Valpo

[Shorthaul]

My stepbrother and stepsister are moving to Valparaiso, IN with their mom. How many trains on how many lines does valpo see daily?

[Mr. Tops]

Valpo has the CN ex-GTW, which sees 15-ish trains daily; the CFE which MAY see 2 on a GOOD day? and then the NS ex-NKP between Chicago and Ft. Wayne, which I not sure about traffic-wise but probably sees 15-20 or so? So, in 24 hours you can probably see 30 trains, 40 on a good day.

[Typhoon]

Also the Garrett sub skirts the north side of Valpo just west of Woodville. You are about 6 miles from downtown Valpo, but still in the city limits.

[redside20]

Yes the CN runs on the north side of Valpo and both the NS and CFE run on the south side of town, CN is single track through town, NS has a siding and CFE is single track. West of town is a place called Spriggsboro and is where all these lines meet. All interlockings cross at grade, and CN returns to double track, 4 miles west of the diamonds at a place called Sedley. CN resumes their double trackage about 5 miles east of Valpo as well at Haskells i believe. CFE and NS parallel each other from Spriggsboro (Wayne) to Hobart Indiana 20 miles from Valpo. Other places to railfan near Valpo are Laporte, Wellsboro, Griffith, and Hobart.

[MSchwiebert]

Spriggsboro is also where the eastern connection track is in place between the CF&E and the NS (NKP) to allow the two to be run as two main tracks. This was installed in the 1990's when NS purchased the (then) moribound former PRR from Conrail as their former NKP line was at capacity. NS eventually purchased the entire former PRR from Hobart to Fort Wayne and used it to relieve congestion on the former NKP line.
With the 1999 split of Conrail, the NS turned the former PRR main over to CSX who later leased it to RailAmerica which operates it as the CF&E. I haven't been out that way in several years so I don't know if the NS still uses the Hobart/Spriggsboro part as a second main or not.

Yes the CN runs on the north side of Valpo and both the NS and CFE run on the south side of town, CN is single track through town, NS has a siding and CFE is single track. West of town is a place called Spriggsboro and is where all these lines meet. All interlockings cross at grade, and CN returns to double track, 4 miles west of the diamonds at a place called Sedley. CN resumes their double trackage about 5 miles east of Valpo as well at Haskells i believe. CFE and NS parallel each other from Spriggsboro (Wayne) to Hobart Indiana 20 miles from Valpo. Other places to railfan near Valpo are Laporte, Wellsboro, Griffith, and Hobart.