Winamac Southern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Winamac Southern Railway is a short-line railroad in northern Indiana
, United States
, operated under lease
by the U S Rail Corporation. It owns two lines radiating from Logansport to Kokomo and Bringhurst, and formerly a third to Winamac, all former Pennsylvania Railroad
lines acquired from Conrail in 1993. It hauls mainly outbound grain
and inbound agricultural supplies, connecting with the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
at Logansport and with the Central Railroad of Indianapolis at Kokomo. Until 2009, the Central Railroad of Indianapolis
(a RailAmerica
subsidiary) operated the company as agent.
assembled its system in northern Indiana, Logansport became a major hub, with seven lines radiating in all directions (the only other service to the city was a line of the Wabash Railroad
, now Norfolk Southern Railway
). Conrail took over four of these in 1976, and abandoned the line to Marion in the 1980s. The remaining lines to Winamac, Kokomo, and Bringhurst, known as the "Logansport Cluster", were spun off to the Winamac Southern, which began operations in March 1993. The new railroad was controlled by Daniel R. Frick of Frick Services, a storage and handling
company, who also owned J.K. Line, Inc. to the north.
In September 1995, Winamac Southern sold the line from Winamac to the yard
at 18th Street in Logansport to A&R Line, Inc., another new shortline owned by Frick, which was operated by J.K. Line employees using a locomotive
leased from that company. Winamac Southern retained trackage rights
through Logansport, in order to connect its Bringhurst and Kokomo lines. Subsequently, the Central Railroad of Indianapolis
(CERA), which serves Kokomo, began operating the remaining Winamac Southern lines as agent.
The arrangement between Winamac Southern and CERA was to end at the end of 2008, and the U S Rail Corporation filed with the Surface Transportation Board
to lease and operate the Winamac Southern, as well as a CERA-operated segment near Kokomo owned by the Kokomo Grain Company. However, the parties discovered that the trackage rights over A&R, which had since been merged into the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
, had never been authorized, and concurrently filed for approval of the 1995 agreement. The STB rejected the latter notice of exemption, citing the opposition of the TP&W to continuance of trackage rights, thus requiring a more extensive proceeding. U S Rail began operating the Winamac Southern as its Kokomo Division in early 2009.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, operated under lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
by the U S Rail Corporation. It owns two lines radiating from Logansport to Kokomo and Bringhurst, and formerly a third to Winamac, all former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
lines acquired from Conrail in 1993. It hauls mainly outbound grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
and inbound agricultural supplies, connecting with the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Mapleton, Illinois, through Peoria across Illinois to Logansport, Indiana, and includes a branch line between Logansport to Winamac, Indiana...
at Logansport and with the Central Railroad of Indianapolis at Kokomo. Until 2009, the Central Railroad of Indianapolis
Central Railroad of Indianapolis
Central Railroad of Indianapolis is a Class III short-line railroad that operates approximately miles of rail line in north central Indiana....
(a RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
subsidiary) operated the company as agent.
History
As the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
assembled its system in northern Indiana, Logansport became a major hub, with seven lines radiating in all directions (the only other service to the city was a line of the Wabash Railroad
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
, now Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
). Conrail took over four of these in 1976, and abandoned the line to Marion in the 1980s. The remaining lines to Winamac, Kokomo, and Bringhurst, known as the "Logansport Cluster", were spun off to the Winamac Southern, which began operations in March 1993. The new railroad was controlled by Daniel R. Frick of Frick Services, a storage and handling
Bulk material handling
Bulk material handling is an engineering field that is centered around the design of equipment used for the handling of dry materials such as ores, coal, cereals, wood chips, sand, gravel and stone in loose bulk form...
company, who also owned J.K. Line, Inc. to the north.
In September 1995, Winamac Southern sold the line from Winamac to the yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
at 18th Street in Logansport to A&R Line, Inc., another new shortline owned by Frick, which was operated by J.K. Line employees using a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
leased from that company. Winamac Southern retained trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
through Logansport, in order to connect its Bringhurst and Kokomo lines. Subsequently, the Central Railroad of Indianapolis
Central Railroad of Indianapolis
Central Railroad of Indianapolis is a Class III short-line railroad that operates approximately miles of rail line in north central Indiana....
(CERA), which serves Kokomo, began operating the remaining Winamac Southern lines as agent.
The arrangement between Winamac Southern and CERA was to end at the end of 2008, and the U S Rail Corporation filed with the Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
to lease and operate the Winamac Southern, as well as a CERA-operated segment near Kokomo owned by the Kokomo Grain Company. However, the parties discovered that the trackage rights over A&R, which had since been merged into the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway is a short-line railroad that operates of track from Mapleton, Illinois, through Peoria across Illinois to Logansport, Indiana, and includes a branch line between Logansport to Winamac, Indiana...
, had never been authorized, and concurrently filed for approval of the 1995 agreement. The STB rejected the latter notice of exemption, citing the opposition of the TP&W to continuance of trackage rights, thus requiring a more extensive proceeding. U S Rail began operating the Winamac Southern as its Kokomo Division in early 2009.