Saturday, March 7, 2015

CKIN: C&I: Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad Overview

Shortlines, this has a link to a photo album at the bottom

Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad
When I was studying the map to research the Panhandle route and its access to Chicago, I noticed that LaCrosse still had railroad service even though the Panhandle, C&O, and northern Monon have been abandoned in general. It turns out that when the C&O filed for abandonment on Novemeber 3, 2003, the town of North Judson bought the remnant of the C&O between Malden and North Judson and the remnant of a Pere Marquette branch line between LaCrosse and Wellsboro so that it can connect to the former B&O mainline of CSX. It also connects to NS/NKP in Thomaston. Even though CN/GTW goes through Wellsboro, it does not have a connection with it.

CKIN now handles more than 2,500 carloads annually. To quote their web page:
The CKIN primarily services grain elevators in Malden and Wellsboro, but also delivers fertilizer to LaCrosse. This short line railroad also delivers to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson.
Track has been upgraded so that modern 286,000 pound rail cars can be used to move grain and fertilizer.

Photo on CKIN Photos
Another grain elevator (Malden) uses a GP9 for its local switching needs. (We saw an ex-C&O GP9 at the Olney grain elevator.) I hope they leave this locomotive in the Santa Fe livery. (Update: a video at the end of Malden shows the locomotive is still in Sante Fe livery as of Aug, 2020. That video also includes CKIN locomotives in DM&IR, EJ&E and NS liveries.)

Photo on CKIN Photos
It appears that 3-bay covered hoppers can carry fertilizer as well as grain.

Their photo page indicates this grain elevator is in Union Mills. But that must be were the post office is. The map indicates it is in Wellsboro.

Photo on CKIN Photos
Satellite
























Satellite
I learned this week that English Lake is next to the Kankakee River, so I looked for the bridge on a satellite map. You can clearly see the abandoned Panhandle to the left of the former C&O, including the old bridge.

The EJ&E paint scheme of orange with a logo that has a green background lives on even though CN is repainting the EJ&E engines. I could not find a "roster shot" to get a clearer image of their logo.

Photo on CKIN Photos
Updates:
Ken Durkel posted in Facebook
Ken Durkel posted in Facebook
Ken Durkel posted in Facebook
Ken Durkel posted in Facebook
Ken Durkel posted
Chesapeake & Indiana Extra 811 West taking 45 empties to Malden, Indiana at 1:30 this afternoon. Ex C&O Chicago Division main.Ken Durkel Also should say on the long end running of 811, old school with no after market ditch lights. Not needed anyway since they do not exceed 20 mph, but does give it that old time look.....
Ken Durkel posted
Northbound Chesapeake & Indiana, crossing the NS Chicago District (ex NKP) at Thomaston, Indiana. This diamond is a one-way low speed (OWLS) diamond. I took this on 08/11/2015.
They are taking some fertilizer cars north from LaCosse to Union Mills. This is the ex Pere Marquette Later C&O, New Buffalo-LaCrosse Branch.
I saved this photo because of the information provided by the comment. I assume that it has something to do with the C&I no longer allowing the museum to run demo trains from North Judson over the Kankakee River. I believe they used to run to La Crosse.
Ken Durkel posted
Light power on the Chesapeake & Indiana, northbound, passing the northward home signal protecting the CF&E crossing at Hanna, Indiana. September 06, 2016. Mile post 9 is mileage north of LaCrosse. Track is ex Pere Marquette, later C&O, New Buffalo, MI-LaCrosse, IN Branch.

Michael Moran I heard that they are still trying to get this operation out and get LSRC in.
Not sure how all that is going.
Steven W Panek posted two photos with the comment: "A couple of photos of Chesapeake and Indiana SD-M 815 (ex EJ&E 815) tied down for the Memorial Day weekend at Thomaston, Indiana on 5/26/19."
It looks like they are making enough money that they can afford a fresh paint job. More significantly, it looks like it is pulling a hopper of ballast and that it is setting on track that has plenty of fresh ballast. So they are plowing some earnings back into the railroad.
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(new window)  (source)
Eric Posey One of those have been repainted in Southern colors.


Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad Plans Track Upgrades (source)
Wayne Hudak Upgrades will allow "up to 10mph for freight trains"? How bad is that track? gee

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