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Indiana Scenic Train Rides: A Complete Guide

Published: February 23, 2025

By: Adam Burns

Indiana has acted as a gateway state since railroading's earliest days. Several important eastern systems crossed its borders as they sought Midwestern connections at Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and even Kansas City. There were also lines accessing Michigan while powerful southeastern carrier Southern Railway maintained a southern corridor not far from the Ohio River in an effort to reach St. Louis.

Indiana was even home to its very own railroad, the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway. Better remembered as the "Monon" this company was an important transportation artery until being swallowed by the much larger Louisville & Nashville during the 1970's. Today, several museums and a few tourist-based scenic train rides can be found in the state.

There are some real jewels including the French Lick Scenic Railway (operated by the Indiana Railway Museum) and even excursions hosted by the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.

It's the early Penn Central era as an E8A and E7A have an eastbound consist containing what appears to be primarily mail/express at the station in Elkhart, Indiana on April 19, 1969.

State History

According to an in-depth analysis Trains Magazine published in its January, 2007 issue entitled, "Great Railroading: State-By-State," Indiana's introduction to railroading began when the Madison, Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad was chartered on February 3, 1832 for the purpose of linking its namesake cities.

The system was to run from the Ohio River in a roughly northwesterly direction. Unfortunately, support failed to materialize and after years of dormancy the state took over the project in 1836 as part of an Internal Improvement Act to improve infrastructure.

Several more years passed with little work carried out; the state attempted to have private contractors take over the endeavor, and they were able to complete a 27.8-mile segment from Madison to Queensville by June 1, 1841.

However, attempts to finish the line, at least to Indianapolis, proved unsuccessful Finally, the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad Company (M&I;) was chartered in early 1843 as another private operation to pick up where the state and the previous contractors had left off. During the next four years the line was finished in stages until the entire 86 miles was completed to Indianapolis on October 1, 1847.

The railroad contained a very unusual and unique design feature for a standard-gauge operation of its length. It contained an incline operation that began in Madison, north of the intersection at West Main and McIntire Streets, which ran a length of 7,012 feet (1.33 miles).

During this distance it rose 412 feet with a grade of 5.89%, earning it the distinction as the steepest standard gauge main line in the United States. The M&I; later became part of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis, a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary. Incredibly, this steep corridor survived until the Conrail era (post-1976)!

By the 1920's, railroads crisscrossed Indiana; there were trunk lines to Chicago (New York Central, Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and Erie), Southern's line to St. Louis, numerous short lines, and even several electrified interurbans like the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend (the "South Shore Line").

According to the book, "The Routledge Historical Atlas Of The American Railroads" by author John F. Stover, mileage peaked at over 7,400 and then slowly declined as other modes of transportation gained favor. Today, according to the Association of American Railroads, 41 different freight railroad continue to operate 4,274 miles of trackage.

Hesston Steam Museum

The Hesston Steam Museum, operated by the LaPorte County Historical Steam Society and based in Hesston, is an organization dedicated to the preservation of steam-powered machines. Among their collection are several operating narrow-gauge steam locomotives of various types, leisurely taking passengers on short trips along 2.5 miles of track.

They also run scale trains of various size. Their locomotive collection, featuring many foreign designs, including:

• 0-4-0T #125 (carrying a gauge of 600 millimeters, it was manufactured by Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek of the Czech Republic in 1940)

• Deutche Reichsbahn 0-8-0 #99 (a 2-footer built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1939)

• 2-4-2 #242 from Chicago's Brookfield Zoo (built in 1972)

• United Fruit Company 2-6-0 #2 (a 3-footer built by H.K. Porter)

• 2-6-0 #17 (another 3-foot design built by H.K. Porter)

• German Army 2-8-0 built in 1918 (this locomotive, carrying a 2-foot gauge, also came from the Brookfield Zoo)

• Oregon Lumber Company 3-Truck Shay #7 (manufactured by Lima in 1929).

Indiana Railway Museum/French Lick Scenic Railway

The Indiana Railway Museum, which also operates the popular French Lick Scenic Railway, is based in French Lick, Indiana. They operate a 20-mile round trip excursion over former Southern Railway trackage through the Hoosier National Forest.

Special events and excursions are also operated throughout the year such as dessert trains, Halloween specials, and the Polar Express for the Christmas season. The Indiana Railway Museum's mission is to preserve Indiana's railroading history and the industry's in general.

The IRM features more than 65 pieces of historic railroad equipment, is proudly maintained by more than 400 members/volunteers/paid staff, and enjoys more than 25,000 visitors annually.

The history of the organization begins in 1961 when a group of locals from Westport launched a small tourist line using a diesel locomotive and three passenger coaches.

The museum moved operations in 1971 to Greensburg and again moved in 1978 to French Lick when the Southern Railway offered 16 miles of a former branch between West Baden and Dubois (passing through French Lick). Today, the museum operates about 10 miles of this line between French Lick and Cuzco.

Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum

The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum is based in North Judson and aims to preserve the region's rail history. In railroading lore this town's story is particularly noteworthy. Until the 1970's it was a major junction with four trunk lines intersecting there which included the Chesapeake & Ohio, Erie, New York Central and Pennsylvania.

The location was once so busy that up to 125 trains every day passed through the area, protected by an intricate interlocking arrangement. In a microcosm of just how far railroads have declined in importance since the 1970's, incredibly only a short segment of the C&O's former Chicago main line remains active today.

It is abandoned just east of North Judson but is still in place as far as Malden. All other corridors lay empty today. The C&O section currently plays host to excursions, using a combination of cabooses and open air cars for passengers to enjoy the journey.

Whitewater Valley Railroad

What would certainly be considered one of Indiana's more popular excursions is the Whitewater Valley Railroad based in Connersville. Like the former Carthage, Knightstown & Shirley this operation utilizes former Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis (better known as the "Big Four," a New York Central subsidiary) trackage. Its 19-mile line connects Metamora and their trains are powered by one of several diesel locomotives on the grounds.

While there are currently no steam locomotives in use the group has several preserved. These include Southwest Portland Cement 0-4-0T #11 (built by the Vulcan Iron Works in 1936), New York Central 0-6-0 #6894 (listed as Class B-10w it was manufactured in 1912 by American Locomotive's Pittsburgh Works), East Broad Top 0-6-0 #6 (built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1907), and Santee River Hardwood Company 20-ton, 2-truck Heisler #3 (built by the Heisler Locomotive Works in 1906).  The railroad also hosts a number of special events throughout the year.