This section of the former IC line is known primarily for two things, interchanges and coal fields. After coming out of the high woodlands near Bloomfield the line crosses the White River at Elliston the line immediately changes character, The woods give way to a flat rolling plain, part of the white river valley, Before changing into highly disturbed coal lands, with short scrub trees and countless old slag piles. Finally arriving at the Wabash river valley another plain is found.
Moving back to Elliston, this is a small town on the shores of the West Fork of the White River. The line passes over the town on a steel bridge approach. You will note one section of this approach that once was made to bridge over something, but is now long gone. This was once a famous triple crossing, a diamond once sat under the bridge where the former Monon crossed the New York Central. Both lines are long gone however but the bridge remains.
Next is the once important Switz City interchange and service facilities, While the interchange still occurs here, The service and dispatch facilties have all been moved to Hiawatha and Van yards. As an interchange spot it is still very important, and the southeast wye was rebuilt and lengthened to ease interchange. The servicing and office facilities are largely a ghost town however.
Moving onto Linton, we have another interchange, with the Chicago sub. This is another junction that has fallen in importance. It once was the primary interchange point between the Chicago Sub and the ex IC line, before the interchange at Dugger was rebuilt. It remains important however in that it retains the small yard on the Chicago sub and a small wye in the southwest corner of the automatic diamond. A siding and house track can be found on the IC line as well. Ocasionaly if the Midland sub is blocked, trains will back the wye and switch subdivisions here instead of using the Midland Sub.
Dugger may be the most important interchange on the line, it was built using the remants of a Peabody line acquired they had acquired from Monon. Indiana Rail Road rebuilt the Dugger junction with a double wye with radio controlled switches on every corner, then reconditioned the Peabody lead to better access the Chicago sub. They renamed the line the Midland Sub. Later a second connection was added to the line, where a train could be parked on the north end of the Midland Sub and the Chicago sub still be accessed via a more southerly connection. It's importance will be growing even more as a new wye to the south will be built to connect to the reaming ex peabody trackage to a new mine.
Sulivan is next, a junction that has risen in much importance. The entire junction was re done and re signaled. CSXT added a CTC switch on their main, and on the Indiana Rail Road side they added another radio controlled switch. Both are used often for coal and manifest moves between the two roads. Later on the junction was again upgraded, with a new signaled wye in the southeast quadrant that will give INRD access to several mines on the CSX line. To the west of the junction is a house track, often used to tie up work trains and such.
The last big interchange, or more correctly stated, a customer. Is the lead to the Hoosier Energy generator at Merom. This also has a radio controlled switch and Many trains use the switch to access the plant.
The last place in our study of this area is Riverton, the last town in the line in Indiana. It is the site of an unusual bridge. In that it was designed as a swing bridge at a time that boat traffic was envisioned for the Wabash River. The boat traffic never developed and the bridge is permanently shut, with strips of ribbon rail over the bridge.
