Conrail's Indianapolis Line

Conrail's Indianapolis Line is the ex NYC mainline from Cleveland, OH to Indianapolis, IN. This double track mainline was known by many names, the most popular being the Big Four line(name of a NYC predecessor), and the other being the Bee Line which dates back to the original builder of the line from the 1850's. Its also the home terroritory of our friend and fellow member Pat Livingston, who dispatched this line during his career with NYC, PC, and CR.

ATSF 6381 at Anderson, IN

A pair of Santa Fe Uboats, including ATSF 6381, rest in the small, modest Conrail engine facility at South Anderson Yards on April 8, 1982. While the yard still exists(2010), the engine facility does not, making this a rather rare shot. Kevin Nelson photo with permission

CR 2566 with STBN-7 at Union City, OH

STBN-7 with the 2566 and a GE for power at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 3289

CR 3289 leads a Triple Crown train past the diamonds with CSX at CP54 in Greenwich, OH in this undated photo. Jay Williams photo, Chris Howe collection

CR 3344 on Mail-44 at Muncie, IN

CR 3344 leads Mail-44 thru Muncie, IN on December 20, 1996 as NS 144 waits for the signal in the background at the left of the photo.

CR 3377 and TV-4M tread it's way through Indianapolis Union Station and by IU Tower. January 12, 1997

Eastbound TV-4M tread it's way through Indianapolis Union Station and by IU Tower. Early Sunday morning on a cold January 12, 1997

CR 4020 leading OCS at Muncie, IN

A short OCS train heads west on Conrails Big Four at CP-230 bound for Indianapolis on track 2 meeting a eastbound Auto Rack train on August 25, 1997. Kevin Nelson photo with permission

CR 4022 on OCS train

Conrail Office Car Special passenger train with CR 4022 on the point heads toward Indianapolis on the Indianapolis line at Woodbury, IN on June 16, 1984.

CR 4100 with STIN-7 at Union City, OH

STIN-7 with the class SD80MAC, 4100, on the point at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 5513 on SEIN-9 at Crestline, OH

CR 5513 and a CSX EMD leads train SEIN-9 on the Indianapolis line at Crestline, OH on May 29, 1999. Chris Howe photo

CR 5517 with Mail-4 at Union City, OH

Conrail Mail-4 with the 5517 on the point leads off the day at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 5523 on TV6 at Greenwich, OH

Conrail 5523, a SD70 and another EMD power train TV6 thru Greenwhich, OH on April 10, 1999. Chris Howe photo, which was taken on my birthday

CR 5637 on Mail-4 at Union City, IN

CR 5637 and friends powers Mail-4 past the old passenger depot in Union City, IN on March 19, 1997

CR 6067 on ML403X at Crestline, OH

CR 6067 and friend lead ML403X at Crestline, OH on May 29, 1999. This train is on the Indianapolis line as it prepares to cross the old PRR at Crest Tower.

CR 6080 west at Marshall, IL

CR 6080, 6703, and a EMD leads a westbound freight at Marshall, IL on April 25, 1998

CR 6109 at Crestline, OH 1996

Conrail C40-8W 6109 leads a northbound (eastbound time table direction) loaded coal train through Crestline, OH sometime between Nov and Dec in 1996. This train is moving on Conrail's Indianapolis Line (ex-NYC mainline) after having just come through Galion, OH. It is crossing over the diamond which is Conrail's Fort Wayne Line (ex-PRR Phila-Chicago mainline). In the background is Crestline tower and behind it the connecting track between the 2 mainlines. At this time, the ex-PRR shops at Crestline were still standing, but were pretty much abandoned. The Indy Line is now CSX; the Fort Wayne line is now NS from Pittsburgh to the Crestline diamond. West of the diamond, the FW Line is now the Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern (a regional railroad).

UPDATE: This tower was torn down by CSX in January 2015

CR 6137 on ELIN-0 Fortville, IN

Conrail ELIN-0 at Fortville, IN on May 20, 1996

CR 6150 Ingalls, IN 05-20-1996

Conrail INGR-0 at Ingalls, IN on May 20, 1996. Note the CNW EMD and GE trailing the 6150

CR 6182, CR 5565 at Berea, OH

An empty hopper train is making its way through Berea, OH in early May of 1997. Leading the consist are CR C40-8W 6182 and CR SD60M 5565. This westbound train is just about to pass Berea tower (CP-194 Chicago Line) and has just come off Cleveland's "Short Line" or "Belt line" (as some call it). It is taking the connecting track over to the Chicago Line. Things look very different now; The start of the Indianapolis Line (in the foreground) is now the double tracked CSX main. The original GRS "Type G" signals in the picture are also gone. The Chicago Line is now NS. The connecting track is still in place and fully signaled, but has been used almost never in the last 10 years (except for occasional derailment reroutes and maintenance equip storage). The former "Big Four" sandstone depot is just to the right of the photo edge, just out of sight.

CR 6189 Fortville, IN 05-20-1996

Conrail 6189 and UP EMD lead INST-0 at Fortville, IN on May 20, 1996

CR 6228 on Mail-44 at Union City, OH

Mail-44, with the 6228 on the point, at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 6229 on COBU-9 at Crestline, OH

CR 6229 and a SD40-2 power COBU-9 as it crosses the diamond of the Indianapolis line with the ex PRR Ft. Wayne line at Crest Tower in Crestline, OH on May 29, 1999. Chris Howe photo

CR 6255 on BUIN-0 at Greenwich, OH

CR 6255 and a EMD power train BUIN-0 thru Greenwich, OH on April 10, 1999. Chris Howe photo, which was taken on my birthday

CR 6277 East meets a westbound at Pendleton, IN

A pair of Conrail freights, the eastbound with CR 6277 and MP 3230, meets on the Indianapolis line near Pendleton, IN in January 1985. Kevin Nelson photo with permission

CR 6467 on SPL-501 at Quincy, OH

A Conrail high-wide movement, symboled SPL-501, with 6467 for power seen at Quincy, OH on Jan. 30, 1996. Quincy is the location of the diamond of the ex DT&I(now a shortline) and the ex NYC Big Four mainline.

CR 6480 on STBN-9 at Winchester, IN

CR 6480 and 6143 power STBN-9 thru Winchester, IN on March 19, 1997

CR 6717 at Galion, OH

Conrail SD50 No. 6717 leads a westbound freight past the former Big Four depot at Galion, OH on September 26, 1994. Doug Davidson photo with permission

CR 6721 West at Fortville, IN

A westbound Conrail freight with 6721 on the point at Fortville, IN on May 20, 1996

CR 6740 leads COIN-7 at Union City, OH

COIN-7 with the 6740 in the lead at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 6780(PRR 5446) on BUIN-0 at Galion, OH

CR 6780, now patched as PRR 5446, and 6860 leads BUIN-0 at Galion, OH on May 29, 1999. This spot, known as Burt back in PC days, is where the line to Columbus, OH diverges off from the Indianapolis line. Back in the day it was also the spot where the ex EL mainline used to cross on its way to Mansfield, OH and the start of the shared PC/EL trackage between here and Marion, OH. Chris Howe photo

CR 6842 and INTO-6 Union City, OH

INTO-6 with the 6842 on the point at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999. This is one of the 3 ex EMD SD60 demonstrator engines that Conrail purchased outright.

CR 6842 on SWPI-8 at Union City, OH

CR 6842 and a UP EMD leads SWPI-8 through Union City, OH on March 19, 1997

CR 6856 on INCO-7 Union City, OH

INCO-7 with the 6856 on the point at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CR 6857 on ML403X at Greenwich, OH

CR 6857and a NS GE lead train ML403X at Greenwich, OH on April 10, 1999. Chris Howe photo, taken on my birthday

CR 7920 at Mt. Victory, OH

Westbound Conrail work train with the 7920 as its lone power east of Mt. Victory, OH on June 25, 1996

CR 8171 on WSAN-01 5-27-99

Conrail local train WSAN-01, which was based out of nearby Ansonia, OH, at Union City, OH on May 27, 1999

CSXT 2690 Crestline, OH 5-29-1999

CSXT 2690 and 3 more CSX EMD's run engine lite as the ENS-401 at Crestline, OH on May 29, 1999. This lite engine move must have been a special move to qualify CSX engineers on the Indianapolis line because there was a crew member in all four engines and they ran back and forth thru Crestline at least four or five times while I was there that day. Chris Howe photo

LMS 705 east at Effingham, IL

LMS 705 and fellow GE leads a eastbound freight at Effingham, IL on August 15, 1997.

SP 8010 Teutopolis, IL 8-15-1997

SP 8010 and UP 3609 power NLPI-5 at Teutopolis, IL on August 15, 1997.

UP 3223 Marshall, IL 4-25-1998

UP 3223 and friends leads NLPI-5 at Marshall, IL on a rainy day April 25, 1998

UP 3769 Fortville, IN 5-20-1996

UP 3769, 3322, and a GE(along with a couple CR units) leads train COIN-0 at Fortville, IN on May 20, 1996

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