Iowa Pacific Hoosier State Chicago Facility

[TSS]

Where did Iowa Pacific service its Hoosier State trainset in Chicago? What became of the faculty when IP went bankrupt?

[Schteinkuh]

AFAIK, Amtrak darn near bullied them out of existence partially because it was a pain in the ass for IPH maintenance employees to enter the property in Chicago. I believe they used the tracks in the yard where they put private cars, out near the river. As for the faculty, who knows. All the IPH guys I know stayed in the industry to some capacity.

[TSS]

AFAIK, Amtrak darn near bullied them out of existence partially because it was a pain in the ass for IPH maintenance employees to enter the property in Chicago.

They also had a fenced in storage track somewhere nearby with a pit to inspect their locomotives. I just can’t remember where it was.

Yes, I’m sure Amtrak made it a pain and enforced the letter of the law on IP equipment. But Ed Ellis’s track record of unpaid vendors, cancelled contracts, and multiple bankruptcies speaks for itself. He dreamed big beautiful dreams but never made them work in the real world.

[Schteinkuh]

Oh believe me I am not selling EE's accountability short by any means. It might still exist today if literally anybody else ran it

[TSS]

I believe they used the tracks in the yard where they put private cars, out near the river. As for the faculty, who knows.

When they were launching service, IP built a pit on the Chicago Terminal to do the FRA inspection of the locomotives. Ed Ellis posted some pics to Trainorders of the pit; I’m not sure where it was (Goose Island or one of the tracks kit by Bensenville).

That’s what made me think they had something in Chicago. But none of the Chicago Terminal tracks look suitable. So I’m guessing that was a one time thing for the locomotives.

Found a reference to a storage track leased from CSX between Indy and Beech Grove. That’s probably where the train lived. It probably sat in Chicago only long enough to for it’s next run and/or deadhead back to Indiana on the back of the Cardinal.

[NS3322]

I believe they used the tracks in the yard where they put private cars, out near the river. As for the faculty, who knows.

When they were launching service, IP built a pit on the Chicago Terminal to do the FRA inspection of the locomotives. Ed Ellis posted some pics to Trainorders of the pit; I’m not sure where it was (Goose Island or one of the tracks kit by Bensenville).

That’s what made me think they had something in Chicago. But none of the Chicago Terminal tracks look suitable. So I’m guessing that was a one time thing for the locomotives.

Found a reference to a storage track leased from CSX between Indy and Beech Grove. That’s probably where the train lived. It probably sat in Chicago only long enough to for it’s next run and/or deadhead back to Indiana on the back of the Cardinal.

For some reason I remember reading it was in Bensenville...