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South Bend Union Station

South Bend’s Union Station, an art deco gem. It once hosted trains from the NYC and Grand Trunk. Now it is the “Union Station Technology Center” which is a high tech, hosted data center.

Studebaker Building 84

This view looks at the only one of two surviving Studebaker buildings left in downtown South Bend. In this case, Building 84. Most were torn down in the mid 2000s. It is used as a warehouse by South Bend Warehousing and Distribution today with plans to convert it to a massive data center. Building 84 was serviced by Studebaker’s in-plant railroad.

Studebaker Building 84

Studebaker Building 84

A view looking north along United Drive with Studebaker Building 84 to the east and what appears to be a CN (Grand Trunk) train on the viaduct.

Studebaker Building 84

Curtain wall construction of Studebaker Building 84.

Ties without rails.

Another remnant of the South Shore track that serviced the industrial park near the airport. This view looks west from North Kenmore.

Tracks in Mud.

Tracks in mud.

Remains of former PRR Vandalia Line looking south from Calvert.

Tracks in mud.

Remains of former PRR Vandalia Line looking north from Ewing

Tracks in mud.

Remains of former PRR Vandalia Line, active into circa 2006 with the Norfolk Southern to reach Hanson Cold Storage south of Ewing. NS reached this former PRR trackage via a connection off the former NJI&I near Indiana Avenue. In 2014 NS filed a petition to abandon this trackage from a point east of Prairie Avenue citing now shipments for at least two years.

Track with white ballast and orange backhoe in background.

Former South Shore track that serviced Bendix.

Train station by track.

This train station served both the South Shore Line after it abandoned its trackage into downtown South Bend in 1971 as well as Amtrak. The track that goes alongside the station at one time continued on into downtown South Bend along street trackage for much of its route. The station today continues to serve as Amtrak’s South Bend station. Amtrak runs on the former NYC tracks to the right or south on today’s NS.

Tribune's Warehouse

Boxcar spotted on the spur at the South Bend Tribune's warehouse along Prairie Avenue. This customer is serviced by NS using a combination of mostly former St. Joseph, South Bend, & Southern (NYC subsidiary, later PC/Conrail) trackage and former NJI&I trackage.

View looking south toward crossing gates and a gas station

This view looks south across the former South Shore Line spur into South Bend Sand & Gravel. In the distance is busy Lincolnway Way West. The track on the right or west belongs to NICTD and it will continue onto the South Bend airport station. This track now used by NICTD at one time was also used by freight trains of the South Shore to reach an industrial park alongside Bendix Drive.

Walnut Ave grade.

It might not look like much but to the right of the metal shed housing the grade crossing protection equipment for Walnut Avenue is a gate across the former Indiana Northern shortline. Until a track consolidation project by NS circa 2006 this track was still visible outside the gate. According to Google Maps the Indiana Northern tracks are still there past the gate and almost all the way to Sample Street. The Indiana Northern was owned by Oliver Chilled Plow for in-house switching on the north side of Sample Street. It also served other industries like the Wilson Brothers Shirt Company. The NJI&I eventually acquired the Indiana Northern. Another surviving bit of Indiana Northern tracks are in the former Wilson Brothers Shirt Company complex which was a customer.