5/1/2018

Elgin, Joliet & Eastern
Hammond, Indiana (State Line Crossing)
June 17, 1972




State Line Crossing, located just west of Hammond, Indiana, was one of the busiest crossings in the Chicago area. Although one could really file this slide under any of a dozen railroads, the photographer chose Elgin, Joliet & Eastern as the tracks directly in front of the immense tower belong to that road. Nearest the camera are tracks of the Wabash (Norfolk & Western), which here come off trackage rights on the Baltimore & Ohio only to enter Chicago & Western Indiana rails just to the right of the tower. On the other side of the building are (near to far) Chesapeake & Ohio/Erie joint rails (also entering the C&WI to the right of the tower), the Nickel Plate Road's mainline (by now Norfolk & Western), and Monon (also joining the C&WI). The freight in the background which is crossing literally everything else is on Indiana Harbor Belt rails.




This page posted 5/1/2018. Text and photo ©2018 Lamont Downs.