View from tower IJ

NG503058

View from tower IJ

Diesel Passenger Train

From his east window, the operator at IJ tower has a fair-to-middling view of the west side of downtown Indianapolis. The same vantage point permits him to oversee the workings of the most vital part of his plant. The converging double-track mains here are those of the St. Louis line (right) and the Kankakee line (left). The geeps, no's. 5941-5938, are headed west on the Kankakee line with no. 405. The single track bisecting the Kankakee line in the foreground is the old right-of-way of the St. Louis line, which spans the river north of the present main line, cuts between the buildings at Kingans, and connects with the IU just east of West Street. Though it is no longer used for through movements, it is important as a means of access to Kingan and to the former Kankakee main line across the river. The latter runs north and west through a heavily-populated area, and is infested with grade crossings. A particularly disastrous crossing accident in 1903 motivated construction of the present route, whereby the line inbound from Kankakee curves due south at 60th Street and runs through open country to a connection with the P&E at Brant (West 10th Street), then uses P&E tracks to IJ. The old main line (which now dead-ends at 30th St.) and a spur running off it called the "horn" serve numerous industries. The cars for these customers are collected at Westside yard and brought in over the single track shown here.

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor

2-1/4x3-1/4 neg

Jul-56

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449

DRSP-9c

#5941, #5938

EMD

IJ, Indianapolis, IN

See NG503058a