About the Author J. D. Santucci (a.k.a. "Tuch") began his railroading career in 1978 as a trainman on the Missouri Pacific. After a round of lay-offs in 1985, Tuch embarked on a railroad odyssey, working in many different situations for different roads. This column tries to explain some of the nuts and bolts of the job and also demonstrates what we have to deal with on a regular basis within and without the industry. Tuch currently works through freights out of Chicago for Canadian National/Illinois Central. ©1999, 2003-2007 JD Santucci. Logo ©2002 The Railroad Network. By J.D. Santucci

January 30, 2003
First off corrections and comments from part two; I had the main tracks reversed on the CWI. The northbound was track one and the southbound was track two. I had them opposite. Most other roads do it the way I had stated with track one being south and two being north in current of traffic territory. It has been years since I was on the CWI and I simply forgot they were different. I was informed that the yard at 80th Street was actually called 83rd Street Yard. We always knew it as 80th Street and that is what we always called it. I even heard CWI Dispatchers call it that as well.

I learned the Rock Island Trainmaster was responsible for their South Chicago line and was supposed to handle the chores of contacting the CWI Dispatcher with regards to Rock movements across Oakdale.

The N&W had an Operator at Pullman Jct. at one time who worked in conjunction with the Yardmaster at Calumet Yard. There was also another set of gates used at Pullman at one time too. However, they were gone by the first time I ever worked through the place so I didn’t recall them.

It was also brought my attention the L&N Track was not owned by CWI but rather controlled and operated by them. I have some conflicting information about this issue. I was once told by a CWI official that they owned this track, not the L&N or Monon. Perhaps I may have misunderstood when I was told about this. CWI special instructions dating as far back as 1956 state this track is "within L&N (Monon) yard limits, under jurisdiction of C&WI Train Dispatcher and is governed by C&WI Operating Rules and special instructions." This statement doesn’t clarify the conflicting information. However, I have a foremost expert on the CWI among my regular readers. He has given me the report of the CWI only operating the line as opposed to owning it. So for the lack of any other revelations, we will accept his word, as it is most likely the proper and correct information.

It is good to get information like this. Sometimes I simply cannot recall all the details from so many years ago. In other cases, I had received less than perfect information way back when. I only had that information with which to work. I appreciate all of you who sent along the corrections and other information and thank you for being so kind as to take the time to do so.

So with all this business taken care of, we go on with the show.

When we left you last, we had brought the train to State Line Tower. Now we will bring you onto the L&N Track and L&N’s South Hammond to Lafayette line. None of the L&N timetables I have in my personal collection show a subdivision or district name for this route, but Seaboard System timetables called it the Monon Sub. We’ll go with that to describe it in today’s lesson.

The first day I ever worked the Hammond Local was 29 January 1982. While I was qualified on the CWI up to State Line, I had never been south of there on the rails into Hammond. This day I was the Engineer working with Rowena France as the Fireman and Conductor John Buckley. I cannot recall the other two Trainmen on the job. I didn’t write their names down in my time book. We had the MoPac 1613, a GP15-1 for our power along with about ten cars and a MoPac caboose.

We did not use train orders or any other form of movement authority to operate on the Monon Sub. A bulletin was posted at Yard Center with the instructions and authorization to occupy the track between State Line Tower and Air Line Jct. in Munster. We were restricted to 10 MPH while operating on the Monon. Between North Hammond and about 165th Street in Hammond, it was easy to understand the reason for this slow speed limit. The track, all jointed rail, was very rough. From about the switch that was used to enter the north end of South Hammond Yard, the track quality began to improve. There was even welded rail on much of the line from South Hammond Yard to Air Line Jct. While the track was good for higher speeds on this stretch, the 10 MPH was in effect over the entire route in which we operated. Of course, that didn’t mean that we always lived up this on the good track. I quickly figured out which sections were good for 20 MPH. And being there was a long stretch between 173rd Street and Ridge Road in Munster with no crossings, it was safer to do so. That was in the days before Locomotive Engineer certification.

There were block signals on the line that were still in service. Over a period of time though, they began to become erratic. As we only operated on the line twice per week, rust was starting to build up on the rails. The short trains operating at low speeds did not clear all of the rust off with each trip. As a result, we were not always shunting the rail properly. Sometimes the signal aspects would change back and forth, oftentimes the closer you got to them the more often they changed. Aside from the block signals going haywire, the automatic crossing warning devices (gates and flashers) also began to malfunction. The gates at some crossings equipped with them would activate, start to drop the cross arms, stop in mid motion and then go back up and shut off. We had to approach all the road crossings prepared to stop until we positively ascertained the signals were working properly. The bulletin that authorized us to use this track also warned of rust on the rails and to be prepared to stop and flag each crossing as necessary.

The first few months of operation the Hammond Local operated with a single Geep, usually a MoPac GP15 or an L&N GP7 or 9 with about ten to twelve cars and a caboose. Some days there might be a few more cars and other days a few less. As time went on, switchers made appearances on the job. MoPac and L&N MP15DC’s and L&N SW1500’s also made the trip from time to time. One trip we would give us a pair of L&N Geeps. There are two stories that go along with this power that I will recount later.

There were four regular industries (in which I recall) that received rail service when the MoPac assumed the operation. They were the Hammond Times, Ferree Warehouse (which was located in the old Rand McNally plant on an industrial spur that came off the main track), Munster Lumber and Scott Paper, the latter two located in Munster. For some reason though, I seem to think there may have been one more, but I cannot remember a name or location of it.

As operations were winding down for the L&N at South Hammond, they began to store boxcars in the yard. Several tracks were loaded full of cars. Most of these were owned by short line railroads, but there were also some L&N cars stored there. As many of you may recall, the country was still in the grips of a deep economic recession. Thus, there was a glut of railcars that had to be stored somewhere. Being that South Hammond was pretty much a redundant facility with very little classification work going on, it made perfect sense to store unneeded and surplus cars there. And once the L&N had ceased through operations on this portion of the Monon, they could fill the entire yard up with storage cars. As long as there was at least one clear track in the yard for us to run through when we needed to run around our train that was fine; they could stuff all the remaining tracks full with the surplus cars.

The siding (just east of the main track) was kept clear for use as a running track. Eventually it was filled with storage cars and a shorter track in the yard was kept clear for use as a runner.

From time to time, we would bring a few more over with us to set into the yard for storage. Other times we would have instructions to pull some out of there. Of course, it was never any of them coupled together. They were usually scattered about and had to be switched out.

The old yard office and adjacent freight house on 173rd Street were left intact for a year or so after the yard closed. The freight house had been leased to a trucking company for a time but they pulled out leaving the entire building vacant. Several of our boys investigated the old offices the first few times they went over to Hammond. They found some old timetables, rulebooks, train order pads, waybill forms and other various railroad forms and paper. One guy told me the old radio was still in there still connected but unplugged from the outlet in the wall. It wound up finding its way to his house.

Apparently when the L&N closed up shop at South Hammond, they pretty much left most of the stuff in the offices there. File cabinets as well as other office items like staplers and various office supplies, old, out of date and non-essential documents and other railroad related items were left behind. I guess the folks at the Louisville Division headquarters felt most of this material was not worth the time, effort or value to retrieve. On my tour through the place some time after it had closed, I managed to scrounge up a few things to add to my collection of railroad collectibles.

There was a white sign with the red lettering and a red border that said "L&N" mounted above the front doors. It lasted there for months. It was starting to look pretty rough, but it was still there. One day when I drove by the place while traveling down 173rd Street, I noticed it was gone. While not in the best of shape, it was worth something to somebody. I wonder if this sign still exists anywhere today?

And now back up to State Line.

We proceed through the interlocking limits of State Line entering Indiana, swing towards the south on the L&N track and head to Hohman Avenue. The abandoned E-L trackage was still in place between State Line and up to the Calumet River Bridge, though disused for several years. The portion of this track linking up to the bridge had been removed though. Weeds were thick within the gauge and the rails were coated with a heavy layer of rust. To the east of us as we proceed south is the N&W’s bridge across the Calumet River. At one time this bridge was part of the Erie Lackawanna and they staffed the bridge with their employees. After the C&O ceased operating on the E-L trackage in 1980, the N&W took over the bridge.

We cross the bridge, which carries the L&N Track over the Calumet River. This portion of the river received national notoriety when it caught fire in the late 70’s. I noticed the north end of this bridge looks misshapen and wondered what happened. I learned some months later the L&N transfer job was coming back from Clearing Yard one afternoon and had an episode there. A load they were hauling had, unbeknownst to the crew on the train, shifted out of position. The shifted load got wedged into the bridge structure and literally brought the train to a stop. A portion of the bridge had to be cut out to free the shifted load. It was later determined they could live without the two pieces of steel removed from the north end of the bridge and the strange remaining shape stood as a lasting testimony to the effects of shifted lading.

We pull up to Hohman Avenue and a stop signal there. At Hohman the IHB crosses with their single main track known as the High Speed, and two running tracks to the south of the high speed called three and four. At one time there was another main track through here that was actually part of Penn Central, but it was removed in the very early 70’s. This track, going back to Michigan Central days was on the north side of the high speed. Cross traffic holds us at Hohman quite frequently and it does so this trip.

After the IHB clears we get the signal to proceed. As we approach the road crossings right at the rail crossing between the IHB and L&N track, I observe the crossing guard coming out of his shanty to protect the crossings. He has a shanty on the east side where he raises and lowers the gates as well as coming out into the road with a stop sign to protect the rail moves.

The gates here are not the standard variety you would see almost everywhere else. These were just gates, no pole with the cross bucks, flashing lights and red roundels. The gates have lights mounted on the crossbars for visibility at night though.

The tower at Hohman is on the west side several hundred feet away from the L&N Track and on the south side of the IHB. The Operator at Hohman is a Conrail rather than IHB employee. A Penn Central Operator continued to staff the tower even after the old Michigan Central main was pulled out. In 1976 the Operators became Conrail employees when Penn Central was merged with the Erie Lackawanna and several other bankrupt lines to form the government held carrier.

We roll south through the downtown area of Hammond passing the Hammond Times building. We will switch them on the way back north. There are parking areas along the railroad through here and from time to time, somebody fails to park properly. As a result, their automobile would foul or even sit directly on the right of way preventing us from getting through. We would have to call either the CWI Dispatcher or the Yard Center Operator on the radio to contact the Hammond Police. When the police arrived they would ticket the offending vehicle and call for Mattux Towing who would then tow the illegally parked car away. Some poor soul would come out from whatever they were doing in town to discover their car gone. A towing charge, storage charge and parking fine paid to the City of Hammond and they would have their car back.

Just a bit south of downtown was the joint Monon/Erie Lackawanna passenger station. This brick building replaced the old grand station that stood downtown. While still standing, this building was abandoned for years and in disrepair. The windows were boarded up and the sign that once hung proudly in front of the structure was long gone. A switch was located a bit south of the station to connect to the Erie Lackawanna. The Erie had a yard adjacent to the Monon here. Their passenger trains also used the Monon through here to reach the station.

We roll on south towards South Hammond Yard. I cannot recall exactly where it was now, but there was an industrial spur on the east side that went into the old Rand McNally plant. I seem to recall we worked it going south. In any event, we would shove around this spur and back about maybe a quarter mile to the plant. We went through backyards and right along side of a couple of apartment buildings. On occasion, there would be a car parked on the tracks here and we would have to call for Hammond’s finest again and they would likewise again summon Mattux Towing to the rescue. We spotted loads of La-Z-Boy recliners and furniture at Ferree who had leased the old plant and they in turn, distributed this furniture to La-Z-Boy dealers in the region.

Heading on south, there is the switch south of 165th Street, the entrance to the north end of South Hammond Yard. The only purpose for this yard now is for the storage of unneeded freight cars and the occasional running around of trains. Otherwise, the place is a ghost town; the abandoned yard office, rusting rail and weeds starting to take over through the ballast. Some of the stored cars have been here long enough that there is a thick layer of rust built up on the wheels. At the south end of the yard sits an old Monon baggage car sans trucks used for storage and some old fuel tanks. As we head towards Munster, we will just pass by South Hammond this time. Coming back north we’ll make a stop here and I’ll discuss that when it happens.

There was an absolute signal on the main track at the south end of the yard. This signal was a head block, an absolute signal. It protected the entire route between the south end of South Hammond and the home signal at Dyer. There was a siding at Dyer where trains could meet and pass. If a northbound train was past the signal at Dyer where the EJ&E and Conrail crossed the Monon Sub, the head block signal at south end of South Hammond would go drop to a stop (red) signal. To get past this signal you needed permission from the L&N Dispatcher in Louisville. Even though no trains were operating between Air Line Jct. and South Hammond anymore except the Hammond Local, I would never pass this signal without permission.

Everything was still tied in and connected in regards to the signal system even though the line north of Air Line Jct. was no longer shown in the timetable. Being that the line was just ABS rules, not CTC, if I were to pass the stop signal here without permission, nobody would know about it. However, the signals from Dyer to Air Line would all drop to red. There were two intermediate (block signals) and home signals at Dyer, Maynard and Air Line Jct.

Being that Amtrak operated on the Monon Sub as far north as Air Line Jct. it was important to not just go by the signal at South Hammond if it was red. I would not want to take the chance of dropping a signal in Amtrak’s face, which could potentially lead to a problem. While normally the northbound Hoosier State was long off the route in its travels by the time we reached South Hammond, there was the chance he was running late and just might be out there. And if we dropped a signal red in his face, well it might not be pretty.

On a couple of occasions the signal was indeed displaying a stop signal and I took the effort to get the permission from the L&N Dispatcher to pass it. I found out one day that northbound L&N train 290 was in the block north of Dyer. The Dispatcher had to make sure he was in a position where he would not have a signal drop in his face. As it would happen, he was stopped at Maynard awaiting a signal to enter the GTW and head west, so we had no problem getting the permission we needed to proceed.

We roll through downtown Munster and across Ridge Road. Munster Lumber is located here and we stop and switch them. There track was south of the lumberyard itself and usually we could pull our entire train across and south of Ridge Road to switch them out. We would pull empties and spot loads of lumber here as needed. When finished switching the lumberyard we head on down towards Air Line Jct. Air Line is where Conrail’s SC&S Branch crosses and connects. We will not go all the way to the junction but instead, stop about three quarters of a mile or so short at a switch at Fisher Street. We will head into the industrial park located on the east side of the main track and just south of the street.

There are several industries in this park, most notably Pepsi, a Ford Motor Company parts distribution center and Scott Paper. Simmons used to have a mattress factory here but they closed it around 1980 or 81. The Pepsi plant produces and bottles Pepsi Cola at this site. They used to get rail service from both Conrail and the L&N, but consistently inconsistent service drove them to receiving corn syrup and sugar by truck. As late as 1981 they were getting some rail service but we never once switched them on the Hammond Local. All we were handling in this complex was Scott Paper.

In switching Scott Paper, usually the first railroad here on Tuesdays and Thursdays was the one to switch the plant. The rest of the week it was Conrail that handled the work. For a time their WCBI (Wayfreight, Chicago Division, Blue Island to Hartsdale) job used to come out and handle the work. This changed and then the WCHA (Wayfreight, Chicago Division, Hartsdale) job would work the plant as well as the Ford distribution facility.

As a little benefit of switching the plant, the Scott Paper folks would often give us

Scott Towels, Scott Tissue and other Scott products that had come out of damaged cartons. On some days they would bring out several large cases of products. The cases were smashed and some of the product inside had damaged wrappings and the product itself was also damaged. But there was always undamaged good product within.

We always tried to get there before the Conrail job to switch the plant and gather up the goodies. Some days we arrived and WCBI was already there, so they got the work and the goodies. Other days we were first and made sure we handled all the work. Other days we would arrive first but they weren’t ready, so we would just leave our cars and go back north. There was a siding off the SC&S Branch where cars for Scott and Ford were stored until ordered into their respective plants. We could access this siding from the industrial track we operated on within the industrial park. Any cars ordered from the siding plus any that might be in our train would be switched out and lined up. We would then pull the plant and spot them with the cars they ordered in plus re-spot those they had not finished unloading. Cars going back to Conrail would be placed back into their siding and the cars for us came with us. Any other Scott cars we brought with us not ordered in were also set into the siding.

When finished switching Scott we would run around our train within the park. We gathered everything up, lined up the loads for the Hammond Times on the head end of the train ran, doubled to the caboose and did the air test. We would pull back out of the park onto the main track, line back the switch and head back to Munster.

One winter day after several snowfalls, we headed over to Hammond. Being that this local is now the only game in town, when the snow falls and covers everything, it stays put until we roll in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One particular trip brings back memories of wintertime railroad fun.

We made the trek down to Munster and stopped at the switch at Fisher Street to head into the industrial park. Everything had a nice blanket of snow upon it, snow that had fallen several days earlier and was then followed by some rather cold weather. The head man climbed off, switch broom in hand, to clean out and line the switch for our move. Even though we were the only game in town we were still required to restore all the switches back to their normal position, lined and locked for the main track. A main track that was no longer even listed in the L&N Louisville Division timetable and special instructions.

The switch for the park was a couple of car lengths south of the road crossing itself and I had pulled right up to it. We were not figuring there would be so much trouble with it today. Usually you would just sweep the snow out, line it for your move, check the switch points to make certain they were lined up tightly against the stock rail and then proceed. Today though was different, the switch and snow that had fallen in and on it had frozen up. Headman Glen Coughlin was having some difficulties getting it cleared out.

As he worked at the switch a few cars had come up to the crossing and stopped. One guy got out and decided to take matters into his own hands. He boarded my engine and entered the cab. When somebody climbs on board, especially from the opposite side, you can feel it happening even though you cannot see them. I felt the motion and stood up to get a look at just who it might be as the Conductor and Flagman were in the caboose. This guy opens the door and yells out "When the f**k are you going to start moving and get out of the way!"

Without hesitation, I reached down and grabbed an air hose wrench I used to keep on a peg at the bottom front of the control stand for use as a foot rest, pulled it up over my head and yelled "Get off my f***ing engine!"

This guy’s eyes got as wide as Texas. He ran back out the door, jumped off the engine without taking the time to properly climb down the steps to run back to his car. I went over to the Fireman’s side and watched him make his escape. He quickly got up out of the snow he had fallen into when he landed, ran over and jumped into his car, turned around and headed west on Fisher at a high rate of speed.

With that I called the Conductor on the radio and suggested they come up and help Glen out who seemed to be having no luck and also to let me back off the crossing. The traffic, which was now really building up and we needed to clear up to let it all across. The tail end crew dropped off the caboose and had me shove back to clear up the crossing. I cleared and the traffic that had accumulated went on through. The gang of three, with the assistance of some fusees (flares), switch brooms and muscle finally got the switch cleared, thawed out and lined us up for the park. We then started to go about our business.

While we headed into the park I filled the crew in on the episode of the trespasser at Fisher Street. We all laughed about it and figured this little confrontation was finished. There we go figuring.

About fifteen minutes or so later, the Yard Center Operator calls informing me he has the Munster Police on the phone. They are telling him about some guy who is at their cop shop claiming some guy on the engine (very likely me) threatened to kill him. Hmm, I didn’t recall making any threats, just a strongly worded suggestion that he exit the premises promptly. I informed Yard Center of the fact this guy was trespassing and that I simply ordered him off the engine immediately. I strategically left out the part about the air hose wrench though as I figured it really wasn’t relevant and didn’t need to be broadcast over the radio. After all, the guy doing the accusing apparently neglected to inform the law he had illegally trespassed and boarded the engine. It wasn’t like I was hanging out the window threatening him or anything.

I did go on to explain to the Operator that I had felt threatened when this guy came on board and started his tirade. I mentioned that part of the rulebook that states "The employees shall unite to protect the property." This was how I was abiding by the rules; I united with that 20-inch air hose wrench, as I didn’t know if this guy was going to try to overtake me and perhaps hijack the train and maybe take me hostage or something.

With this little episode seemingly resolved, we went about our work. When we got back in that evening I was notified to go see the Claim Agent as he had some questions about my episode earlier that day. When I spoke with him he told me he just needed to get a few questions answered. These questions dealt with whether or not I had actually threatened him, what exactly was said, was he actually aboard the engine and in the cab, where they guy was standing in the cab and what it was he said. It was also asked if, at any time, I charged him at all or made it appear that I was going to charge him. I did mention the air hose wrench to the Claim Agent.

I told him all that I did was pick up the wrench, hold it over my head and tell him to exit, stage left. And of course it was with a rather forceful tone of voice. I told the Claim Agent I never even left my little corner of the cab. The only move I did make was to grab the wrench and stand up. Although I suppose that when I get my Italian up, draw that wild look in my eyes and raise a wrench over my head, it can look pretty intimidating. All of these facts were written down but I never heard another word about the situation again. I’m guessing the guy was told the railroad would prefer charges (and they would be Federal in nature) if he pursued anything.

Now back to the train.

At Munster while heading back north, we would stop at Ridge Road and go to dinner. We had to pull the train across Ridge and then back up south of the crossing. This was to get the flashers and bells to shut off. Otherwise, they would give their warnings constantly and unnecessarily bring traffic to a brief stop and back it up in the process. Being that Ridge is a busy main drag, we didn’t need that.

There were several places to eat in Munster including Schoop’s Hamburgers (handmade and cooked to order), Sizzler Steak House and Star Deli. Star Deli was a crew favorite. We would partake of a delicious meal and then head back to the train and continue or intended mission of the day.

Upon heading north again, we would make a stop at South Hammond Yard as required to add cars to or pull any cars instructed out of storage. We also used one of the storage cars for "storage" of our goodies from Scott Paper. We didn’t want to come waltzing into the office at Yard Center with several cases of paper products as it was technically against the rules to accept gratuities from shippers. So we would take what we needed out of the cases, stuff it into our grips and store the rest in a boxcar in the yard. We had locks on it to keep the kids that traipsed around the yard, out of our stash. The kids around here discovered these unused boxcars made for really cheap motel rooms and party and festivity halls.

On the days we didn’t get to switch Scott we didn’t get any goodies. So we would stop and grab some from our little warehouse then bring it back with us to Yard Center.

One day while we were loading up on supplies here, I took a little walk over to the old South Hammond yard office. A quick look around the place quickly told of the local kids discovering the place was vacant. The offices were pretty well trashed and most anything worth any value had been removed or destroyed. There was some graffiti on the walls and floor and most of lights were smashed. After a look around I quick footed it out and went back to the engine. The next time I worked the local, the building had been torn down.

We then headed on up to downtown Hammond to work the Times pulling the empties and spotting the loads. They received one or two loads of rolled news print twice a week. In the waning days of the Hammond Local, this became the only industry left to receive rail service. All this work and effort just to get two cars at a time over here spelled doom for the local.

The Hammond Local continued to work for several years. Slowly but surely over the years, the business on the line began to wane. First Munster Lumber ceased getting rail service. Then Scott Paper dried up. I believe Scott had relocated out of there as opposed to being run off though. Ferree and the Hammond Times were the only customers left. And even Ferree was not getting cars every week. With this downturn in business, the local became a once a week run. By late 1983 or early 1984 the Hammond Times was the only customer left. We were going through all the steps to get to Hammond to handle two loads in and two empties out of the Times. The writing was on the wall.

When all of our work was completed each trip, we would work our way back home retracing all of our steps. We went back up to 80th Street, ran around the train and headed back to Yard Center. Some days it was twelve hours, others it was only seven or eight. Much of it depended upon whether there was a lot of industry work and how much cross traffic was involved to delay us.

Like everything else in the world, operations on the railroad are subject to that always popular change. And the changes would come.

No agreement could be worked out between the Engineers from the L&N and the Engineers on the MoPac. On January 1st, 1983, the L&N became Seaboard System. In 1984 Seaboard management decided to end the plan to incorporate their employees at Yard Center. They pulled their remaining guys left at Yard Center off the job. Several had opted for the pension or disability but there were still about four guys left. All but one of them were offered jobs elsewhere on the former L&N including relocation expenses. One man was left in Hammond to protect a job that no longer existed. He was paid a job protection guarantee and lived life like he was retired. They would offer him the chance to transfer or take a severance payment but he would decline.

The Hammond Local was abolished being replaced by a job out of Lafayette or Monon on the Seaboard. This job would come up and switch the Times, run around the cars in South Hammond Yard and go back south. By this time all of the cars in storage at South Hammond had been pulled from there and many of the remaining tracks removed. All that was left was the main track and the siding. This little turn job lasted until the Times built their new offices and printing press in Munster along the Grand Trunk Western near the crossing and connection with the Monon at Maynard.

Much of the CWI had been essentially split up among its owners in 1983. There still was a CWI though with its operations being north of 81st Street. MoPac leased the Dolton Branch, Norfolk Southern, successor to the N&W leased the Main Line between Pullman Jct. and 81st Street. Shortly thereafter, NS pulled out one of these main tracks. The portion of the Main Line around the Irondale/South Deering area was sold to the IHB. The Harbor also took over control of State Line Tower. The trackage south of the Calumet Western switch just south of the High Bridge to State Line was abandoned and eventually removed. Part of the right of way south of the bridge also was dug out.

In 1983 the Operator at Pullman Jct. had been abolished. We received permission from the CWI Dispatcher to work our way through the plant here. NS eventually mechanized the place. Control was given to the Operator at Cummins Drawbridge.

80th Street was mechanized in 1983. The BRC Dispatcher took control of the plant and the switchtenders were abolished and the little shanty there torn down.

Norfolk Southern eventually purchased part of the old right of way east of Torrence Avenue to the Burnham crossing in Hegewisch from CSX Real Properties who took over this portion of the right of way. They relocated their former NKP main tracks through here and built the Ford Motor Company Chicago Mixing Center on part of the old CWI right of way. This facility unloads, loads, marshals, and sorts and distributes new Ford autos and trucks.

The South Shore had attempted to purchase the trackage between Pullman Jct. and State Line Tower in 1986 but they were rebuffed in their efforts. The Venango River boys, then owners of the South Shore, were looking to get a direct route in the Belt’s Clearing Yard. All of the CWI’s five owning railroads, now MoPac, CSX, NS, Conrail and Grand Trunk Western, had to agree to the sale. Conrail refused and the line was then abandoned and removed.

In 1983 or 84, the old joint passenger station in Hammond was torn down. Some of the rubble sat there for several weeks before it was all hauled off.

In 1995 Burnham Crossing was automated and the modular unit that served as the tower located there was removed. The Operators positions were abandoned. While the crossing between Conrail and the NS was made an automatic interlocking, control of the crossover switches within the plant here was given to the NS Dispatcher in Fort Wayne.

In 1996 it was determined the High Bridge needed major repair work. IHB management determined these costs exceed the revenues and offered insufficient return on investment. They sold (or leased) all the trackage north of the bridge to Chicago Rail Link and the bridge was raised one last time and locked in the elevated position. By this period of time, the IHB was only going to Irondale three times per week. An occasional Conrail grain train would also make a run to Irondale, but again, not often enough to justify the expense of making the necessary repairs to the bridge.

Most of the trackage between South Deering and Pullman Jct. was abandoned and removed. NS did keep a portion of it, although I’m not exactly sure how much of it remains today.

As I had mentioned previously, the MoPac suffered a major derailment at Oakdale in 1984. The old high line trackage was wiped out north of the diamonds. It was determined that it would not be financially prudent to rebuild it all and the entire portion between there and 81st Street was abandoned and removed.

The Operator at Yard Center took over control of the crossing at Oakdale in 1984 from 81st Street. I don’t know exactly when 81st Street closed though.

In 1987 Seaboard System removed the diamonds at Hohman Avenue. They got wind of Hammond and other on line communities wanting to establish commuter service on the Monon between Lowell and Chicago through Hammond. The L&N track was removed between Hohman and State Line in the late 80’s. Over the years, many of the crossings along the Monon in Hammond and Munster have been paved over but the main track remains intact between the two communities. A study is being funded to establish commuter service between Hammond and Lowell to reach downtown Chicago and that may eventually resurrect the line.

CSX, successor to Seaboard System, intended to abandon and remove the Monon between Munster and Hohman. The City of Hammond and Town of Munster got a court order to stop the proceedings. Eventually a price was negotiated and these two communities obtained the line for possible future use as the commuter rail line.

At Munster Air Line Jct. was removed in 1994. Conrail wanted the only remaining through traffic on the line, Amtrak’s Hoosier State/Cardinal trains off the SC&S line. This finally happened when the trains were rerouted to a Grand Trunk Western/MoPac/CWI routing. Conrail abandoned the SC&S and then pulled the track up between Air Line Jct. and CP Cal Park. And yes, I do have a couple of souvenirs from the SC&S.

Also in 1994, Hartsdale Tower in Schererville was closed. In addition to the plant at Hartsdale proper, this tower controlled the plant at Air Line Jct. as well as the GTW/SC&S crossing at Maynard.

Maynard where the L&N and GTW crossed and connected in Munster was modified. The switch on the Monon Sub at 45th Avenue that routed trains to and from the wye between the two roads or allowed straight north-south moves on the Monon was removed. The north end of the Monon Sub became a wye rolling to the west and connecting with the GTW at the north end of it. The diamonds where the Monon crossed the GTW were removed.

Ironically, General Electric built a large warehouse and distribution facility just south of 45th Avenue in the late 80’s This plant gets rail service which today, is handled by CSX (the successor to Seaboard System) local train J769.

In the mid 90’s Hohman Avenue in downtown Hammond was put on a bridge and elevated over the IHB and NS lines. An idea and project whose time and idea had come thirty years sooner.

State Line Tower, which became an IHB facility in the late 80’s, was closed in 2001. Either CSX or IHB has taken control of the plant. Today State Line is operated from Calumet City, IL Operations Center shared by both the IHB and CSX Dispatchers. The tower was torn down, but some of the components were salvaged for posterity.

Hohman Avenue Tower was also closed in 2001. This tower is undergoing the process of being moved to a park in Hammond that will feature a railroad theme.

Most of the industries that once received regular rail service along the Monon and the Hammond Local are gone. Even if commuter rail service reactivates the line, there is virtually no chance of ever seeing freight service along the Munster/Hammond segment.

The old yard and surrounding property (but not the main track and its associated right of way) have been sold recently to developers. Someday this area will probably be covered with town homes or some other residential dwellings.

The last remaining Monon Engineer from South Hammond, Ed Mullins finally retired in the late 80’s. I happened to bump into him one day when we were both stopping to see the representative from the Railroad Retirement Board. He told me of his real retirement in agreeing to finally take the severance package. He also filled me in on what had happened to the rest of the Monon boys that were still working. I wished Ed a long and healthy retirement.

Quite the website dealing with the Monon is at http://members.tripod.com/~kepshire/bygone/main.html It is called Bygone Places of the Monon. There are numerous pictures of the then and now Monon with photos from various locations I have mentioned.

Now for one final Hammond Local story. In the last two years the MoPac operated the train it was called as an extra job. Extra board Engineers and Trainmen would fill the positions when it operated. I was lined up to work it on my birthday in 1982. It was usually only working six to eight hours a day for weeks. I knew I would be on it in the morning, so the night before I was going to work the job, I made plans with some dolly to go out for my birthday after we got in and I tied up. Oh boy did the railroad gods have fun with this.

That morning I arrived for work and noticed not one, but two L&N Geeps for our power. Hmm, this is really odd as we never get two units on this train as there isn’t the business to justify them. This seems to be an ominous sign. When I walked into the office and marked up for duty, I learned why. Not only would we be doing the local work, we would stop on the way back and pull 133 empty coal hoppers from 87th Street Yard the BRC would be delivering from the Rail to Water transloading facility. We were told these cars would be there by the time we were on our way back from Hammond.

Off we go. We do our Hammond work and head back towards 87th Street. When we arrived, there were no cars to pick up. The Conductor called the Belt Dispatcher who informed him it would be a couple of hours or so before his job arrived with the cars. So much for their being there when we got back from Hammond. We called Yard Center hoping they would tell us to highball and come home. No such luck, wait for them is the word. Sure, cuz I have plans. The gods have to be loving this one. They were happy and I was really mad.

We waited half the afternoon for them and when they finally showed up, it was early evening. We made the arrangements and grabbed these cars from the Belt job, doubled them to our caboose, shoved it all up to and then north of 80th Street. We got the highball and headed south back to Yard Center. I was really trying to get home in halfway decent shape so as to salvage the evening. But the railroad gods had other plans.

I came racing through Roseland heading towards Dolton Jct. with my train. As we started around the curve at the top of Bumtown Hill, I noticed two people lying right next to the tracks just outside of the outside rail. While we did not strike them with the engine I was not certain that perhaps an open hopper door might not have got them. I began to bring the train to a stop. I contacted the Yard Center Operator and also the tail end crew. When the train came to a stop, the caboose was just a few cars south of these people.

My brief glimpse of them had me seeing a man and a woman. The Conductor and Flagman confirmed this. Apparently, this guy had forcibly brought the woman here and was taking indecent liberties with her. The police departments from both the railroad and City of Chicago were notified and had dispatched cruisers to assess the situation.

The guy dragged the girl off as the Conductor and Flagman approached. They thought he had a knife. The law boys arrived and were given descriptions of the couple. When it was confirmed we had not hit them we were released. By the time we got in and tied up, it was after 2000 hours. I had told this dolly I would pick her up at 1900. This was not good. Being this was the era before cell phones I had no way to contact her to let her know I was running horribly late. Once I got into the office, I used the phone in the Caller’s office to try to reach her, only the line was busy.

When all was said and done, she had grown tired of waiting and went out without me.

"And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust."

I guess she didn’t have what it takes to be a railroad girlfriend. So certainly, she did not become a railroad wife.

And so it goes.