#eleventhstreet

Outbound: Train 503

This was an image I’ve been meaning to re-shoot ever since the middle of January—I’d shot weekday train 107 in this location, but the day was quite dreary. Yesterday the sun was out, but there was an inordinate amount of rail enthusiasts in the frame.

This is train 503 as it moves eastward on Eleventh Street. That steeple belongs to the church of St. Paul Lutheran which is located over on Ninth Street.

Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia

1014 East Main Street Built, after 1865 Demolished, 1918

[RVCJ03]

Another building constructed in the aftermath of the Evacuation Fire, this was for the insurance company that moved.

Inbound: Train 506

My penultimate train for the day was number 506 inbound. You might be able to tell that I was drawn to the roller coaster area found on East Eleventh Street: this is one stretch that will really see some change when the line gets rebuilt over the next couple of years.

Street Running

Here are a couple of shots of the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railroad street running in Michigan City.

These two shots, of an eastbound were taken along Tenth and Eleventh Streets. The first is near Tenth and Hancock, while the second one is on Eleventh between Pine and Franklin Streets.

As per Trains Magazine, the railroad is planning to realign the railroad, meaning that this classic scene will disappear soon.

Outbound: Train 605

My final train of the day was  this one seen negotiating the “S” curve between Tenth and Eleventh Streets on the west side of Michigan City. This is another area that will change  greatly with the impending rebuild of the line: this wonderful little curvy patch will be flattened out and the diamond with the former Michigan Central/Monon will be moved to the south a bit.

The Chicago, South Shore & South Bend has been called “the last interurban” and this odd little bit of curvy track truly provides a direct connection to that history. Too bad it will be going way, but I can understand why.

Street Running to End this Weekend

I was disappointed to read that street running in Michigan City, Indiana, will end this weekend (source). I thought the whole process of getting bids and the like would postpone this for a year or so. In any case, I’m off to shoot some trains there today—I want to document the street running that has existed there for a century.

Final Weekend of Street Running

There was a festive atmosphere in Michigan City yesterday—the sun was out and folks showed up with cameras in hand to document the final weekend of revenue passenger service running on the streets. I will post all the trains I saw on Saturday after this post.

This is the first train movement I saw: it was unscheduled and so I was not really in position for a shot. In the going away view of this train, one can see to the right where the station used to stand—and a new one will be built. (The terra cotta facade of the original was saved and will be used somewhere in the new structure.)

Outbound: Train 603

After taking a bit of a break, I would shoot three more scheduled trains in Michigan City this day—the first being train 603 moving eastward along Eleventh Street.

Once again we see the steeple of St. Paul Lutheran Church in the background, along with evidence of the cooling tower of the NIPSCO power plant on the waterfront.