX M&M Sub runs from Montgomery, AL to Mobile, AL and is indeed dispatched by the AG Dispatcher (at least that is what it was called before the de-dentralization of Dispatching.)  The M&M is a part of the Atlanta Division and in no way operates near Evansville.

[carknocker1]

This line was sold to the Paducah & Louisville Railroad , and is operated as the Evansville & western , hauling a lot of coal and grain plus a lot of interchange traffic , plus in Mt. Vernon , IN. you have the large riverport , the large GE plastics plant as well as an oil refrinery .

[wiley-dispatcher]

I just returned from Southern Illinois last night and have to report that the CSX St. Louis - Cincinnati line was BUSY. That line was in danger a few years ago of being abandoned. I will issue comments and questions on another thread, so as to not take over this one.

ed

 

Ed,

   The old B&O has been busy due to the detour trains we have been running around the New Orleans area from the Gustav damage.  CSX did this back in 2005 as well when Katrina ravaged the area.  The only difference this time is that all the detours have stayed on the B&O line.  Last time in 2005 the traffic was split between the B&O and St. Louis line, but due to the higher volume of traffic on the St. Louis line of late we opted to keep everything on the B&O.

[GEORGE E HERBIG II]

The CSX from St.Louis to Cincinnati B&O is in trouble from St. Louis to Illinois.  Very little runs west of Seymour either.

 

[BaltACD]

GEORGE E HERBIG II

The CSX from St.Louis to Cincinnati B&O is in trouble from St. Louis to Illinois.  Very little runs west of Seymour either.

The Illinois sub has had the track cut between Noble, IL and Caseyville, IL.  At present there are no plans to abandon the track, but there are no customers between those points to warrent service.  The other portions of the Illinois Sub remain in operation.  Obviously, no through trains from E.St.Louis to Cincinnati over the former B&O St. Louis Division.

[Norm48327]

BaltACD

GEORGE E HERBIG II

The CSX from St.Louis to Cincinnati B&O is in trouble from St. Louis to Illinois.  Very little runs west of Seymour either.

The Illinois sub has had the track cut between Noble, IL and Caseyville, IL.  At present there are no plans to abandon the track, but there are no customers between those points to warrent service.  The other portions of the Illinois Sub remain in operation.  Obviously, no through trains from E.St.Louis to Cincinnati over the former B&O St. Louis Division.

St Louis: The under-utllized hand off point cause CSX cut the tracks.

[BaltACD]

Norm48327

 

BaltACD

GEORGE E HERBIG II

The CSX from St.Louis to Cincinnati B&O is in trouble from St. Louis to Illinois.  Very little runs west of Seymour either.

The Illinois sub has had the track cut between Noble, IL and Caseyville, IL.  At present there are no plans to abandon the track, but there are no customers between those points to warrent service.  The other portions of the Illinois Sub remain in operation.  Obviously, no through trains from E.St.Louis to Cincinnati over the former B&O St. Louis Division. 

St Louis: The under-utllized hand off point cause CSX cut the tracks.  

CSX is the only Eastern carrier that terminates at E.St.Louis.  NS via it's acquisition of the Wabash in N&W days goes to Kansas City.  St. Louis is not and never has been a gateway to rival Chicago.

In as much as I hired out at Washington, IN - the decline of the former Ohio & Mississippi <B&O Southwestern<B&O<CSX line is near to my heart!

[DavidnIllinois]

The tracks have 10 or so trains a day and have for a couple of years.  The Epworth mine near Carmi closed.  Coal is transported from Sugar Camp Mine near Akin and Hamilton County Coal near Delafield to Mt. Vernon, IN barge terminal and the power plant west of Evansville.  The former Inland Steel Mine near McLeansboro is used as a grain terminal and along with the Enfield facility ships cargo to Mt. Vernon, IN.  Traffic from the Nashville area also flows east but not familiar with the frequency of that segment.