Train no. 473 passing tri-color bracket signal

NG503023

Train no. 473 passing tri-color bracket signal

Diesel M&E Train

The residential section of the west side has long since grown past Mount Jackson, but the tower of that name, two and a half miles west of the depot, is still the terminal limit on the St. Louis Line. This situation may be changed, since there is talk of building a modern hump yard along the Illinois Division right-of-way several miles west of Mount Jackson. Such a yard would handle all road freights passing through Indianapolis, and would make or break up all originating and terminating trains with the probable exceptions of ON-1 and ON-2. Industrial and interchange cars would be grouped and pulled to and from auxiliary yards in town at points such as Westside, the freighthouse, the Hill and Brightwood. Fulfillment of this project is by no means certain, however, since other proposals for updating the physical plant may receive higher priority. This photograph presents the view from the east window of Mount Jackson tower. No. 473 is approaching, the twin horns on the lead member of its geep team (the 5797 and 5799) blaring for Varman street as its 15 cars of mail and express hurtle across Holmes and Addison Streets. The track diverging here from the eastward main is the aforementioned "passer*. Between Addison Street and Belmont Street, the next crossing to the east, five tracks run off the "passer". These tracks are used to handle the pickups and setouts made by Illinois Division road freights on the vest side. BX tower and its eastward home signal are faintly discernible, a little less than a mile away.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

Aug-56

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GP7

455

DRSP-4n

#5797, #5799

EMD

Mt. Jax, Indianapolis, IN

See NG503023a