Clover Leaf in Decatur, IN

[Matt Myers(Guest)]

I'm curious to know exactly when NS abandoned it's Clover Leaf route through Decatur, IN and when the rails were removed.  It seems like the rails were still in place at the US 33 crossing southeast of Decatur and at US 27 in town just south of the Erie Lackawanna crossing just a few short years ago.  Was NS the last company operating trains on this section of the Clover Leaf, or was it RJ Corman?  "Railroads Of Indiana" indicates that abandonment was pending for the section of rails between Craigville and the Ohio State Line in 1996, but I haven't been able to find any newer information.

Also, a friend of mine and I had a discussion about when the Erie Lackawanna rails were removed in Huntington, IN.  We both swear we remember the rails being in place in the summer of 1984.  We worked at the Huntington radio station, and there was an intact EL crossing between the station and Hires Park on Taylor Street.  We remember that the tracks were in the ground between Taylor and the next street to the north, because my buddy would walk on the r-o-w between his apartment and the radio station.  All references I can find say the EL rails were removed through this area in late 1981/early 1982.  Could it be that a small section of rails was in place to serve local industry in Huntington as late as 1984?  I visited Huntington this summer, and it was pretty hard to find any traces of the good old EL!!  

Any help anyone can give me with my questions about the Clover Leaf in Decatur and the EL in Huntington would be appreciated very much.

Thanks, Matt M.

[indrr]

The INDOT lists the 17 mile abandonment from Craigville to state line as 1997.  Hi-Rail was the abandoning railroad.  Checking the state map, Wabash Central is shown as the operating railroad with NS having trackage rights.

http://www.in.gov/dot/div/multimodal/railroad/abandonments.pdf

I have no idea when the rails were actually taken up.

[CIOR]

As for the EL in Huntington I believe the NW/NS kept a small stretch to serve an industry.  Can't say 100% though

[Dave1984]

Here is a video I made of the EL in the Decatur, Western Ohio area, the 80' timeframe is roughly what I remember of it being actually last used, in Decatur, Preble area anyway, my Mom bought a house in Preble in 79', still may have used in 80' but beyond that it's doubtful, at least over here, at that point though there were boxcars lined up behind it on the doubletrack, which was in very good shape, in all of Adams County, no sense in losing this doubletrack line. Even close to 30 years since last used there is very good stone roadbed yet. I myself moved out in the Craigville area in 97', of course just missing the last trains to run on the old Nickelplate, IHR Line, by months (would have been visible across the fields from my house here). I believe it was early 98' maybe in the Spring is when they actually took up all track from about a half mile East of Craigville, all the way to the Ohio Line and beyond, don't know for sure on that though, they may have still used a portion from Willshire Ohio (grain elevator), on the Ohio Line, to Ohio City, but lasted just a year or so, if that. They actually had piles of railroad ties they burnt, every quarter mile or so in open piles easily visible from here.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jMmskqTT7kU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/jMmskqTT7kU</a>

[Micah Jones]

Great video, Dave - thanks for posting!

Micah

[IT1605]

Here is my video of a tour of the line after track removal:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZMsVLHFGYSI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZMsVLHFGYSI</a>

[blue2golf]

Wow, the guy in the green shirt vanished at 2:01! 

[alstevens]

At least someone else saw the disappearing man at 2:01. I was beginning to think i was crazy!

[CIOR]

Nope, I saw it too.