Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad
The Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad (reporting mark CKIN) is a Class III short-line railroad operating 33 miles (53 km) of rail line in northwestern Indiana. From the headquarters town of La Crosse, lines run northwest to the Porter County town of Malden, southeast to the Starke County towns of English Lake and North Judson, and northeast through La Porte County past Thomaston and Hanna to Wellsboro. The railroad had been owned by the Town of North Judson and was operated under lease by the Indiana Boxcar Corporation until 2019 and Midwest & Bluegrass Rail afterward.[1] Midwest & Bluegrass acquired the railroad in May 2021.[2]
 Locomotive 813 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | LaCrosse, Indiana |
| Reporting mark | CKIN |
| Locale | Indiana |
| Dates of operation | 2004– |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Chesapeake & Indiana is mostly used for transporting grain from rural elevators to the mainline railroad systems. The railroad interchanges with Norfolk Southern at Thomaston and CSX at Wellsboro. The railroad moved only 700 cars on startup in 2004, having increased that to 3,000 cars by 2011, with growth expected in the coming years. When the railroad first started, the only connection with a Class I was in Wellsboro, IN with the CSX. The C&I and NS will soon build a connection in Thomaston to allow more cars per year and competitive shipping rates between the two Class I's.
Rail tours are also operated on the C&I line by the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, starting in North Judson and running to English Lake.
References
- Stahl, Bruce (October 2022). "Short line: Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad". Trains. Kalmbach. pp. 34–41.
- Gallenburger, Michael (May 4, 2021). "North Judson Celebrates Closing of Railroad Sale". WVKI. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
External links
Media related to Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad at Wikimedia Commons