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If Van Yard is considered the nerve center of the INRD, Hiawatha and the sections of the line north and south of the yard can truly be considered the heart of the INRD. This middle section of the INRD Chicago Subdivision is host to the highest traffic density on the entire line, and most of all the railcars on the INRD eventually find their way thru Hiawatha yard. It is here that a good percentage of the coal that travels on the INRD is originated at one of the Mine loadouts or one of the other coal loaders.

After the line leaves the environs of Terre Haute near Mud Road, a popular holdout for trains needing to head thru Terre Haute or to the CSXT, you encounter one of the major passing tracks along the line. Keller siding is 5100 feet and is most often used to stage trains going to the CSXT, or pass northbound and southbound trains. Keller is one of the few places you can catch INRD trains meet and pass outside of yard limits.

Just south of Keller is the CTC control point of Blackhawk. A wye used to access a major mine loadout. While both mainline switches are in the CTC interlocking, the inside switch is curiously not interlocked, and is a hand throw switch. The loadout itself has a balloon track and a flood loader that loads coal into hoppers as the train is pulled under the loader.

Again just to the south of Blackhawk is Lewis Dock, a big siding used to load coal hoppers one by one with a simple conveyor loader. When the loadout is not in use dispatchers can and do use the siding to stage trains or meet trains.

Just south of the town of Jasonville, you will find Hiawatha yard, which is it’s new name. The CP/SOO/MILW name was Latta yard, supposedly named such due to the farmer which owned the land the yard lays on before the railroad. Latta is the main classification yard for the INRD. It is here that cars are blocked for travel Louisville, Indianapolis, Palestine, Terre Haute, Chicago, Bedford, or ISRR interchange. The yard is also the site of the primary engine servicing facility for the road. Everything except for traction motor and wheel work is done here. The facility itself is an old brick structure dating from the early MILW days, the shed for the shop is a former MILW baggage car. Near the shop is a full wye which connects to a branch currently used to store cars, The wye itself is often used to turn locomotives. On the south end of the yard is the connection to the INRD Midland sub, the primary way used to access the INRD Indianapolis Sub.

Between Linton and Hiawatha yard you will find Hoosier Siding, a short 2100 foot siding used infrequently to store cars, or stage trains.

Linton is well covered in the Indianapolis Sub guide, and can be accessed here.

Beehunter is one of the two Chicago Sub junctions with the ISRR, in this case the ISRR Spencer subdivision, and the Hawthorne mine lead. The diamond has been removed and replaced with two wyes which have CTC switches and a small pocket used by the ISRR to park their engines on. ISRR trains often meet INRD trains here to interchange cuts of cars for various destinations.

Between Beehunter and Elnora you will find the White River Bridge. While not spectacular in structure it is never the less full in character with its wood trestle approaches and center steel span. It’s accessible but crossing the river via rubber tired bridge requires a sizeable detour. You can find more then INRD trains on the bridge as ISRR also has trackage rights between Beehunter and Elnora.

Elnora is the second ISRR junction, this time with the Petersburg Subdivision, and the site of another former diamond. Now just a single CTC switch. ISRR and INRD trains veer off towards Maysville or Petersburg, and INRD trains head south towards Crane, Bedford, and ultimately, Louisville KY…..