I happened to be in the Noblesville area a couple of days ago and was able to walk around the grounds formerly occupied by the Indiana Transportation Museum in Forest Park. The remains of ITM create an almost surreal atmosphere that these pictures can't really capture.
It is difficult to grasp just how much garbage litters the site. Almost anywhere you look there is refuse of every conceivable sort. The city has a daunting task ahead of it.
Here there was an inspection pit, which now appears to be a backed-up sewer.
The tracks beyond are no longer in gauge and are unusable.
The Crandic engine was removed from the site while I was there, and will be scrapped for parts.
Update: It's no secret where it went, so here it is on its way out the gate, lettered "4 Bob Harris".
This was the northern access to the main line:
An entablature from Indianapolis bears an uncanny resemblance to a tombstone.
The body of the mule car, or what's left of it, now sits outside.
Some of these pictures remind me of Mount Union. Trees are growing in the storage yard.
Some of this equipment will be preserved, but I doubt anybody knows for sure just what and where.
7 comments:
Shame about the Detroit United steeplecab, it's a historically unique unit, but for the shape it seem to be in, it looks like a lengthy restoration, would it be?
Sorry, it's too late. But the parts will be used for other worthy projects.
I hope that somebody picks up that mule car; it is a 19th century piece, I think.
Do you have any idea of the status of the NSL 172? I would hate to see it get cut up.
Randy Anderson
We have been told that the 172 will not get cut up. It should be leaving Noblesville in a few days, but we don't know exactly when.
I there a contact with the city for the remaining equipment? I spy some pieces I could find a home for.
Thanks
Chris C.
Well, I would hope that someone with more definite information could answer this, but I believe it's much too late to be asking the city for specific pieces. Many items remaining on the site are already owned by outside groups such as Age of Steam, and the rest will eventually be auctioned off by the city. If we find out when the auction will be, perhaps we can pass that along.
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