Kevin Piper posted a history and some photos.
Nick Muellman posted two photos with the comment: "Then and now (2) in hartsdale."
Walt Fles Schererville Indiana westbound on the joliet branch of the Michigan Central railroad
Joseph Tuch Santucci Hartsdale is an area in Schererville, IN named for Aaron Norton Hart, the man who saw the potential fir this region, drained the Samos and helped develop the area. He acquired thousands of acres of land here from the federal government and was instrumental in getting the first railroad through, then more later. Michigan Central subsidiary Joliet & Northern Indiana came through here in 1854. The neighboring town of Dyer is named after Hart's wife. Her maiden name was Dyer. Schererville was plated in 1865 by Nicholas Scherer, a civil engineer involved in the building of the Panhandle Great Eastern, a subsidiary of the PRR.
The Hartsdale estate was located a little northwest of here. At one point in time eight railroads in NW Indiana crossed land owned by Hart and he and his family were grated free transportation as part of the deal to cross his land.
The blue line on the satellite image below was the PRR/Panhandle; the yellow line was the NYC/Michigan Central branch to Joliet; and the red line is the CN/EJ&E.
Both the PRR and NYC routes became part of Conrail.
Fortunately Walt Fles' comment indicates that the train is westbound on the Joliet branch of the Michigan Central. So it is crossing the Panhandle tracks.
I'm surprised that we cannot see the EJ&E tracks just to the south (right) of the MC tracks because they paralleled each other through this area. I'm also surprised that the Google satellite image still shows track on the MC RoW. A 2005 map shows it is abandoned. It is certainly abandoned where I-57 crosses it. It is now the Old Plank Road Trail. The satellite image indicates that the MC branch still goes to the Ford Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights. But it is weed invested. So it must be out-of-service, not abandoned.
We must be looking southeast and the railroad bridge in the left middle would be the NYC/Kankakee Belt over the Panhandle.
Update: fortunately, Matt McClure posted four photos and discussed dates of abandonment in a public group.
Ken Durkel posted two photos with the comment:
Jim Klamo Tower is gone, Steel bridge is now a concrete bridge and the rails are gone. Was all dismantled with the construction of the new US 41 Bridge and the breakup of Conrail.
Nick Muellman posted two photos with the comment: "Then and now (2) in hartsdale."
Walt Fles Schererville Indiana westbound on the joliet branch of the Michigan Central railroad
Joseph Tuch Santucci Hartsdale is an area in Schererville, IN named for Aaron Norton Hart, the man who saw the potential fir this region, drained the Samos and helped develop the area. He acquired thousands of acres of land here from the federal government and was instrumental in getting the first railroad through, then more later. Michigan Central subsidiary Joliet & Northern Indiana came through here in 1854. The neighboring town of Dyer is named after Hart's wife. Her maiden name was Dyer. Schererville was plated in 1865 by Nicholas Scherer, a civil engineer involved in the building of the Panhandle Great Eastern, a subsidiary of the PRR.
The Hartsdale estate was located a little northwest of here. At one point in time eight railroads in NW Indiana crossed land owned by Hart and he and his family were grated free transportation as part of the deal to cross his land.
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| 1 [The Pennsylvania truss bridge in the background was replaced with fill in Nov, 2015. The foreground truss has been replaced by the concrete bridge shown below.] |
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I'm surprised that we cannot see the EJ&E tracks just to the south (right) of the MC tracks because they paralleled each other through this area. I'm also surprised that the Google satellite image still shows track on the MC RoW. A 2005 map shows it is abandoned. It is certainly abandoned where I-57 crosses it. It is now the Old Plank Road Trail. The satellite image indicates that the MC branch still goes to the Ford Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights. But it is weed invested. So it must be out-of-service, not abandoned.
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| Wayne Hudak commented on a Nick Muellman share Some historian from Hammond posted this some time ago. An aerial shot of the Rt41 bridge, also showing the RR bridge, 1949. |
Update: fortunately, Matt McClure posted four photos and discussed dates of abandonment in a public group.
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| Bill Molony shared Pennsylvania's train #72, the "Red Bird," passes the tower at Hartsdale, Indiana while crossing the New York Central and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern on November 26, 1965. Roger Puta photo. Wayne Hudak Nothing in this scene, aside from a rebuilt Rt41 bridge and the former EJ&E route, exists today. Bill Molony shared again PRR E8A 5803 with Train 72, The Red Bird, passing the Hartsdale, Indiana Tower and crossing the NYC and EJ&E on November 26, 1965. A Roger Puta photograph. Wayne Hudak I had previously posted this photo on the Remember the PRR Panhandle. They went nuts! BTW, that train carried the Chi-Log-Cin RPO. It was gone by 1969. By 1970 we had only 2 RPO's left out of the Gary Post Office. PRR's PITT Train and NYC's BUF-CHI train (both PC then). they were gone by 1971. I always got to load the PRR's PITT train's RPO. |
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| Ken Durkel commented on Bill's share I took this in 1987. BTW, a little trivia. The tower and track was damaged in a derailment in 1967. When that happened, the PRR decided to single track their line across the EJ&E and the Joliet Branch. The Pennsy remained double track on either side of the plant, but was single track only over the diamonds. Ken Durkel posted The Conrail local works at Hartsdale Tower in Schererville, Indiana in early 1987. U.S. 41 looms overhead. |
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| Ken Durkel posted
A Conrail local has just come of the ex Michigan Central Joliet Branch and onto Conrail's ex PRR Logansport Line at Hartsdale Tower in Schererville, Indiana in early 1987. The old home signal to the right is long out of service, the plant is governed by this time only by the dwarf signal in the distance. Operator Everett Swanson already has the route lined and the dwarf displays restricting.
In 1967, a derailment here damaged the plant and part of the tower. When the PRR rebuilt the plant, they single tracked the Pennsy over the MC and EJ&E crossing, but the line remained double track on either side of the diamonds. By the time of this photo the only Conrail traffic was this local.
The overhead bridge is U.S. 41, a bridge long since replaced.
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| Ken Durkel posted Looking west down the ex Michigan Central Joliet Branch in January, 1987, in Schererville, Indiana. U.S. 41 (Indianapolis Blvd.) is the highway crossing overhead. Just beyond the bridge is Hartsdale Tower, which controlled the PRR Panhandle Line's crossing of the Michigan Central and the parallel EJ&E. |
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| Kevin Piper posted EJ&E 925 is westbound at Hartsdale, Indiana, on a humid and hazy 7-24-71. Hartsdale was the crossing of the PRR Panhandle Line. LOUIS CERNY PHOTO/KEVIN PIPER COLLECTION |
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| Mark Llanuza posted The year 2000 EJ&E at Schaerville Edward Girman Old Conrail bridge now maintained by the NS. Ean Kahn-Treras the same one in the background even til this day. The US 41 bridge in the foreground though has changed. Ean Kahn-Treras Hartsdale yuppp. A good one, Mark. PRR Panhandle crosses the J right under the road bridge and then the NYC/Conrail Cairo line overhead way in the background. Edward Girman Hartsdale is gone. Ean Kahn-Treras Yup, not a crossing anymore. John Eagan Nice shot Mark Llanuza same spot as the cover of my first EJ&E book. Mark Llanuza yup your book was the best ever put out on the J .how is that Erie book coming out |
In early 1987, Conrail local YDH-1 comes around the connection off the old Michigan Central Joliet Branch and onto the old PRR Panhandle at Hartsdale in Schererville, Indiana. The bridge overhead is U,S. 41 and the tower is Hartsdale, an ex PRR tower and still manned at this time.
Jim Klamo Tower is gone, Steel bridge is now a concrete bridge and the rails are gone. Was all dismantled with the construction of the new US 41 Bridge and the breakup of Conrail.
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| Pete Fileca commented on his post Dennis DeBruler  Hartsdale Tower on the left and the truss bridge is US-41. |
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| Pete Fileca posted Pennsy being pulled up taken from rt 41 bridge. |
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| safe_image for Jon R. Roma Flickr William O'Neal Stringer: That is the bridge where the J raised the bridge and lowered the track to accommodate the auto racks. |
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