We will be making a railfan trip to western Indiana next weekend Oct 3-4, and were mostly focused on shooting the Indiana Railroad trains in and around Linton, IN, including spending Sat night in town. I know that most days, trains leave Jasonville and Indianapolis in the am, they meet in Switz City in the afternoon, swap crews, then continue their journeys from there. Does anyone know the current times these trains leave in the am and what time they typically meet and swap crews in Switz City?
I'm also not familiar at all with operations south of Linton, and west of Linton out to Newton, how often if ever are the moves south or west of Linton? As far as Hiawatha Yard, I know about the turns to and from Indy, I believe there is also a turn north out of the yard to Terre Haute, any idea what time they operate?
Any info on Indiana Southern Operations in the area, or info on Bear Run Mine is also appreciated, I know its pretty much hit or miss with coal trains in and out of Bear Run.
Thanks in advance!
Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
Re: Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
Recently (last 6 months?) there was an article in Trains Mag about the intermodal traffic on this section and they mentioned the scheduled trains. Unfortunately I don't have the issue anymore but maybe someone else does.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
Re: Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
The short story is on weekends the INRD tends run the stacks a few hours earlier than on weekdays, and to my perception the SAHW only runs on Saturday mornings (I see it in westbound through Bloomington 11am-1pm) and the HWSA only runs on Sunday afternoons (maybe 5-7pm eastbound thru Bloomington).
Last edited by chriiis on Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
Here's the long story:
East of Linton, track speeds are now up to 40mph.
I hear the loaded coal heading to Indianapolis 2-3 times a week in the mornings, about 8am thru Bloomington. I’m not entirely sure when the empties run, I’d guess at roughly the same time or a bit earlier.
As to the manifest with stacks, the SAHW leaves Indy in the early afternoon 3-4 times a week , loosely though Bloomington about 3:30pm on weekdays. The HWSA appears in Bloomington around 7-9pm weekdays. On weekends they tend run a few hours earlier than on weekdays, and to my perception the SAHW only runs on Saturday mornings (I see it in B’ton 11am-1pm) and the HWSA only runs on Sunday afternoons (maybe 5-7pm thru B’ton).
The loaded stone train runs from the Rogers (gravel) Quarry outside of Bloomington to the Merom Generating Station, west of Sullivan. It comes off the ex-Monon branch about 9:30pm 3-4 nights per week, then engines run around the train in the siding downtown before heading west. Again, I am unsure of when the empties return, it might be in the same time slot, it might be in the wee hours.
[Technically there are two more trains east of Linton: the local comes down from Indy as a turn to work the plastics factory and what’s left of the refrigerator factory on the branch in Bloomington, about twice a week, then heads back to Indy. It’s on the branch either 11am or 11pm. I’ve seen it the last few Sunday mornings; Every week or two empty stone from the new taconite plant in Reynolds,IN will load at the quarry often with CSX engines. I’ve only seen it twice, both times in the vicinity of the weekend (take that with a grain of salt) and I believe it has to wait for the quarry to load the hoppers, probably overnight?]
It’s been years since I’ve been west of Linton, there is still coal from Wyoming to the power plant at Newton, it comes via (St.Louis and) Terre Haute. The stacks to Indy come from CN at Newton, and there should be another switcher that works the industries around Robinson,IL especially the chocolate factory and the Marathon oil refinery (the tankcars are a main staple on the HWSA)
The above mostly run east-west across the diamonds at Linton, I believe the trains to Jasonville tend to use the wye at Dugger. I can’t say there’s much south of Linton, the sporadic ammunition trains to+from the Crane Naval base have been ratcheted back with our country’s state of perpetual war. North of Linton, I can’t help you when the coal and manifest runs.
I am quite fuzzy on the Indiana Southern, but it is busier south of Petersburg. There might be occasional coal trains to Edwardsport via Bee Hunter, and maybe another one per week to the Eagle Valley power plant in Martinsville and a dribble of manifest to Indy.
The Goose Pond Wildlife area is not far south of Linton and east of Bear Run, it's a good place to see what birds are migrating south for the winter.
East of Linton, track speeds are now up to 40mph.
I hear the loaded coal heading to Indianapolis 2-3 times a week in the mornings, about 8am thru Bloomington. I’m not entirely sure when the empties run, I’d guess at roughly the same time or a bit earlier.
As to the manifest with stacks, the SAHW leaves Indy in the early afternoon 3-4 times a week , loosely though Bloomington about 3:30pm on weekdays. The HWSA appears in Bloomington around 7-9pm weekdays. On weekends they tend run a few hours earlier than on weekdays, and to my perception the SAHW only runs on Saturday mornings (I see it in B’ton 11am-1pm) and the HWSA only runs on Sunday afternoons (maybe 5-7pm thru B’ton).
The loaded stone train runs from the Rogers (gravel) Quarry outside of Bloomington to the Merom Generating Station, west of Sullivan. It comes off the ex-Monon branch about 9:30pm 3-4 nights per week, then engines run around the train in the siding downtown before heading west. Again, I am unsure of when the empties return, it might be in the same time slot, it might be in the wee hours.
[Technically there are two more trains east of Linton: the local comes down from Indy as a turn to work the plastics factory and what’s left of the refrigerator factory on the branch in Bloomington, about twice a week, then heads back to Indy. It’s on the branch either 11am or 11pm. I’ve seen it the last few Sunday mornings; Every week or two empty stone from the new taconite plant in Reynolds,IN will load at the quarry often with CSX engines. I’ve only seen it twice, both times in the vicinity of the weekend (take that with a grain of salt) and I believe it has to wait for the quarry to load the hoppers, probably overnight?]
It’s been years since I’ve been west of Linton, there is still coal from Wyoming to the power plant at Newton, it comes via (St.Louis and) Terre Haute. The stacks to Indy come from CN at Newton, and there should be another switcher that works the industries around Robinson,IL especially the chocolate factory and the Marathon oil refinery (the tankcars are a main staple on the HWSA)
The above mostly run east-west across the diamonds at Linton, I believe the trains to Jasonville tend to use the wye at Dugger. I can’t say there’s much south of Linton, the sporadic ammunition trains to+from the Crane Naval base have been ratcheted back with our country’s state of perpetual war. North of Linton, I can’t help you when the coal and manifest runs.
I am quite fuzzy on the Indiana Southern, but it is busier south of Petersburg. There might be occasional coal trains to Edwardsport via Bee Hunter, and maybe another one per week to the Eagle Valley power plant in Martinsville and a dribble of manifest to Indy.
The Goose Pond Wildlife area is not far south of Linton and east of Bear Run, it's a good place to see what birds are migrating south for the winter.
Last edited by chriiis on Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
Thank you so much for the reply and the info! We will be traveling to Indianapolis Saturday morning, then heading south from there. So our goal will probably be to catch the SAHW leaving town, and follow it south, that way we can get the shot of it on Tulip Trestle on the way to Bloomington.chriiis wrote:Here's the long story:
East of Linton, track speeds are now up to 40mph.
I hear the loaded coal heading to Indianapolis 2-3 times a week in the mornings, about 8am thru Bloomington. I’m not entirely sure when the empties run, I’d guess at roughly the same time or a bit earlier.
As to the manifest with stacks, the SAHW leaves Indy in the early afternoon 3-4 times a week , loosely though Bloomington about 3:30pm on weekdays. The HWSA appears in Bloomington around 7-9pm weekdays. On weekends they tend run a few hours earlier on weekends, and to my perception the SAHW only runs on Saturday mornings (I see it in B’ton 11am-1pm) and the HWSA only runs on Sunday afternoons (maybe 5-7pm thru B’ton).
The loaded stone train runs from the Rogers (gravel) Quarry outside of Bloomington to the Merom Generating Station, west of Sullivan. It comes off the ex-Monon branch about 9:30pm 3-4 nights per week, then engines run around the train in the siding downtown before heading west. Again, I am unsure of when the empties return, it might be in the same time slot, it might be in the wee hours.
[Technically there are two more trains east of Linton: the local comes down from Indy to work the plastics factory and what’s left of the refrigerator factory on the branch in Bllomington, about twice a week. It’s on the branch either 11am or 11pm. I’ve seen it the last few Sunday mornings; Every week or two empty stone from the new taconite plant in Reynolds,IN will load at the quarry often with CSX engines. I’ve only seen it twice, both times in the vicinity of the weekend (take that with a grain of salt) and I believe it has to wait for the quarry to load the hoppers, probably overnight?]
It’s been years since I’ve been west of Linton, there is still coal from Wyoming to the power plant at Newton, it comes via (St.Louis and) Terre Haute. The stacks to Indy come from CN at Newton, and there should be another switcher that works the industries around Robinson,IL especially the chocolate factory and the Marathon oil refinery (the tankcars are a main staple on the HWSA)
The above mostly run east-west across the diamonds at Linton, I believe the trains to Jasonville tend to use the wye at Dugger. I can’t say there’s much south of Linton, the sporadic ammunition trains to+from the Crane Naval base have been ratcheted back with our country’s state of perpetual war. North of Linton, I can’t help you when the coal and manifest runs.
I am quite fuzzy on the Indiana Southern, but it is busier south of Petersburg. There might be occasional coal trains to Edwardsport via Bee Hunter, and maybe another one per week to the Eagle Valley power plant in Martinsville and a dribble of manifest to Indy.
The Goose Pond Wildlife area is not far south of Linton and east of Bear Run, it's a good place to see what birds are migrating south for the winter.
Re: Indiana RR operations around Linton, IN?
No problem. i haven't puttered around Senate Ave Yard since they've started running the stacks, it used to be that if there was a train ready to go the front end would be peaking out south of the IU Belt overpass, clearly visible from the Raymond St. overpass, which may or may not still be true.strugglin wrote: Thank you so much for the reply and the info! We will be traveling to Indianapolis Saturday morning, then heading south from there. So our goal will probably be to catch the SAHW leaving town, and follow it south, that way we can get the shot of it on Tulip Trestle on the way to Bloomington.
There's a slight discrepancy in your reply: the Shuffle Creek trestle is on the way from Indy to Bloomington, and then the Tulip Trestle is on the way from B'ton to Linton. [I'd be duly impressed if you could outrace the train from Shuffle Creek trestle to the Tulip Trestle with the new track speeds.]
Good luck