EJ&E Porter Junction: Aban/EJ&E Porter Branch with NS/NYC/LS&MS

The other Porter Junction and how they relate.

Kevin Piper posted a memoir [Some comments discuss rail service on the Romeoville (Bug Line) Branch.] and a history with photos. (This seems to be a duplicate.)

This junction and the interchange yard with NYC/LS&MS is actually in Chesterton, IN, not Porter.

Satellite

Southwest of the junction it is easy to follow the RoW because it is now the Prairie Duneland Trail.
I ended with a "dotted line" because there were multiple tracks between Broadway and the NYC tracks. In the satellite image, it appears 3 of the 4 mainline tracks and one siding track is left.

Matt Lasayko commented on his post

Skip Burch posted
EJ&E road & rail blue print. Porter Indiana
Matt Lasayko This is my picture
Skip Burch Thank you for the picture Matt. I live in Porter, and I worked for the J. My great grandfather, and grandfather worked for the J, starting in 1904.
Matt Lasayko Summer of 85 it was torn up.

It is not clear if there was ever a tower here or if  it was just hand-thrown switches into a NYC interchange yard. Here we are looking south across the NYC tracks to the curved EJ&E track.

Bill Molony posted
EJ&E 2-8-2 Mikado-type #773 at Porter, Indiana on May 12, 1946.
Bob Lalich Wow! Any shot of the J at Porter is rare, let alone steam!
Bill Molony Our DVD shows the EJ&E's entire 20.5-mile long Porter Line eastbound from Griffith to Porter and then return westbound from Porter back to Griffith as it was in the summer of 1972, including the interchange with Penn Central at Porter.
Bill Molony posted

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway 2-8-2 Mikado #773 at Porter, Indiana on May 12th, 1946.

Photograph by P. F. Johnson.

From the Blackhawk collection.

Wayne Hudak commented on Bill's posting
Tho not fully shown, to the right is what was left of the "J", LS&MS, NYC, PC interchange yard in 1993. 2 more tracks to far right are out of camera view. Those are now gone. This is at 15th Street looking east.

Ken Durkel posted two photos with the comment:

I don't think I ever put these up, if for no other reason than that they are positively horrible pictures. But here is the "J" working on the Porter Branch in Hobart in the late 1970s, maybe 1979 or so. Taken by the city ballpark. Hobart Lumber is across the tracks.This was a very familiar sight in Hobart as an engine would be in between cuts of cars, pushing and pulling at the same time. I saw that often. But of course, why would I take pictures? It was never going to end. Or such was the thinking at the time. So I never really did take any pictures other than these. Big mistake. I was content to watch and not take any pictures. Lesson learned.

1

2

Wayne Hudak posted
Another scene of the French Turboliner, coming off the former Michigan Central at Porter Indiana, 1978.
[This photo is of the PO junction. I include it here because a comment references the post.]

Wayne Hudak commented on a post
The former EJ&E-NYC interchange yard at Chesterton/Porter. What it looks like on August 3, 2018. Only 2 small sections of track left. Scene is looking east from 15th Street.

Jason Jordan posted
A little bit of past history if you all are interested. I know that we had discussed some photos taken on an earlier thread at Porter, IN. So on July 11, 1906, we are looking west on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Rwy. at the interlocking with the Michigan Central Rwy. and the Pere Marquette Rwy. We are at Porter, IN. but it was also called Norwood at one time. Out of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Rwy. collection.

Jason Jordan shared
Tim JT White The sidings are all pretty much gone, along with the little yard on the south side and East of there, that was used to water the livestock.[This photo is of the PO junction. I include it here because some comments below reference the share.]

Wayne Hudak commented on the above share
All of the track you see in the 1906 photo above basically exists in the same configuration to this day minus the diamonds with the Michigan Central. See the crossovers in the center of the 1906 photo? Just past the tower. Here they are as 2 Conrail GE's head toward them, photo from the tower 1984.

Wayne Hudak commented on the above share
The little yard just east of the tower in the early 50's. All track west of Jackson Street (showing) still exists, except the MC diamonds. Pere Marquette off to the left, to the right, the connection to the Porter branch.
Wayne Hudak That whole "J" interchange yard, where you see all the freight cars, is gone except for 2 sidings. There was 3 up till about 20 years ago where Conrail parked MOW cars, as in this photo. That track is now gone.
Tim JT White I remembered a few tracks there, as I have picked up and set out there. Old timers told me about stopping and watering livestock on the NY trains. I do remember the MOW cars.

Matt Lasayko posted
EJ&E Baldwin center cab Chesterton IN
Wayne Hudak Here's a 1951 Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Chesterton (PDF). Just enlarge to 400% seems fine to view, that's up to you. Nice track diagram of the J east of 15th Street. Scroll down to where you see a #4.http://www.inportercounty.org/.../Chesterton-1951...
[In the background we can see a boxcar in the interchange yard.]

Brent Keen posted
I'm guessing this was looking west from around 15th and Broadway along the EJ&E Porter branch many many years ago.