Erie Western Railway
Encyclopedia
The Erie Western Railway was a Class III railroad
operating in Illinois
and Indiana
from 1977 until 1979.
car service order on September 25, 1977 to operate freight service for 158 miles on the former Erie Lackawanna Railway
main line from the Indiana/Ohio state line near Wren, Ohio
west to Hammond, Indiana
. The railroad also operated a 27-mile branch line extending from Decatur, Indiana
to Portland, Indiana
. The Erie Western also possessed ICC
-granted rights to operate from Hammond to Chicago
on trackage rights over the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad
.
The Erie Western was created because the former main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railway, which went bankrupt in 1972, was not included in the federal government's creation of Conrail
, prompting the Erie Western to be formed by shippers and others who wanted to retain and preserve rail service. The railroad was operated by Craig Burroughs' Joliet, Illinois
-based Trans-Action Associates.
The Erie Western's headquarters office was at 10 W. Franklin Street in Huntington, Indiana
.
The railroad began operations with seven locomotives: three Alco
C-420
s (which previously had belonged to the Long Island Rail Road
) and four Alco
RS-3
s.
Commodities hauled include grain, lumber, fertilizer, steel, food products, manufactured goods and plastic.
The railroad failed and discontinued operations on June 24, 1979. Operations were replaced by a short-lived operator, the Chicago & Indiana Railroad. The Chicago & Indiana discontinued operations on December 31, 1979.
to Monterey, Indiana
that was known as the JK Line. In the spring of 1990, the Tippecanoe Railroad was sold to another operator, Daniel R. Frick, and renamed JK Lines. In 2003, the operator of JK Lines, the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
, applied for and later received permission from the federal government to abandon the 16-mile line.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
operating in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from 1977 until 1979.
History
The Erie Western was incorporated in August 1977 and began operations under an Interstate Commerce CommissionInterstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
car service order on September 25, 1977 to operate freight service for 158 miles on the former Erie Lackawanna Railway
Erie Lackawanna Railway
The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
main line from the Indiana/Ohio state line near Wren, Ohio
Wren, Ohio
Wren is a village in Van Wert County, Ohio, United States with a population of 199 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included within the Van Wert, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wren is located at ....
west to Hammond, Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
. The railroad also operated a 27-mile branch line extending from Decatur, Indiana
Decatur, Indiana
Decatur is a city in Root and Washington townships, Adams County, Indiana, United States. The city, which serves as the county seat of Adams County, takes its name after the prominent war hero Stephen Decatur, Jr., one of the captains of the original 6 frigates of the US navy...
to Portland, Indiana
Portland, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,437 people, 2,739 households, and 1,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,566.8 people per square mile . There were 2,928 housing units at an average density of 712.7 per square mile...
. The Erie Western also possessed ICC
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
-granted rights to operate from Hammond to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on trackage rights over the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad
Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad
The Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad was the owner of Dearborn Station in Chicago and the trackage leading to it. It was owned equally by five of the railroads using it to reach the terminal, and kept those companies from needing their own lines into the city...
.
The Erie Western was created because the former main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railway, which went bankrupt in 1972, was not included in the federal government's creation of Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
, prompting the Erie Western to be formed by shippers and others who wanted to retain and preserve rail service. The railroad was operated by Craig Burroughs' Joliet, Illinois
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
-based Trans-Action Associates.
The Erie Western's headquarters office was at 10 W. Franklin Street in Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
.
The railroad began operations with seven locomotives: three Alco
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
C-420
ALCO Century 420
The ALCO Century 420 was a four-axle, 2000 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 131 were built between June 1963 and August 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's "Century" line of locomotives, the C420 was intended to replace the earlier RS-32 model.- Original Owners :Since...
s (which previously had belonged to the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
) and four Alco
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
RS-3
ALCO RS-3
The ALCO RS-3 is a 1,600 hp , B-B road switcher railroad locomotive. It was manufactured by American Locomotive Company and Montreal Locomotive Works from May 1950 to August 1956, and 1,418 were produced — 1,265 for American railroads, 98 for Canadian railroads, 48 for Brazilian and 7...
s.
Commodities hauled include grain, lumber, fertilizer, steel, food products, manufactured goods and plastic.
The railroad failed and discontinued operations on June 24, 1979. Operations were replaced by a short-lived operator, the Chicago & Indiana Railroad. The Chicago & Indiana discontinued operations on December 31, 1979.
North Judson-Monterey segment
After December 31, 1979, the Tippecanoe Railroad Co. took over operations of a 16-mile stretch of the railroad from North Judson, IndianaNorth Judson, Indiana
North Judson is a town in Wayne Township, Starke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,675 at the 2000 census. The town owns and is the headquarters of the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad.-History:...
to Monterey, Indiana
Monterey, Indiana
Monterey is a town in Tippecanoe Township, Pulaski County, Indiana, United States. The population was 218 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Monterey is located at , along the Tippecanoe River....
that was known as the JK Line. In the spring of 1990, the Tippecanoe Railroad was sold to another operator, Daniel R. Frick, and renamed JK Lines. In 2003, the operator of JK Lines, the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Mapleton, Illinois, through Peoria across Illinois to Logansport, Indiana, and includes a branch line between Logansport to Winamac, Indiana...
, applied for and later received permission from the federal government to abandon the 16-mile line.