Whitewater Valley Railroad facts for kids
The Whitewater Valley Railroad is a special kind of train line in southeastern Indiana. It runs between the towns of Connersville and Metamora. This railroad is a "heritage railroad," which means it helps keep old trains and railway history alive.
The railroad wants to show what train travel was like in the 1950s. Most of the time, you'll see old diesel engines pulling the trains. Sometimes, they even run steam locomotives! One of their steam engines, New York Central #6894, looks a lot like the last steam trains that used to run on this very line.
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History of the Tracks
Long ago, the Whitewater River was a natural path for Native Americans and early settlers to travel and trade. In 1836, the state of Indiana decided to build the Whitewater Canal. This canal followed the river for about 76 miles (122 km), from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, all the way to Hagerstown, Indiana.
The canal opened in Connersville in 1845. It helped trade a lot, but it had problems. Sometimes there wasn't enough water, and other times floods would wash away parts of it. By the late 1850s, floods had damaged it so much that people asked the state to sell the land so a railroad could be built instead.
In 1863, a company called the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad (I&C) bought the right to build tracks on the old canal path. Some parts of the canal stayed open, though, to power mills, like the one still working in Metamora. The canal in Connersville was used until 1953, when a road was built over it.
The I&C's own company, the White Water Valley Railroad (WVRR), reached Connersville in 1867. It continued to Hagerstown by 1868. The WVRR connected to the main I&C line near Cincinnati. This allowed trains to travel into Cincinnati.
At first, the I&C ran the WVRR trains. But for several years, the WVRR ran on its own. In 1890, a bigger railroad company called the *Big Four* took over the WVRR. The Big Four later became part of the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC ran trains for people traveling to work from Connersville and Harrison, Ohio, into Cincinnati. For a short time, they even had trains that went all the way from Cincinnati to Fort Wayne.
The part of the track between Connersville and Hagerstown wasn't used much. The NYC stopped using it in 1931, and the tracks were removed in 1936. All passenger train service ended in 1933. Freight trains (carrying goods) continued until 1957 with steam engines, and then with diesel engines until 1972.
In 1976, a new company called Conrail started providing train service in Connersville. However, this line was cut off from the rest of the Conrail system.
The section of track between Metamora and Connersville was sold to the non-profit Whitewater Valley Railroad in 1984. This is the group that runs the heritage railroad today!
How the Railroad Runs Today
The Whitewater Valley Railroad started as a non-profit group in 1972. They began offering weekend train rides in 1974. At first, they rented about 25 miles (40 km) of track. But a big flood in 1974 damaged the track, and some of it was removed.
The railroad then bought the remaining 18 miles (29 km) of track from Connersville through Metamora in 1983. They later bought another 1 mile (1.6 km) of track in Connersville.
Almost everyone who works at the Whitewater Valley Railroad is a volunteer! They love trains and history. The railroad has also received money to help fix up the tracks. They have even saved two old train station buildings. These buildings are now in Connersville. The railroad plans to build a special roundhouse to protect their trains from the weather. In 2012, they built a large workshop to restore old trains.
The railroad offers fun train rides for passengers. These trains are pulled by historic diesel engines. You can ride in old coaches from different railroad companies. Sometimes, a caboose from their museum collection is added to the train!
One popular trip is the Valley Flyer, which goes from Connersville to Metamora. Another is the Metamora Local. This shorter trip takes passengers about 2 miles (3.2 km) along the old canal. You'll see the canal boat dock, a working aqueduct (a bridge for water!), and a restored lock. During winter, the trains are heated to keep passengers warm.
Locomotives (Train Engines)
The Whitewater Valley Railroad has many different train engines. Here are some of the ones they use or have used:
Current Roster
| Number | Railroad | Builder | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Muncie and Western Railroad | GE | GE 70-ton switcher | 12-1946 |
| 25 | Cincinnati Union Terminal | Lima Locomotive Works | LS-750 | 06-1951 |
| 99 | Amherst Industries originally Baldwin demonstrator DF-100 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Baldwin DS-4-4-1000 | 1949 |
| 210 | Calumet & Hecla Copper | GE | GE 70-ton switcher | 12-1946 |
| 320 | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | Lima | Lima LS-1200 | 12-1950 |
| 346 | Patapsco and Back Rivers Railroad | Baldwin | Baldwin S-12 | 09-1951 |
| 532 | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | Electro-Motive Diesel | EMD SD10, upgraded from EMD SD9 in October, 1975. See roster listing here. | 02-1954 |
| 709 | Armco Steel Corporation | Lima | Lima LS-1000 | 03-1950 |
| 2 | France Stone Company | Plymouth Locomotive Works | ML-6 | 01-1930 |
| 11 | Southwestern Portland Cement | Vulcan Iron Works | Vulcan 0-4-0T | 12-1924 |
| 6 | East Broad Top RR | Baldwin Locomotive Works | standard gauge 0-6-0 Switcher | 02-1907 |
| 1 | USN 1 | GE | GE 65-ton switcher | 1942 |
| 9339 | The Procter & Gamble Company#9 painted as NYC#9339 | American Locomotive Company | ALCO S-1 | 1-1948 |
| 6894 | New York Central Railroad Michigan Central | American Locomotive Company Pittsburgh Works | NYC B-10W 0-6-0 Switcher | 1912 |
Former Locomotives
| Number | Railroad | Builder | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Escambia Railway | Baldwin | 2-6-2 | 1919 |
| 509 | Louisiana and Arkansas Railway | Baldwin | 4-6-0 | 1913 |
Fun Train Rides and Events
The Whitewater Valley Railroad offers many special train rides throughout the year. These are great for families and kids!
- Easter Bunny Train
- Weekend Train (from Connersville, IN to Metamora, IN and back)
- Metamora Shuttle
- Wild West Train
- Pumpkin Train
- Fall Excursions (special trips in autumn)
- Train to Dinner
- 4th of July Train
- Labor Day Steam Trips (when a steam engine might run!)
- Santa Trains
- The Polar Express (a magical ride in November and December)
