The Grand Rapids, Wabash & Cincinnati was begun in 1869. It entered from Marion on the North and ran southward through Summitville, Alexandria and Linwood. Pan Handle trackage was used to enter Anderson until a bridge could be built over the White River. The road was completed into Anderson in 1876. In 1880, title passed to the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan allowing the railroad to reach Benton Harbor, MI in 1882. The line was continued South through Alliance, Emporia, Markleville until it reached Rushville in 1891. At that time, the road's operation was combined with that of the Vernon, Greensburg and Rushville under control of the Big Four (CCC&StL Railway) allowing the railroad to reach North Vernon and by the use of trackage rights over the B&O South-western, the road gained entry to Louisville, KY. This created a north-south rail line from Benton Harbor, MI on the north to Louisville, KY on the south with Anderson at its mid-point.     In 1915, the CCC&StL became owner of the line and it was to become a part of the New York Central System in 1930 with the line north from Anderson to Benton Harbor being known as the Michigan Division and the line south out of Anderson becoming the North Vernon Secondary. Ownership passed to the Penn Central in 1968 and then to Conrail in 1976. The Dow Secondary (now the Marion Branch, 1998) from Anderson to Elkhart is the remaining northern portion of the line and is now controlled by the NS while the southern leg ends 7.3 miles south of the South Anderson Yards at Emporia and is a part of CSX. On the left, an NS train with CN 9660, a GF430d, as power works the old DOW at Sefton's at 1st and John Streets in Anderson on November 6, 1999. Train Orders on the Michigan Division 1944 TimeTable Pages Michigan Division Photos, North Michigan Division Photos, South Emporia Secondary The Conrail Emporia Secondary extends from the East end of the South Anderson Yards southward to just below US36 at Emporia Indiana serving the Emporia Grain Co. (AG1 Farm Bureau Co-op). The southern portion of the North Vernon Secondary below Carthage was abandoned by the Penn Central in 1973 leaving slightly over 20 miles below Emporia to be serviced by the Hoosier Connection in the early 80s, then the Indiana Midland and finally, the Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley. It was when the CK&S abandoned freight service that the line was abandoned to a point about a mile below Emporia about 1988 or 89. The Emporia Grain Co. acquired their #611, an Alco S2 switcher in addition to the 30 Ton Plymouth that was on the property. The Plymouth is no longer in use and has been stored dead at 'End of Track' (see 'Death of a Critter'). Emporia Grain makes use of the trackage down to 'End of Track' using the Alco to load the empty grain cars for shipment. Emporia Grain's Alco S2 switcher was originally the Lehigh & New England 611. It was the first of 6 Alco S2 switchers acquired by the LNE. (The LNE was a small, eastern Pennsylvania, coal-hauling railroad that was abandoned in 1961) This Alco S2 may well be the only diesel on the LNE roster that remains in existence. In February 2008, the S2 broke. It was listed as being too expensive to fix. The elevator leased a Larry's Truck GP15. That locomotive was found to be very slippery on the rails. They checked with another supplier for repair and found that the loco could be repaired for far less than the original estimate. Parts are on order for the repair and they are considering building a shelter for the S2. (March 14, 2008) Lehigh and New England 611 In earlier days No. 611 posed for a picture at Pen Argyl in the late 50s. Martin Zak, Diamond Collection photo from the "LEHIGH AND NEW ENGLAND" by Ed Crist with John Krause. Anderson Belt Railroad Started in 1892, it was built by local capitalists and manufacturers in order to provide better shipping facilities by connecting each of the Anderson main lines to each other and various manufacturers and warehouses. By 1910 this was to make Anderson one of the best shipping points in Indiana. The line was merged into the Pan Handle (PCC&StL) in 1916 and passed to the PRR in 1921, the Penn Central in 1968 and Conrail in 1976. Photo Credits: NYC Mikado under load. H10a photo by Ray E. Toby / Collection of Ray S. Curl. DOW Tower in the early 1920s - Post Card Photo located by Irene Litten - from the Marvin Crim Collection CR Ballast Express Southbound on the DOW at Cross Street - May 1997 - Roger Hensley Photo NS at Sefton's Southbound on the DOW at 1st and John - Nov 1999 - Roger Hensley Photo Emporia Grain 611 at the Emporia Grain Co. (AG1 Farm Bureau Co-op) - January 1998 - Roger Hensley Photo Lehigh and New England 611 at Pen Argyl in the late 50s - Martin Zak, Diamond Collection Photo CR 4103 leaves the 'Big Four' number 1 main at 31st Street and starts northward toward the Dow - Roger Hensley Photo LMX 8522 (a leased unit) pulls northward at Pearl Street toward the Dow - Roger Hensley Photo Operation Lifesaver Inc. ...is a nationwide, non-profit public information program dedicated to reducing collisions, injuries and fatalities at highway-rail crossings and on railroad rights-of-way. It's web site offers news reports, educational materials, statistics, safety tips, upcoming events, and information on how to get involved. Return to Top of Page or Return to Main Page This "Railroads of Madision County" page is written, maintained and hosted by: Roger P. Hensley madisonrails@railfan.net Copyright 1997-2008 by Roger P. Hensley. Taken from the original work by Roger P. Hensley Copyright 1995.