CSX Transportation Historical Society

-->

CSX and the Coal Town and Railroad Museum in Clinton IN

Rail Fan Adventure --

For Saturday, Sept. 20th, the main activities for the L&NHS Convention were visits to the Coal Town and Railroad Museum in Clinton, IN and the Wabash Valley Railroaders Museum in Terre Haute. Check out the attachment above for more info on the Clinton museum.

Clinton is 15 miles north of Terre Haute on CSX’s CE&D Subdivision which is formerly the Chicago & Eastern Illinois main line between Chicago and Evansville. Clinton was settled by Italian immigrants many of whom worked in the numerous coal mines. C&EI and Milwaukee Road served the mines in this area. Milwaukee’s local yard was at St. Bernice. There are no active rail-served mines on CSX around Clinton now.

1. Upon arriving in town, we were alerted to a northbound CSX 7586-7608 on intermodal train Q102 (E. Savannah-Chicago) as it roared across the Wabash River. Clinton IN.
Northbound CSX 7586-7608 on intermodal train Q102 roared across the Wabash River.
2. CSX 7586-7608. View 2. Clinton IN.
CSX 7586-7608. View 2.
3. The L-shaped freight depot has been renovated. Obviously it served the C&EI. Probably the doors fronting the street provided access to wagons or trucks. The Monon Historical Society had a display table set up inside. The passenger depot is in the background. Clinton IN.
C&EI freight depot.
4. It appears two tracks served this structure. I don’t know of any other except Milwaukee Road that would have been here. C&EI freight depot. View 2. Clinton IN.
C&EI freight depot. View 2.
5. The scanner alerts us that there is another northbound approaching. CSX 9027-8037 freight train Q592-19 (Nashville-Chicago BRC Clearing Yard) bearing down on the “greaser.” Clinton IN.
CSX 9027-8037 freight train Q592-19 bearing down on the “greaser.”
6.CSX 9027-8037 up close. View 2. Clinton IN.
CSX 9027-8037 freight train Q592-19 bearing down on the “greaser.” Up close. View 2.
7. In C&EI days Clinton was the south end of ABS double track and the beginning of single track CTC. They needed it, for my 1954 employee timetable shows 13 scheduled passenger trains and 6 freights daily. There are no passenger trains today. CSX 9027-8037 passing thru Clinton IN.
CSX 9027-8037 passing thru Clinton IN.
8. C&EI depot museum at Clinton IN.
C&EI depot museum at Clinton IN.
9. C&EI depot museum at Clinton IN. View 2.
C&EI depot museum at Clinton IN. View 2.
10. Coal mining history is housed in the left wing and railroad history in the right wing of the renovated station. C&EI depot museum Clinton IN.
Coal mining history is housed in the left wing of the renovated station.
11. Displays from the coal mining side. Clinton Coal Museum. IN.
Displays from the coal mining side. Clinton Coal Museum. IN.
12. Another display inside the Clinton Coal Museum. IN. View 2.
Displays from the coal mining side. Clinton Coal Museum. IN. View 2.
13. Another display inside the Clinton Coal Museum. IN. View 3.
Another display inside the Clinton Coal Museum. IN. View 3.

After having lunch we headed back to Terre Haute for a visit to the Wabash Valley Railroaders Museum and their restored Haley Tower. More on that later.

The Clinton IN Museum information sheet can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the link.

Everett Young

Train images used by permission of Everett N Young

last update - 24 Dec 2014