NJI&I: New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois Railroad

(Update: Substreet took photos of the roundhouse)

The Singer Sewing Machine Company did not like its rail service in South Bend, IN. (It appears Grand Trunk Western and a subsidiary of NYC ran by the south side of their plants.) So they built an 11.4 mile railroad south to the Wabash Railroad at Pine Junction. In 1926, they sold the line to Wabash, but Wabash managed it as the NJI&I subsidiary. NS abandoned it soon after they acquired the line in 1982. [Monon]

Gary Sturm posted
NJI&I NW2 #2 (New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois RR) at South Bend, Indiana in 1974.
The Singer Sewing Machine Company created the NJI&I RR in 1905 to serve itself and the Studebaker Automotive plant. The railroad is named for the three states where Singer had factories. The railroad was 11.4 miles long and ran from South Bend, Indiana south to Pine on the Wabash 4th District. The NJI&I RR was purchased by the Wabash RR in1926 but was operated as a separate company until the N&W and Southern merger. The line was abandoned and removed in the late 1990's.
Richard Fiedler: I can remember about 1969 or so my brother Bob and I saw #2 go south to Decatur via Landers yard(ex-Wabash) in Chicago. It was then painted in faded Wabash black with the typical yellow stripes on the pilots. About 2 weeks later we saw #2 again but headed north through Landers bound to Pine but this time in brand new glossy Pevler Blue paint as pictured. I wonder what happened to the steam locomotive headlight on the roundhouse roof?

It is easy to find the treelines of the two Wabash lines, and follow the NJI&I up to South Bend. I could not trace it through South Bend until I saw the posting about its office and depot.

Satellite

Looking at old topo maps and a 1967 aerial photo, it crossed the NYC and GTW and curved east and paralleled on the north side of GTW to Ford Street where it turned north to its shops and office-depot. We can still see a treeline where it curved.

After it curved east, several industrial spurs branched out into the buildings south of Sample Street. In fact, we can see the treeline of the western industrial branch along the top of the satellite image. I assume some or all of that land used to be the location of the Singer plant.

(Update: in this map of abandoned railroads, the NJI&I is the light green line along the left and the Wabash mainline is the blue line along the bottom.) Norfolk Southern uses the tracks in the urban area to service industries.

AbanMap (posted)

Josh Lemier updated

Here we see the Wabash Railroad 486 and 485 leading a local on the NJI&I branch at South Bend, Indiana in 1958.

Photo Credit To Louis Rague.
Rick La Fever New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois Railroad. Long name for a shortline owned by a sewing machine company!
Dennis DeBruler It was for the three states that Singer had plants in. Originally the South Bend plant was built for cabinet making to take advantage of the hardwood trees still standing in Indiana.