Indian Creek Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Indian Creek Railroad is a short-line railroad in Madison County, Indiana
, United States
. The 4.55 miles (7.3 km) line is owned by Rydman & Fox, an agricultural products and services company, and connects their property at 40°11′30"N 85°44′40"W with the Norfolk Southern Railway
's Marion Branch in northern Anderson, carrying outbound grain
and inbound fertilizer
.
The company's sole locomotive
is an Alco RS-11 diesel
numbered 6002, delivered new to the Southern Pacific Company in May 1959. The Indian Creek Railroad acquired it in 1982 and rebuilt it in 1996.
, which operated it as the Richmond Branch, the southern half of a main line between Cincinnati and Chicago. It last saw passenger service in 1971 as part of the Penn Central Transportation Company, and survived as a continuous freight line until the formation of Conrail in 1976. At that time, the Norfolk and Western Railway
acquired most of the line south of New Castle. Much of the remainder, including the present Indian Creek Railroad, remained with the trustees of the bankrupt Penn Central. However, thanks to local funding, Conrail operated the short piece between the ex-New York Central Railroad
Dow Secondary north of Anderson and Frankton under contract
as the Indian Creek Secondary Track, named for a minor tributary of the White River
that it crosses. (The first 2.2 miles (3.5 km), mostly within yard limits, was acquired outright by Conrail, and went to the Norfolk Southern Railway
in 1999.) The Indian Creek Railroad took over operations on July 20, 1980.
Madison County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 133,358 people, 53,052 households, and 36,234 families residing in the county. The population density was 295 people per square mile . There were 56,939 housing units at an average density of 126 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 4.55 miles (7.3 km) line is owned by Rydman & Fox, an agricultural products and services company, and connects their property at 40°11′30"N 85°44′40"W with the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Marion Branch in northern Anderson, carrying outbound grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
and inbound fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
.
The company's sole locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
is an Alco RS-11 diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
numbered 6002, delivered new to the Southern Pacific Company in May 1959. The Indian Creek Railroad acquired it in 1982 and rebuilt it in 1996.
History
The trackage was part of a line between Richmond and Logansport, completed by the Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad in 1857. This eventually became part of the system of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, which operated it as the Richmond Branch, the southern half of a main line between Cincinnati and Chicago. It last saw passenger service in 1971 as part of the Penn Central Transportation Company, and survived as a continuous freight line until the formation of Conrail in 1976. At that time, the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
acquired most of the line south of New Castle. Much of the remainder, including the present Indian Creek Railroad, remained with the trustees of the bankrupt Penn Central. However, thanks to local funding, Conrail operated the short piece between the ex-New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
Dow Secondary north of Anderson and Frankton under contract
Conrail contract service
The Consolidated Rail Corporation provided subsidized passenger and freight contract service from the beginning of operations in 1976 through the 1980s. Conrail operated commuter trains until the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 transferred then to local authorities...
as the Indian Creek Secondary Track, named for a minor tributary of the White River
White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
that it crosses. (The first 2.2 miles (3.5 km), mostly within yard limits, was acquired outright by Conrail, and went to the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
in 1999.) The Indian Creek Railroad took over operations on July 20, 1980.