The End of Indiana HI-Rail

[rrnut282]

Trains Magazine's June 2011 issue has an article on Indiana Hi-Rail. Anybody else read it?

I was kinda disappointed that here is an article about a railroad literally in my backyard and...nothing that I recognized outside of Connersville.

[h2466]

I read the article also Mike. And like you said was dissappionted in its lack of geographical coverage. Never thought I'd say this but I kinda miss the ol' Hi-Rail. Ken

[D.L.]

Has IHRC ever really ended. Felix keeps running his lines on a shoestring. One of the guys on CNUR just quit his company.
I found (in typical Trains mag fashion) the article and the map to be full of inaccuricies. Its news to me that IHRC ever had anything to due w/the former EL line in Ohio-I recall it being run by the Spencerville to Elgin RR not IHRC . (Ohio guys, feel free to chime in on this matter.)
Also, the entire line from Woodburn to Defiance was embargoed in 1993, not just Cecil to CSX.The info on S. IN is basiclly meaningless to me-like WHO cares.

[h2466]

Hey D.L., IHRC did operate on the former SPEG. One of the last moves on this line that I seen was IHRC moving stored tank cars westbound onto the former Cloverleaf. I also recall a unit grain train westbound on the SPEG, this was the longest train I ever seen on this part of the IHRC. Ken

[conrailman75]

Don't feel bad D.L., it seems like us in Northeast Indiana don't get no respect from the national train mags

[KEITH_HARRIS]

YES, SEEMS LIKE IF YOU DON'T HAVE BIG HILLS AND VALLEYS, SHARP CURVES AND NEED HELPERS, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO RAILROAD. I DISPATCHED LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WE HAVE PROBLEMS TOO.


KEITH

[rockmodeler1]

I was dissapointed as well. I live in Northcentral Ohio and fanned the Tiffin to Woodville segment frequently. From what I recall they got in trouble with Conrail for lifting out the second main on the former PRR Carouthers line just north of Tiffin to use else where on the IHRC system (possibly on the Evansville line) and this also contrubuted to the downfall of the company casue Conrail wanted the money for the rail they essentially stole. I thought it would have been nice to give a little more coverage to all the lines that have survived since IHRC closed it doors as well. The Tiffin-Woodville line is run by Rail-Tex and we set out a cut of 5-10 cars for them almost daily from CSX at Tiffin on Kellar's siding. And speaking of the MAW. I haven't been out that way in good while but didn't they start running trains to the quarry that is south of Cecil on the old Big 4? Or was that one of those pipe dream rumors that just perpetuated itself over time. I remember the last time I was out that way the track was still intact but the last place west of Definance I saw any activity was a grain elevator in Antwerp, OH.

[rockmodeler1]

Here are few photos from Defiance in the early 90's. The 352.

[D.L.]

CNUR runs to town to interchance w/NS about twice a week.

[CIOR]

The guy that claimed to be writing the article showed up in a few forums asking for information, as is the case most of the time, no one had any real info. A writer can only use general information so far.
Also if they aren't closely tied with the area, then its easy to make mapping mistakes. Granted, when one sees an article for something like the little spoken regional like Hi-Rail, you want to see everything perfect. But that never is the case.
I guess its just nice to see it actually put into print!

Yes, Powell still has his hands in a few operations, hopefully he learned no to over extend himself again.

[conrailman75]

I looked through this article on the newstand recently and I seen no mention(not to mention any pictures) of the IHRC lines up around here, it was all concentrated on the lines around Evansville so I left it on the newstand and walked out of the store without making a purchase. I'm not gonna criticize the author for only writing about what he knows, but if Trains wants me to spend my hard earned money to buy its magazine, then it had better have something of interest to me or an operation located in my corner of Indiana(like the INE as an example) or I'm not going to buy it. Gotta make tough choices on discretionary spending in these tough economic times we're in right now.