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Page Updated
1/22/2007
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Webmaster:
Roger Hensley
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Railroads of Madison County
Michigan Division
NYC - PC - CR Photos
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New York Central Michigan Division
Unless otherwise noted, the photos on this page are either taken by
Maurice Lewman
or are from his collection
Click on thumbnail for larger picture
Michigan Division Map from the Ted Tobin Collection
For more photos of the Michigan Division - Click Here
Michigan Division - North
Big Four Northbound at Jackson St Station in Elkhart, IN in 1895.
I remember the water tank but the water tank is long gone replaced by a travern. - Maurice Lewman.
Photo from C. W. Jernstrom Collection
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Leesburg - 1913c
This track is on the east side of the new highway 15.
The Big 4 and old highway 15 was 1/2 mile east of this location.
Photo from C. W. Jernstrom Collection
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Warsaw Depot 1910 - Warsaw Indiana
Newspaper clipping of 1910 postcard
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February 4, 1900
Setting Girders for a bridge at North Manchester Indiana
Lawrence Baggerly Collection.
Circa 1900
Big Four Depot - Wabash Indiana
Postcard photo
There are people and two bicycles leaning against the building. There is a track running directly in front of the Depot as well as to the side where the Big Four train us standing. Note also the snowplow at the far right.
Compare this with the photo of the same depot in the 1960s on this page.
 Circa 1910
View of Big Four Shops at Wabash IN looking South.
Coble Collection
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 Sanborn Drawing
Big Four Shops at Wabash IN circa 1910. Station is off the map to the right .
Coble Collection
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1913 Timetable
St. Joseph Michigan to Wabash Indiana
Extra 6195 North
September 19, 1915 - Extra 6195 North was going from Wabash Indiana to Benton Harbor Michigan on the Michigan Division.
 October 6, 1917
Troop train at the Wabash Railroad Depot taking men to military training camp.
Coble collection
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June 27, 1935 - Wabash IN
CCC&StL 2-8-2 6037, H-5o Built by Brooks 12/1905
Ex CCC&StL 2-8-0 G-5h 6043 rebuilt in 1914 by Brooks.
Renumbered to 1539 - 9/1936. Notice the markers. They look like lanterns, but are electric. This engine does not have a power reverse, It is all muscle and has a Johnson Bar. This is the type of engine in MEL's article "Incident at LaFontaine".
September 7, 1935 - Wabash, IN
CCC&StL class K-3L
4-6-2 PACIFIC # 6474
Look at the boxcar on the right side of the photo
Roger Hensley Collection
June 6, 1936 - Wabash, IN
CCC&StL class K-3k
4-6-2 PACIFIC # 6465
Roger Hensley Collection
1940s - Wabash IN
Big Four Wabash Depot
Train running Southbound
Roger Hensley Collection
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1944-49 - Jonesboro, IN
Southbound. This is a K3-R built in 1925 for the Big Four. These engines (4800-4804) were the last 4-6-2 built for the NYC. They were the hot rods of the series. R. L. Stoving wrote in his book, Power Along the Hudson, that they would run 115 mph between South Anderson and Louisville, KY.
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Sept 28, 1953 - Wabash IN
NYC 4-8-2 L-3B 3026
Gabe Ginn - Engineer
John Conner - Brakeman
Marion Indiana early 50s - Photos from the Ted Tobin Collection
All of these photos were taken in Marion
NYC 2223 |
NYC 2268 |
NYC 3063 |
3rd St Shanty |
6841 Marion Switcher
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Marion Freight House
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Kent Tower
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I asked Maurice Lewman to comment on these 7 photos taken in Marion Indiana in the 1950s, and have placed the photos and his comments on a separate page,
 Jan 1957 - Jack Malicoat Conductor
A Big Four caboose looking toward the middle of the cab. The bottom was brown and the top cream.
Maurice Lewman Collection.
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NYC 7745
July 1957- USRA type 0-8-0 switch engine with a flat bottom firebox. Big Four 0-8-0s had a slope bottom firebox like a road engine and were used on the NYC proper such as Elkhart and Cleveland. Drivers on the Big Four 0-8-0s were generally 2 inches bigger. The two large vertical tubes on the side of the firebox were smoke consumers. This engine had Baker valve gear. Photographed on the dead line at Greensburg IN.
NYC 6825
July 1957 – 0-6-0 switch engine. This is the first engine that E.C. Presnell, engineer on the Greensburg yard engine, fired for pay. This is the type of engine that was at Marion Indiana on the Michigan Division. The firebox was a small 4'x 6' and 5 scoops of coal was about all that you could put in. The white line through the number meant the engine was out of service and would be scrapped. Photographed on the dead line at Greensburg IN.
Jan 1959 - Hobert Brown conductor
Inside a Big Four caboose looking from center to end.
Maurice Lewman Collection
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Pearl Street, Anderson
Spring 1960 - The Wabash Turn (northbound). Notice the target gate to the right and above the caboose. This is the crossing for the CIRy. When going south, this target did not activate the track circuit and you proceeded around the curve looking for the target to be lined against you. Target vertical, NYC. Target horizontal, CIRy.
Aug 24, 1961
Maurice Lewman (age 31)
DSL1 - The engine was an Alco 1000-1100 series. You can tell this because of the ball above MEL's leg It is the top of the window handle to raise of lower the window.
Wabash - Aug 1963
1) MD-5 5913 (GP-9) Wabash Turn at Kent Siding, Marion, IN. New Caboose on rear end of MD-5 1852 (only has one end window on side, Early had a window on each end.)
2) Wabash Southbound at MP 113 heading into yard.
Wabash
Wabash IN, mid 60s before PC
- 1) On the left is the Wabash yard engine. The caboose on #10 track with about 25 cars is on the Wabash-Elkhart switch run. The gondolas ahead of the hoppers are going to Leesburg to be loaded with sand. The caboose is a Big Four caboose (yes, there is a difference). Notice how high the cupola sits. The MC caboose was lower. The NYC was lower and on one end. The man standing on the caboose is Jerry Witte, a fine conductor.
2) Caboose in front of the depot. L-R Fred Van Noy, G .F. Witte. The hubcap on the cupola is to aid in finding the cab in the yards.
3) The semaphores are Train Order boards, rule 221A. Walking is Fred Van Noy, conductor.
4) Wabash Depot. This was the division headquarters until the mid-20s. The cut was made in 1906.
Click on thumbnail for larger picture
5) Looking South. The bridge was built in 1906. Cars of coal were shoved on the bridge when the river was high.
6) Wabash Turn leaving on return to South Anderson.
Michigan - 1965-66
1) Niles-Benton Harbor Switch Run group photo 1965-66 - Note the snow on top of the loco. The NYC ran long hood forward. Most of the snow will be cleaned off to couple to the train. L-R Bill Hawley Engineer, Richard Shoptaw Conductor, J. D. Harris Brakeman, Bob Darron Fireman, and L.K. Whitmire Brakeman.
2 & 3) Niles-Benton Harbor Switch Run 1965-66 between Eau Clair and Sodus. The snow is about 5 feet deep. 3) They have backed out of the snow and you can see the depth.
Click on thumbnail for larger picture
On Feb. 1, 1968 Penn Central came into being.
April 13, 1968 - Jonesboro
MD44 with engineer B. S. Brizendine hit a split switch on a curve at Jonesboro IN. The engine did not derail, but a number of cars did.
1) Track sections being unloaded with a crane.
2) There is a commercial dry cleaners in the building.
Thursday April 10, 1969 - Wabash IN
This wreck happened 1.5 miles north of the Wabash depot. The 2540-1832 rear ended the 3388 at 10:30 am. The 2540 had been instructed to pick up the 3388 and forward it to South Anderson. Unknown to the engine crew of the 2540, the 3388 had shoved north and with the curves and underbrush, the rear of the 3388 could not be seen until it was too late to stop.
Charles Downing, engineer and John Bender, brakeman were able to jump clear, but the fireman, J. C. Simmons was still in the cab. He crawled under the engineer's seat and that and the control stand protected him. He was uninjured.
1) The loco is on the right. PC caboose (ex-Pennsy) is on the left. 2) Front right view of cab. 3) As (2), but notice the coupler in the foreground.
March 26, 1971 - 2 am - North Manchester
One mile south of North Manchester Indana, MD-4 2851 rear ended MD-4A that had 85 cars of coal. Three men were killed on 2851. 2851 was rebuilt and put back in service.
1) All that stayed in the cab of 2851. 2) The cab of 2851. 3) Side view showing missing cab.
4) The Big Hook at work. 5) Caboose on the coal train MD-4A. 6) Aerial view
Sept 10, 1972 - Wabash Turn
M. E. Lewman engineer (age 42)
Summitville - 1974
(circa 1974) - NYC Bay Window Caboose just south of Summitville on a run to a derailment near the elevator.
Click on thumbnail for larger picture
Benton Harbor MI - late 1970s
Benton Harbor Big Four Station
The left track led to the Big Four yard.
The right track was the PM (Pere Marquette), CSX main.
The Big Four received orders here until the office cloased.
Photo by Larry Lewman
Crossing Watchman's Shanty
The reason that it is so high is that the gates and flashers were operated from the shanty. PM (Pere Marquette), CSX had a small yard to the right with a yard engine as did the Big Four.
Photo was taken from the rear of Niles-BH switch run.
Photo by Larry Lewman
Another view of the Crossing Watchmans Shanty at Benton Harbor Mi. The depot sat to the right out of the photo. The PM ad Big Four both departed town at this point. The PM going north and the Big Four making a right turn and heading south. The three tracks in the foreground are PM or today CSX and the track just beyond the tower is Big Four. By looking at the run down condition, the photo is probably just before they destroyed the building. - MEL
Victor Baird Collection
On April 1, 1976, the line became part of Conrail
January 1982 - 1) Beside Speicher Siding north of Speicher in Wabash county. These Jordan Spreaders (64635) moved with the power unit but were controlled from the Spreader. 2) Between Speicher and Urbana (Wabash county). 3) and 4) North of Urbana, IN (Wabash county). 5 Snow Plow in South Anderson Yard. Click on thumbnail for larger picture
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Maurice worked the Michigan Division from 1947-1981. He then worked on the Bee Line from 1981-1992. From
1947 until august 1950, he worked on the section at Shirley and Markleville. In 1950 he started firing on steam and then on through the diesels. Maurice said, "I had the pleasure of working with C. C. Staley and Ron Buser many times."
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