Ivanhoe Junction: CN/EJ&E vs. IHB and CSX/NYC/MC

(CRJ, Satellite)

IHB is parallel to and north of the NYC/Michigan Central tracks. Historic Aerials shows the tower still existed in 1967 in the southwest quadrant of the EJ&E and MC crossing. The tower is not in the 1998 image.

Peter Zimmermann posted

Ivanhoe Indiana:
Part of Gary, Ivanhoe is host to the crossing of the[historically] main line of the Michigan Central Railroad[now CSX], Indiana Harbor Belt's "Gary & Western" branch and the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway[now CN Railway]. The tower is long gone.
It was near this location in 1918 that a terrible wreck involving a circus train that killed many people and animals.
Photo by Mark Hinsdale.
Mark Hinsdale posted
"No Orders"
An eastbound Conrail manifest train, rolling at a good clip, is about to bang across the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern main line at "Ivanhoe," in Gary, Indiana.  At first, I thought the engineer was about to reach for orders, but he was actually preparing to give me a wave!  There were no orders or messages at Ivanhoe for 6559 East on this day; the hoops were both lowered.  And, if that standard, cast iron New York Central "Ivanhoe" station sign strikes a chord, it's because this route, by this time Conrail's Porter Branch, was once the Michigan Central's primary Chicago to Detroit artery.
John Katz: I have heard engineers bitterly complain whenever they had an EMD/GE consist and the GE was on the lead.  July, 1977 photo by Mark Hinsdale
Mark Hinsdale shared
Mark Hinsdale shared

Larry Candilas commented on Mark's post
Conrail track chart - 1992

Larry Candilas commented on Mark's first share
March 1979 - they finally got around to issuing some orders!

  

Matt Lasayko updated
Wayne Hudak Ivanhoe! I grew up about a mile from there. Also immediately east of there was the infamous Michigan Central-Cicus train wreck of 1918. Even had relatives attend Ivanhoe Elementary school.

George M Stupar posted
March 1979, Gary IN, Orders on the fly at Ivanhoe (EJ&E crossing). Eastbound on the Michigan Central Porter Branch.

Dale Burkhalter posted
Picking up orders at Ivanhoe, going over the Porter Branch & from Hammond, Indiana then through Gary.
Mark Bilecki Sr. Ivanhoe tower now gone, there about 10 years ago, also the sight of the circus train disaster in 1918 on June 23. Will be 100 year anniversary in 2 years.

I wonder if the lower arm of the Iron Man is designed for the conductor to stand on the bottom step of the caboose. I notice he is kneeling and having to reach rather far.

You can see the end of a boom and a clamshell bucket of an EJ&E MoW crane peeking out from behind the tower. The caboose is on NYC/Michigan Central. The background train would be IHB. The tower is at milepost 259.5 on the MC. West of this tower, IHB operates MC track as well as their own.

Jeff Wolfe posted four photos with the comment: "Thanks for allowing me into the group - I may have a few things to offer in the future! Ivanhoe Tower with operator "'Big Bob Jones'."

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George M Stupar posted a 1979 photo of the IHB route that includes the Ivanhoe Tower and some semaphores.

Rick La Fever: I was told by a operator at Ivanhoe Tower that the land around the interlocking is considered a graveyard because of the circus train wreck in 1918.

George M Stupar: Rick La Fever Yes Rick, according to the book "No Performance Today" it was one of the worst train wrecks ever.

Mike Breski posted a Tuch photo with another photo provided by Matt Lasayko. Mikes comment indicates the tower was closed in 1995.

I presume this is the circus train wreck mentioned above.

Indiana Historical Bureau posted

On June 22, 1918, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus Train was struck in the rear by an army troop train near Hammond. An estimated eighty-six were killed and another 100+ injured. It is considered one of the worst train wrecks in U.S. history. There were no circus animals on the train involved in the accident. The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, formed in 1907, was headquartered in Peru, Indiana.

Better link: https://bit.ly/2S3Je8k

The image below [above], showing the scene of the wreck, is from the June 25, 1918 issue of the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Telegraph.

["By the turn of the 20th century, nearly 100 circuses roamed the United States." I keep forgetting that they did not have smart phones, TV, radio, movies, etc. for entertainment back then. This circus was the nations third largest and it used two trains to travel.]