C&O (Cardinal) route, from Peru IN - Chicago IL.

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ParanoidAndroid

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What route did the Cardinal use from Peru IN to Gary IN in the 1980s? I identified the Gary station the train used, at Lake St & Miller Ave, a little bit of east of main Gary. The problem is, I don't see a route from there, going east, to the abandoned tracks out of Peru IN.

I found a possible (and most likely) route, going to North Judson, and then to La Crosse IN, but I don't know from there. Did it make a huge detour, somehow, to get to Gary?

I confirmed it went through North Judson IN because the railway museum website, or something, said so. It probably wouldn't lie about that.

If the Cardinal hadn't went through Gary, it would have easily went from North Judson, to Griffith, then join with the Erie & Lackawanna into Chicago (the tracks there are also torn up), also called the Wabash Subdivision on the C&O. But it goes through that mentioned Gary station, which messes everything up.

Any answers?
 
After Googling around a bit, I found that trains on the C&O of Indiana originally used the Erie-Lackawana to reach Chicago. After the E-L was abandoned west of Griffith, Ind., the trains (apparently also including the Cardinal), used another C&O route north of LaCrosse, Ind. to connect up with the old B&O east-west route and ran on that into Chicago. The Gary stop was probably the old B&O station in Gary.
 
Wow. I am silly for not seeing this. On the C&O track going north into Wellsboro IN, there's a bit of cleared forest, and there was probably a connecting track from there onto the B&O track from Nappanee into Chicago. Thank you!
 
Rode the Riley in the late 70s numerous times between Marion, IN and Chicago. Sorry I can't remember the details of our Chicago routing, but for some reason I have clear mental pictures of Wellsboro. (although I will certainly yield to the experts) I remember approaching the B&O from the south, crossing over, then backing through the connecting track in the NE corner. After the crawl from Peru, the fast running on the B&O was greatly enjoyed.
 
I remember earlier, when the Riley went via Indianapolis on the Big Four route to Chicago's Central Station via the IC at Kankakee.... :)
 
I do see that on the older schedules. It went through Kankakee, then to Lafayette south to Indy.

Also, the backing into the connecting track on the NE corner thing, brings you onto a separate set of double tracks, going west-south-west to Valparaiso, then going to Chicago, not through Gary. That was probably one of the even older routings of the Cardinal :) .
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]This doesn't really relate to your question because it is south of Peru but....[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]In the early eighties, I was working for a company in Cambridge City, Indiana. During the summer, a group of us would have lunch outside on the north side of the warehouse facing the east-west double tracks which were about three blocks away. Most of the route through Cambridge City was 20 to 30 feet above the surrounding area. Because of this, it was easy to see the westbound Amtrak every evening (lunch was 8:00 to 8:30) when it passed through. If memory serves correctly, it was always within ten minutes of being the same time. Maybe the double tracks helped with being on time. I have no idea where the train turned north, as the track pretty well paralleled US 40. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]One night I said something about not seeing the train for quite a while and was informed that it was due to the tracks no longer being there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Yesterday, I was coming back from Indianapolis on 40 just to be different, and thought about this thread when I saw the old roadbed and noticed how quickly it is being reclaimed by trees. From Knightstown to Dunrieth, the old roadbed is right next to the road. From Dunrieth eastward, the route angles slightly south and then due east again, taking it a half mile or so away from US 40. Between Cambridge City and Centerville, the tracks crossed overhead to the north side of 40 and stayed there at least as far as Richmond. This was a lot straighter than the current route between Connersville and the next town east, Liberty. The fifth crossing east bound from Connersville is county road 450 east. A little north of that crossing, 450 intersects with the mostly due east, Springersville Road. With minor bends and a name change as it crosses into Union county, the road runs due east to Liberty and US 27. It is eight or so miles between the 450/Springersville road intersection and US 27. In that distance, the road and tracks cross each other four times.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]In the late 1960s, the little town of Dunrieth was the site of a spectacular explosion of a tank car. Our house in Connersville was probably thirty miles away (at least) and the shock wave shook the house like the explosion had been a block away.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Pardon the hijack, and please excuse the ramblings of somebody who has too many memories of yore. [/SIZE]
 
I rode the James Whitcomb Riley between Chicago and Cincinnati in October of 1978 via the former C&O freight line through Indiana. The train went past the former NYC/B&O Station in Gary, but I don't remember the train stopping in Gary. If it did stop, it was before that point. The local stops in Indiana were not very well patronized because there had not been passenger service for years. I had ridden the JWR many times on the original former Big Four route via Kankakee, Indianapolis and Shelbyville which was the best rail route from Chicago to Cincinnati and had 5 trains each way as late as the 1950s. The State of Indiana should have bought this route as it would have been perfect for an upgrade to high speed rail, but unfortunately, most has been abandoned.
 
The Amtrak South Wind, later renamed 'Floridian', shared the 'Big Four' route with the Riley between Chicago and Indianapolis when Amtrak began, But soon, it reverted to its pre-Amtrak PRR route via Logansport. Later on when the Riley/Cardinal rerouted to the C&O line across Indiana, the Floridian after trying the C&EI, finally settled on the Monon to reach Louisville. It was a period of severe track deterioration due to deferred maintenance, that finally was relieved, when the government allowed railroads to "rationalize" (shrink) their excessive parallel routes, and concentrate on a few main lines....

It was interesting to be a railfan in that era, when trains were in search of good trackage.... ;)
 
maxbuskirk said:
Wow. I am silly for not seeing this. On the C&O track going north into Wellsboro IN, there's a bit of cleared forest, and there was probably a connecting track from there onto the B&O track from Nappanee into Chicago. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Yes the Cardinal took the C&O to LaCrosse where it took the old C&O line to Michigan (which was cut back to Wellsboro) and used the balloon track at Wellsboro to connect on to the B&O to Chicago and that's why it end up going through Gary.


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk
 
No. Peru is much more in Central Indiana, up the road from Indianapolis. Small-ish community (though of some importance, with its circus history and being the birthplace of Cole Porter) with busy rail junctions/crossings.
 
Oh, now that I see these pictures, I think I recall seeing that building. Though I don't think that there are tracks there any longer. That which remains active is a bit to the north, if I remember correctly.
 
I wonder what the deal was with those two buses that seem to be loading or alighting at the Amtrak parking lot in one photo.
 
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