EL West End Customers

Can anyone provide a list of the industries served by EL on their west end (mainly west of Marion) right before the Conrail merger and west end abandonment? I know shortlines have operated various sections of this line over the years, so there had to be industry - but I've always heard of this part of the railroad as pretty vacant and lacking in industry. Did any big businesses suffer from the loss of rail service? Did Conrail continue to serve any industries via other lines? Thanks for the insight!

Yes the area is lacking in industry.I remember a caboose factory west of Marion and the Orton Crane Works in Huntington,Indiana.Another forum mentioned an oil refinery 20 miles west of huntington that is now served by the NS. Conrail ran on a mile of ex-EL to reach the Dolco plastics factory in Decatur IN. grain elevators were also on the line,I remember a 10 car mini unit train serving them. TOFC ramp at Huntington. It was fun watching the RS-3's on the local freight train. Joe