#hidry

On the Hi-Dry: Extra 8111 South

In a series of four posts, I’ll share twenty images of one train seen on one afternoon. These were taken on the Indianapolis District of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad between Morgantown and Bloomington, Indiana. This line became the heart of the Indiana Rail Road in 1986.

While not the "normal" angle on the subject here, the first picture has the train crossing over the much-photographed Shuffle Creek Viaduct, which is located on the south side of Lake Lemon. The second image shows the train at New Unionville while the third and fourth pictures were taken from the old wooden bridge—now long gone—that carried State Road 45 over the tracks. The final image above has the train passing the graveyard off Mount Gilead Road, about four and a half miles east of Bloomington.

On the Hi-Dry: Extra 8111 South

In a series of four posts, I’ll share twenty images of one train seen on one afternoon. These were taken on the Indianapolis District of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad between Morgantown and Bloomington, Indiana. This line became the heart of the Indiana Rail Road in 1986.

In the first image here we see the train at the south end of Trevlac Siding. In the next two the southbound is approaching South Shore Drive, nearing Lake Lemon. The fourth picture was taken at a place known as Vaughn Hollow where a wig-wag signal is on duty at North County Line Road. Lake Lemon is visible in background of the fifth image as the train flies over North Richardson Road.

On the Hi-Dry: Extra 8111 South

In a series of four posts, I’ll share twenty images of one train seen on one afternoon. These were taken on the Indianapolis District of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad between Morgantown and Bloomington, Indiana. This line became the heart of the Indiana Rail Road in 1986.

The Illinois Central created medallions to commemorate their centennial in 1951—the first image shows the one in Bloomington, Indiana. It sat next to the depot there during this time period; I climbed to the top of that building for the next two pictures...

In the first, the southbound train, made up of empty coal hoppers, sits in the passing track, facing the late afternoon sun. In the second I’ve turned around to shoot that train tucked away in the small yard so a northbound train will be able to pass; the shot is framed by the train order signal (lower-quadrant semaphore).

In the fourth image, I’ve made my way into the cab of number 8111 to frame the arrival of the northbound train. And in the final image, I’ve climbed down to shoot the nose of the train I’ve followed all afternoon, with the stopped northbound off to the right side of the frame.

On the Hi-Dry: Extra 8111 South In a series of four posts, I’ll share twenty images of one train seen on one afternoon. These were taken on the Indianapolis District of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad between Morgantown and Bloomington, Indiana. This line became the heart of the Indiana Rail Road in 1986.

In the first two images we see the train at Morgantown; the third image was made at the south end of the siding named Doubling Track, just over three miles further south. The fourth picture was taken at Helmsburg—that line of old cabooses used to function as a motel. In the final image we see the train about seven miles further on, just north of Trevlac.

Empty Hoppers, Southbound

Here we see a southbound unit hopper train just east (railroad north) of Bloomington, Indiana. We’re on the Illinois Central line to Indianapolis known as the Hi-Dry.

The lead locomotive, sporting its original black paint scheme (with green diamond logo), is an EMD GP9 built for the railroad in 1957. The air tanks, positioned on the roof rather than down low near the fuel tank, indicate that this unit is equipped with a steam generator for passenger service. A small stack, for this generator, is also visible atop the high short hood.

Mt. Gilead Road

INRD 7307, an EMD SD18 (former C&O) is on point of a northbound unit coal train bound for Indianapolis Power and Light. The train is crossing Mt. Gilead Road east of Bloomington, Indiana, by about four miles or so.

The Indiana Rail Road, in the early years, was made up primarily from the former Illinois Central branch line to Indianapolis (nicknamed the Hi-Dry).

The Hi Dry—Bloomington, Indiana

These images were taken in Bloomington, Indiana, along Illinois Central’s line to Indianapolis. It was a fairly modern line having been built in the early part of the 20th century—it was known as the “Hi Dry” due to its high bridges and fills.

In the first image here we first see a southbound train, made up of empty coal hoppers, sitting in the passing track; the photographer stands atop the depot to get his desired angle. The second shot shows the spur that diverged from the main not far up the line, just out of sight—it led toward the middle of town where the Illinois Central Freight House could be found, on Morton Street.

Extra 8111 South

This is a southbound train on Illinois Central’s line between Effingham and Indianapolis.The line is known as the Hi Dry due to its high bridges and fills; it is fairly modern, having been built in the early 20th century.

The first image has the train crossing South Shore Drive, near the east end of Lake Lemon, which is northeast of Bloomington, Indiana. The second shot has the train crossing North County Line Road, with a wonderful wig-wag warning signal there. And the final shot has the train crossing a small trestle over North Richardson Road, with Lake Lemon visible to the north.