South Hammond yard

[David Longest]

Would anyone have an aerial shot of the South Hammond yard in the 50s or 60s?  Also, was the yards property
boundary Lyman Ave. to the west?

Any related images would be helpful.

Thanks, David

[Eric Reinert]

Yes, Lyman Avenue was the western boundary of South Hammond yard. Have you looked at historicaerials.com? They have photos from several dates and there's a view from 1961 that's pretty clear of the yard that shows pretty good detail of the yard layout.
Type in an address of: 7300 Lyman Ave. Hammond, IN and zoom in a bit.

Eric Reinert

[George Lortz]

Over the last two months, I have started scanning all my Monon-related 35mm slides with the intention of donating the slides themselves and the scanned images to the Monon Society.  So much work, so little time!

It has become obvious to me (duh!) that South Hammond was an extremely popular site to visit and take Monon shots back when the Monon was still in business.  I estimate that at least 40% of the slides I own were taken at that location.  Shops, McDoel and K&IT Yards are other popular sites, but even combining the the number of shots taken at these three other sites, there are many more taken at South Hammond.

I'm assuming that the main reason for this is that South Hammond was much more accessible and inviting for railfans than the other sites.  In addition, South Hammond was in a very highly-populated area of Indiana.  If you are a railfan photographer, what do you think?

I have attached a photo of the main building at South Hammond that recently appeared on eBay.  The information about the photo is:

Office building; South Hammond, IN; 1970; the4robs collection

George L.

[Ron Marquardt]

George, that building is the new South Hammond freight house, and I suspect all the offices there are Traffic Department related.  / Ron

[Rick Dreistadt]

That's also where the yardmasters and operators were located.
Rick

[Tom Kepshire]

Nice picture George

[Ron Marquardt]

Rick, if the operators were there, where was the train order signal located, and how did they hook orders on to the trains?  This facility was adjacent to the main track, was it?  / Ron

[Rick Dreistadt]

I need to check my timetables, Ron.  Whenever I worked at So. Hammond I didn't ever deliver any train orders to No. 5.  The dispatcher issued train orders and clearance to No. 5 at Dearborn Sta. I'll have to see on the timetables if they had to receive a clearance at S. Hammond.  All other crews including some foreign line transfer crews came into the operators office to receive their orders.
Rick

[Rick Dreistadt]

In checking my timetable effective Oct 25, 1964 it states that nos. 5 and 6 must throw off register slip at So. Hammond and will be registered by operator.  To the best of my recollection the office shown above is on the opposite side of the yard from the main track.  I don't remember a train order signal there for No. 5, but my memory could be foggy...
Rick

[Ron Marquardt]

All I remember about South Hammond was that back in the very early 1960's they had a train order signal over on the west side of the main, and they hooked orders on to #5.  I remember it vividly because the last day I worked the third shift stockyards transfer job up there, I hoped to get back in to catch #5.  As I got off the engine, and started across the yard, #5 came roaring through there, and I thought "oh hell, now I gotta wait for a freight to get home".

Just after #5 passed the yard office, they quickly came to an abrupt stop, and backed up to the yard office.  I swung aboard #5's engine and asked the fireman what happened.  He said the string on the train orders broke, and he dropped them.  They had to back up to pick them up, and thankfully they picked me up as well.  / Ron 

[Gene Remaly]

A broken string stopped a speeding train ---------

[Rick Dreistadt]

Yes, Gene, broken strings could do that.  Thanks for the info Ron.  Guess I never worked at So. Ham'd when No. 5 passed, or maybe since he received his clearance form A at Dearborn St. we didn't have any orders for him during the few times I worked there.  I don't even remember the train order signal, but it's been so long ago my mind has become fogged up.
Rick

[Tim T Swan]

I just now found this thread--happens a lot to me.  So sorry about this late reply.

Concerning that "new" freight house at South Hammond on 173rd Street, it was NOT adjacent to the main track.  It was on the east side of the yards, with perhaps a dozen or so yard tracks between it and the mainline.  But the Yard Office was adjacent to the main, on its west side and well south of the 173rd Street crossing, so an operator there would have no problem hooking orders up from there.  See the attached 1949 Cookie Eberhard photo.  I remember the Y.O. still being there in the late fifties, but not in the sixties, so don't know exactly when they finally removed it.