Indianapolis-St. Louis

What determined the route choices of PC and Conrail between Indianapolis and East St. Louis? Obviously, Avon Yard was on the NYC line between Indy and Terre Haute, but what led to the downfall of the ex-Big Four line west of T.H.?? Was it because of the joint trackage with MP? The longer route? Online industries?

Any help or information on this area would be greatly appreciated!

Chase Z.

rrfoose wrote:What determined the route choices of PC and Conrail between Indianapolis and East St. Louis? Obviously, Avon Yard was on the NYC line between Indy and Terre Haute, but what led to the downfall of the ex-Big Four line west of T.H.?? Was it because of the joint trackage with MP? The longer route? Online industries?

Any help or information on this area would be greatly appreciated!

Chase Z.

Longer route. Also, Rose Yard on the ex-Pennsy line handled TOFC traffic.

Suspect this item properly belongs in the PENN-CENTRAL folder as the question is better answered there, However, the 1962 merger study authored by WALTER PATCHELL-1962, outlines on the first page that ."..In general Central's present main lines will be used from the CHGO/ST.Louis/and CINCI gateways [except that the PRR will be used from EAST ST.LOUIS to TERRE HAUTE]."On page #2, he remarks that "PRR's Rose Lake Yard , east of East St.Louis on the line to INDPLS, will be the terminal. Most of Central's facilities will be retired. The favored route to the East, as far as TERRE HAUTE, will be the PRR, but Centra;'s line cannot be retited as the C&EI has trackage rights over a substantial stretch...."! More to the point was the capacity of the PRR west of TERRE HAUTE, and double track,and sidings, vs the TCS single track of the CENTRAL. Exxentially, thats the way it transpired. LARRY BAGGERLY

When Conrail started operations on April 1, 1976, the track charts showed two main lines Indianapolis - St. Louis. They were:

1) Main Line Indianapolis -- St. Louis, comprised of the former NYC double track from IND to Terre Haute and the former PRR west of that point, and

2) Main Line Davis and Lenox (Ben Davis Tower to Lenox, IL), comprised of the former PRR IND - Terre Haute and the former NYC west of there.

The two main lines shared about a mile of joint track through Terre Haute.

Rapidly the Main Line D&L was downgraded, with the IND -- Terre Haute portion becoming the Greencastle Secondary and then the Limedale Industrial Track, and then being abandoned altogether. The NYC west of Terre Haute lasted a little longer. Of course, the segment from Pana to Lenox was used by MoPac (former C&EI) on trackage rights. Eventually, that portion was sold to MoPac and most of the rest abandoned. A couple of short segments are operated as short lines.

The former NYC west of IND of course provided access to Avon Yard, which is why it was selected over the PRR route. Access to Rose Lake Yard in East St. Louis has already been mentioned. Also, a substantial part (not all) of the former PRR west of Terre Haute is double track (can't remember the point where single track starts, offhand).