Buried Steeplecab

They burn coal? What's the EPA say about that for the long term? CMU was the last major place here to use coal, and they've just changed over to 100% natural gas.

That's a good point, one I'm surprised nobody has brought up here yet. Given the current shift away from coal, a startup shortline whose primary business is serving a coal-fired university power plant cannot be viewed as a viable long-term operation. It probably has a better chance in non-progressive Northern Indiana than elsewhere, but even so, there will probably come a time when Notre Dame switches to a different fuel, by choice or by government order. Has this been discussed at all in the legal debates?

I thought about what if they switched to another energy source, it would take money, time and the switchover to manage getting a new system in, perhaps ND isn't ready to do. How that energy is managed, if by pipe or delivered in by tank truck or by rail, well, you see what.

I was about to look up safety issues of open coal piles, that will be a little later, a little busy here.
Bob would still have the possibility of the football fans riding the orange cars, and BTW, it wouldnt matter if he had the orange cars or the new SS BI-Levels, its a good idea to me, he should persue that, he just has the orange cars at his use right now that could handle that idea.

They do use coal as far as I know - I'm in South Bend many weekdays and I'll look next time I drive by.

dinwitty wrote:The City did not remove crossings, they paved over them, the tracks still cross.

If you live in or near South Bend you may want to take a look. I have not inspected every crossing but there are crossings with rails gone. (I suppose I'll have to go over there and do a survey?)

dinwitty wrote:Bob would still have the possibility of the football fans riding the orange cars, and BTW, it wouldnt matter if he had the orange cars or the new SS BI-Levels, its a good idea to me, he should persue that, he just has the orange cars at his use right now that could handle that idea.

Shuttles from the airport via NICTD / CSS and this "CLSSB" line would take longer than buses. Most fans want to get to the game. Fan trains from Chicago on NICTD add a "romance of the rails" flavor to the shuttle trip without reducing travel time. Rail fans may want to take the long way around on an Insull or original CLSSB style car but football fans just want to get there.

uht oh, if the city did that. Every notion I am hearing is people are trying to get the line abandoned. Ripping out the rails is no different than the thieves who stole rail from the EBT, the city is at total fault.
The plot is thickening here and there seems to be underhandedness going on.

dinwitty wrote:uht oh, if the city did that. Every notion I am hearing is people are trying to get the line abandoned. Ripping out the rails is no different than the thieves who stole rail from the EBT, the city is at total fault.

Who is the victim of the "crime"? The line and the rail/ties/etc were STILL owned by NS. According to STB filings they AGREED to having the city and the Holy Cross people remove the rails and railbed. Only the bridge would remain (it is a local historic landmark) and it would be converted for pedestrian use.

One cannot steal something that they were given, can they?

still don't know why ND quit direct rail deliveries.

I know this is off topic.

At one point Saint Mary's and Notre Dame both recieved coal on both of their spurs. These spurs came off of the ex-NYC/Penn Central/Conrail line that rain from Niles, Michigan to South Bend, Indiana. Here the line interchanged with the NJI&I as well as GTW, NYC, South Bend and Saint Joseph Railroad, and other short line roads that don't exist. Notre Dame still recieves coal by rail in a round about fashion. The coal is delievered by NS to the Olive Street Yard. Here the cars are moved into the old NJI&I yard (by the roundhouse) off of Olive Street. This is also the same yard that serves the New Energy Ehtanol Corporation. From here trucks are loaded with the coal and short runs up to Notre Dame.

My guess for the abandonment of rail service was becuase of cost at the time, condition of the line, or the possibility that Notre Dame and Saint Mary's were the only two customers on that entire stretch.

As for the rail, MOST, of it is still there. Majro roads liek Lincoln Way and SR933 has had the rail, ties, and crossing ripped out. No most cases the rail is laying nearby (Lincoln Way). Other smaller roads have the rail paved over. A good location to visit is by Holy Cross Catholic Church and Muessel Park on the back end of it where you can see the crossing as well as the old spur into Drewer's Brewery.

KZ

Not to be a wet blanket, but I have to agree that I don't see this as being a financially successful operation with a single customer and making folks transfer to what they're going to consider to be ratty, old equipment to get to ND. It might warm the cockles of a railfan's heart, but to the "normal" rider, it isn't going to cut it.

I think part of the purpose Bob is going after is to establish a museum line, being able to re-connect direct coal runs to ND is one of the goals, he would have to make new line connections to the old line, and he's already told me that, and get the crossings fixed back somehow. It sounds pretty convenient to me if coal got delivered thru the South Shore or the interchange at Bendix if that is still there.
Probably thru a series of abandonments ND may had to be forced to find the best way to get coal in. Bobs plan gets carloads back in. We've seen the abandonement trends in the past and some shortlines have resurrected lines the main railroads gave up on, this is surely a direction Bob is on.

Photo taken Oct 24th ...


A little more buried!