Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum (North Judson, Indiana)

 museum, railroad station

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hvrm.railfan.net/
507 Mulberry Street
North Judson, IN 46366-0075
Phone - (574) 896-3950
Open Saturdays only 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT

..The first railroad into town was a line constructed from Logansport to Valparaiso, Indiana in the years 1858 through 1861. This railroad was known as the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad Company. In 1865 the Chicago & Cincinnati was merged with the Chicago & Great Eastern Railway Company. The town was originally called Brantwood, then changed to North Judson, after Judson, one of the promoters of the Chicago & Great Eastern Railway Company. Years later this railroad became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR).

.......The second railroad into town was the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Railroad, also known as the 3I route. It was built from Streator, Illinois to North Judson in 1881, and onto South Bend, Indiana in 1894, The 3I would later become part of the New York Central Railroad.

.......The third railroad into town was the Chicago and Atlantic Railroad in the years 1881 through 1883. This railroad later became known as the Erie Railroad Company. In 1902 the Cincinnati, Richmond and Muncie Railroad became the fourth railroad into town. This railroad would later become part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company (C&O).

.......Not only have steam powered locomotives been replaced with diesel powered locomotives, but railroads began to merge. A result of these mergers saw many duplicate railroad lines abandoned and taken up. Soon all that was left behind were the stone road beds. The Erie was abandoned and the track taken up except for a 16 mile stretch from North Judson to Monterey, Indiana. This small railroad is called the JK Line and serves a large grain elevator at Monterey. The JK Line interchanges with the CSX former C&O at North Judson. The CSX still uses the former C&O right of way from North Judson to Lacrosse, Indiana. The C&O tracks to the south of town have been removed, as have the NYC tracks in both directions. The PRR is also abandoned in both directions, and much of the former right of way is now used for farm land. When you come into North Judson, you can see the presence of the former PRR right of way through town. The Erie is all gone west of town, leaving only the tracks east to Monterey, and the C&O north to Lacrosse. All traffic is interchanged with the CSX at North Judson.