Note: More Big Four photos are available on the Michigan Division North, Michigan Division South and South Anderson pages With stories and details of the Michigan Division and Cleveland in the Memory Pages. Big Four Memories - Early years thru 1909 Big Four Memories - 1910 to 1929 Big Four Memories - The 30s and 40s Big Four Memories - 50s to PC Big Four Memories - PC to CR Forty eight to Chicago (ex-Riley Tail Car) Most of these photos were sent to me and credit is given when known. (Click on the small graphic to see the larger one.) 1856   Ok, so this isn't exactly Big Four, but it is New York Central and it was just too good to not put up. Where else do you find a sign (poster) from 1856 in this good a condition. It's rather large (188k) and may be a bit slow to load, but it is really worth the wait. Enjoy! Lawrence Baggerly Collection. 1871 The Big Four Republican Advocate Jan. 5, 1871 - Batavia 1880 Central Union Station Railway Company The reverse shows as 1880 certificate for construction of the first CUT. Big Four connections with the several RRs in Cincinnati. The later CUD&T Co was in 1913. This Preferred Stock was never issued. Ohio River flooding in 1913 created the plan to construct the Cincinnati Union Depot & Terminal Company. - Lawrence Baggerly Collection. 1886 After the first station was burnt, this one was proposed. If you look closely, you can see the current station in the drawing.   Well this is the station that was actually built.   Anderson Indiana Big 4 station under construction 1887 Big Four Stock Express stock car going to the Yard while the B&B (Bridge and Building Dept.) gang watch. 1887 vintage (Cleveland). Lawrence Baggerly Collection.     Same location in Cleveland Ohio after the "B&B" gang finished the work. Lawrence Baggerly Collection.     1889 Flood Preparation Amother find from the Archives. Reverse merely notes... Flood Work @ Cairo - 'Cairo Division - Wabash St Louis & Pacific Ry'. Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Companion photo from the FLOOD ACTIVITIES in 1889....looks like the photog had a real slow shutter speed, as demonstrated by those BENT steamboat stacks! (and the blurred couple on the tracks to the left.) Lawrence Baggerly Collection. 1889 April 25, 1889 - The Stockholders meeting that purchased the Cairo Division from the Wabash, St Louis and Pacific for '...the sum of 9,999,500-5,000,000 par value..." "... The Cairo Division was a line of road from Cairo Ill with a branch from St Francisville to the City of Vincennes...." The Secretary notes that the deed dated June 29, 1889 was accepted, and gave the CCC&StL (Cairo Vincennes & Chicago Ry) the right to operate the Cairo Transfer Company. These original documents were salvaged from the CCC&StL headquarters building in Cincinnati in 1964. Lawrence Baggerly Collection. From the Railroads of Indiana, Richard S. Simons and Francis H. Parker, IU Press, 1997 - Cario and Vincennes. Built as part of a projected line to Cario, this 10 mile spur, opened in 1872, connected Vincennes at St. Francisville, Illinois with what became the Danville, IL Cario line of the Big 4, In 1906 it was extended from Danville to the Calumet region. Twelve trains operated daily during the peak passenger years as shuttles to serve Vincennes. The road was abandoned in 1968 and the Wabash River bridge ws purchased and converted to highway use. Circa 1890 (date unknown) First Wreck on the Mackinac Greenville (actually Mackinaw) Larry Baggerly: Reverse of the picture notes... "Katzenburgers. 114 W. Main St., Greenville Ohio". Photographer A.M. Johnson of Greenville Ohio. Gordon Davids: The "Mackinaw" was the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw, which later morphed into the Cincinnati Northern and came under the reign of a trainmaster at Van Wert named William Robert Foster, and at a later time a Track Supervisor at Bryan named Gordon Alan Davids (for a VERY short period.) Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Nov 1890 5,000 dollar BOND Left: An 1890 100year Bond issued in the States of Ohio and Indiana for the First Collateral Trust Mortage [St.Louis Divisoon] @ 4% Big bucks today! Right: Thought the Big Four died in the 1930s? Wrong! Check the date on this stock. - Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Circa 1894 - Anderson The CCC&StL was newly formed when this photo was taken. To the right is a new 4-6-0 built by Brooks switching the yard near downtown Anderson. The smoke and blur of the drivers indicate that it is backing. The structure to the right is the new Big Four Freight House between Jackson Street and Meridian. Over the top of it can be seen a water tower. That was later moved North of the track to the Northwest corner of Central Avenue. On the left is the new 1887 Big Four Station. Note that there are no buildings to the left of the station. They hadn't been built yet. Photo from the Madison County Historical Society Collection. 1894 Big Four Commercial 1000 Mile Ticket, patented October 23rd 1894 1895 Linwood Post Office at Big Four track just north of Anderson Madison County Historical Society Photo 1895 Left - Big Four System MAP (189k) Lawrence Baggerly Collection. RIght - June 1895 Timetable Cover Lawrence Baggerly Collection. And now, here is the complete 1895 Passenger Time Table. There is a wealth of information in these pages ranging from the mileage of the various lines and branches to a population code giving the size of cities and towns. You think that we have good transportation today? Look at what we had in 1895 and that doesn't even count the Traction Lines that were springing up and would soon provide hourly service throughout Central Indiana. 1895 Passenger Time Table 1896 Roger: While researching newspapers for my Eel River RR project I found a note in the Butler (Indiana) Record of Friday Apr. 17, 1896 that the Big 4 roundhouse in Anderson burned on Mon., Apr. 13, 1896. Seven locomotives were inside. Two were pulled out in time and 5 had the woodwork burned, but all were saved. No other details. Craig Berndt The engines would have been like the one at the right. 1897   1897 Big Four ad Lawrence Baggerly Collection. 1901 This photo from the 1901 "Pendleton Gazette" represented the service that the Big Four was putting out at that tme with their passenger trains. Circa 1896-1900 Postcard photo of the Greensburg Indiana Depot about 1900 Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Maurice Lewman says: "In the picture of the depot at Greensburg, the passenger train is a Michigan Divison train. At the left edge of the picture behind the coach was the water plug where we stopped to take water southbound. Am I glad to see those two water towers. They were there until the steam left. The east leg of the wye passed by them. The train is headed north."   1899 I found these on a historical web site. They are labeled as dating from 1899. Never saw the "modern" Big Four depot at Pana, but believe that it was a brick structure, so the first photo must be the original station constructed when the line was built. Also, there were other railroads at Pana (Illinois Central and C & E I), so the second photo might or might not be the Big Four freight house -- however, that is definitely a BIG FOUR box car spotted on the house track!! CAPT Rex Settlemoir Collection. 1890 Sanborn Map of Anderson These drawings are taken for a series of Sanborn Maps of Anderson in 1900. They show a turn-table at John street and 6th and 7th streets. I neve knew that there was one there until 2 years ago when I was told that the Michigan Division of the Big Four had one at that location. Note that it says that the back wall is in dilapidated condition. This would say that it was already several years old by 1900. Small size Drawing. Roundhouse drawing in Medium Format. PDF Page showing the turn table and surrounding streets and structures. 1900 Anderson Roundhouse Drawing June 4, 1900 THE MARVEL OF INDIANA ALEXANDRIA CLAIMS MARVELOUS GAIN IN POPULATION Click here for a very good article on Alexandria at the turn of the last centery. Circa 1900 Old Greensburg IN Big Four Depot on south Franklin St only 1 block south of the courthouse Marc Haston Collection (Date unknown)   Big Four Office Staff. Date unknown. Take a look at their shoes. This view of the backshop of the Big Four at Mt.Carmel IL pre-dates me riding my bicycle behind this building in the late '40s enroute to deliver my Dad's lunch to the "Ready Track" at the roundhouse prior to his departing on a 'trip' to Lyons [Danville, IL]. Interesting that the crane operator is posing on the main beam. Larry Baggerly [picture from Gene Millspaugh whose father worked as a Stationary Engineer here.] Bolivar - ca1900 The Michigan Division shared this Bolivar Station with the Erie-Lackawanna. The crossing tower is partly visible behind the shed on the left. Circa 1900 I don't have a date on this one, but it is a good shot of the depot at Crossville, Illinois. I never saw this depot, but believe that it stood on the west side of the main line, so this view would be looking south, toward Cairo. CAPT Rex Settlemoir Collection. Amazing what you can find when you look around. Don't know the date or origin of this photo, but it is a good shot of the Big 4 depot at Robinson, Illinois (South of Paris on the Cairo Line). Captain Rex Settlemoir Collection Attached is an undated photo of the NYC/Big 4 passenger station & division office in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Appears to date from early 1900's; Larry Baggerly seems to think that it might have been taken around the time that the station was dedicated. Captain Rex Settlemoir Collection Circa 1900 This is a very interesting photo to me. The picture is from a "penny postcard" and although undated, I believe that it is from the early 1900's. The view looks north from Poplar Street in Harrisburg, Illinois and shows the Big 4 main line and the classic brick passenger station. What interests me in particular, however, is the large wooden structure just to the north of the passenger station. I presume that this was the Big 4 freight house in the early part of the century?? My memories (from the 1950's) are that the NYC freight house was about one block north and 100 feet or so west of the main line, on Gum Street in Harrisburg. This must have been the "original" Big 4 freight house, while the one that I remember was built by the NYC at a later date. Don't know if this original freight house was destroyed by fire or flooding, or was torn down for some reason. This same site is currently occupied by a Hardee's hamburger joint, and the trackage is all abandoned. CAPT Rex Settlemoir Collection. circa 1900 The New York Central Lines Big Four Shop Band at Mt.Carmel IL. CCC&STL had a car/loco facility there, tho the major rebuild/build facility was at Beech Grove. This picture came from a relative of H.E.Johnson who worked for NYC til his death in 1942. His daughter, Betty, believes he was a member of this Band. Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Moorefield Indianapolis This was the main coaling facility for the P&E in Indiana. This picture was in the 1900s, I remember transiting this structure in the years I went to Indianapolis to work the Bee-Line to Bellefontaine. In the late '50s I used to Deadhead past this structure enroute to Brightwood, and workin '3rd-Man' jobs between Indianapolis and Ansonia. LAB Lawrence Baggerly Collection. - Note the Big Four car in the coaling tower. The almost unreadable info at the bottom of the photo says: Fairbanks Morse & Co 148 C D [Coal Dock #148 that F.M.&Co had constructed.] It is likely that the structure was numbered #148 of the Peoria & Eastern Rwy - rph MOW Crew This picture is unidentified. When I acquired this photo the gentleman told me it was of the line that runs through Summitville but the picture was taken south of there and thought even as far as between Alexandria and Linwood. Devin Dow Collection. 1901 November 20,1901 Passenger Timetable Cover Lawrence Baggerly Collection.   While sorting through my father's estate it became obvious to me that 90 percent of the family pictures dating well back into the last century had been destroyed by sitting under water for a long period of time. This was one of them. Location: East Central Indiana (near Maxwell, IN) Date: 1901/02 Subject: Railroad Track Gang (CCC&StL) Charles H. Hensley 4th from left (w/pick) - My Grandfather May 17, 1902   View of Greensburg IN From the Switch Tower looking East Marc Haston Collection. 1904 Construction of Old Line at Hillsboro Illinois Reverse indicates: "View Looking East from Station 1861 - Feb. 8, 1904 [reproduced from a glass plate in Cincinnati Ohio HQ, and mounted on linen]. Hillsboro IL is west of Mattoon. In later years the CCC&STL constructed a newer alignment, thus the characterization, Old Line. LAB February 2 1904 Another look from the Construction on the Old Line at Hillsboro, IL... No doubt these steam shovels were employed at the Panama Canal in this same year???? - LAB February 11, 1904 More construction activity from the CCC&STL .... reverse says.."View From Millers Cut, Looking East, From Station 2070" - LAB Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Kinda poor lighting, tho noted on reverse...DUANE COAL DOCK--1904. [Terre Haute, Ind.] Note the loco tender hanging partly out the top of the loading ramp.....enough to make the Yardmaster blanch!!! LAB Lawrence Baggerly Collection. Beech Grove Its 1904 and 1905 and the Beech Grove Shops are under construction with the dedication rounding out these photos. 1904/5 Beech Grove Shops - Larry Griffey Collection Beech Grove Mechanical Drawing For more information on the history of the shops, follow this link to the History of the Beech Grove Shops. 1906 Setting Girders for a bridge at North Manchester Indiana Larry Baggerly said: This is a unique picture for two reasons - 1] The B&B folks were really in their ELEMENT, and 2] the Photographer wasn't!! My travels have permitted me to acquire such 'GEMS', and keep a few. One must admire those old RR guys from the past. Who would have thought today that the same bridge in North Manchester was constructed in this fashion???? Regards to GAD--the DOOR-KNOB-GANG was proud in thisun!! Lawrence Baggerly Collection. 1908 Two postcard images of the Big Four Station in Terre Haute. The last image is today's view of the same site as the first postcard. The postcards are from Ray Thomas on his website, http://brisray.com/th/tpcards70.htm. The last view is from the Google street view. 1908 Beech Grove Big Four Engine repair shops. 1908-1910 - Pendleton The bridge on the right is the Interurban bridge over Fall Creek around 1908. The supports still can be seen in the park. Gene Ingram Collection   Pre-1910 of the Big4 crossing Fall Creek at the falls. Bob Eley Collection The Pendleton Big Four Station The steam train shot is post-1910 Big Four east of town. Bob Eley Collection I'm sure you noticed the bottom dump cars in the construction picture. I believe that it was taken at the old gravel pit on the Othal Ridgeway farm just west of where PHHS is now. The rerouting around town in 1910 was accomplished by building a wooden trestle and backfilling to grade. Bob Eley Collection ca1900-1920 Here are pictures of the building of the Big 4 tracks just north out of Templeton Indiana. Photos look northward from Templeton. Pictures taken and used with permission from Benton County Historical Museum. Date unknown but believed to be between 1900-1920. Bill Sturgeon Collection. Big Four Memories - Early years thru 1909 Big Four Memories - 1910 to 1929 Big Four Memories - The 30s and 40s Big Four Memories - 50s to PC Big Four Memories - PC to CR Forty eight to Chicago (ex-Riley Tail Car)