Lafayette Depot

[George Lortz]

There was an eBay auction recently describing an article written about an accident scene at the Lafayette depot in the 1890s.  The attached depot photo doesn't look like any one I've ever seen in Lafayette.

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

George L.

[Pete Pedigo]

George,

This is the "Union Depot" in Lafayette shown on the Sanborn Maps in  1895 & 1899 just south of South Street.  The curve to the left is just before crossing the Wabash River on the C.I. St. L & C Railway.  See the attached PDF file.  The name on the building in the background to the North also matches.

Pete

[Ken Weller]

This was not a Monon depot.  This depot was wrecked by a train running out of control over the Wabash River bridge from West Lafayette, and didn't make the curve but slammed into the depot instead.  This was replaced by a sturdy stone building, what is now known as the Big Four depot.  (The Big Four depot in recent years was later moved down 2nd street, and is now serving as the Amtrak depot and Greyhound station).  The current Social Security building is roughly where this depot was located.

The distinctive tower lasted longer than the station that was wrecked.  It shows up as late as 1952-53 in some photos of NYC steam engines at that location.  (See attached - sorry for low pic quality).  In a nod to history, the top of one of the elevator towers at Riehle Plaza (to get Amtrak patrons over the tracks) is modeled on this tower.

--Ken Weller, Lafayette IN

[Pete Pedigo]

The map has the railroad listed at the time of the map as the  C.I. St. L & C Railway.  Which I figure was ther Cinninati, Indianpolis, St. Louis...and Chicago ? 

Pete

[George Lortz]

Pete and Ken,

Thanks for the explanations, diagram and photos.  The eBay auction had the depot incorrectly named as a Monon depot.

George L.

[Gene Remaly]

Or, the Big Four Depot, as many locals called it

[Robert Gibson]

Even it was always called the Big Four depot it was actually a NKP depot.  The Big Four had trackage rights from Altamont south of Lafayette to Templeton north of Lafayette.  NKP built a similar depot at Tipton.

[Ron Marquardt]

Thanks for the information Bob.  That's what I always thought too.  / Ron

[Robert Wheeler]

Actualy the track ownership was one track NYC&StL (Nickle Plate) one track CCC&StL (Big-4)-(leased by the New York Central)  Altamont (Qn) to Lafayette (G) and NYC&StL beyond to Templeton (Md). I know as I wrote ageements for highway crossings/separations and processed the agreements for the Lafayette Railroad and Demonstration Project back in the days when I was "Railroad Engineer" and later "Area Engineer" (Local Assistance) for INDOT.