Closure of Purdue Power Plant Railroad

Trainzguy2472 · **Joined:** Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:13 pm **Posts:** 5

Still working on this research project to document Purdue University's railroading heritage. Does anyone know when the railroad spur through campus that served the north power plant was closed?

Purdue had a Whitcomb 44 tonner and GE 45 tonner. Does anyone know when these two were bought and when they left Purdue? Thanks.

Last one's a long shot: I recently discovered that Purdue had a small electric powered locomotive crane (I think it was a Brownhoist) from 1925-1945. Are there any pictures of this crane out there?

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1228

Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 831&type=3
GE C/N 15156 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 2/16/1942
US Army #7066, Pine Bluff Arsenal, Baldwin, Ark
US Army #7066, Maumelle Ordnance Works, Little Rock, Ark
Purdue, University, W Lafayette, Ind
? ? ? , Bloomington, Ind
Kokomo Grain, Kokomo, Ind
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3265318
Whitcomb C/N 60037 10/1940 B-B Std 44DE8 44T 382hp
Milwaukee Road #1699
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind
D. Joseph Co., Beech Grove, Ind by 09-74
Scrapped
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rewsry1754/23977101322/
Cranes
Orton & Steinbrenner 1923 18 tons Electric
Orton C/N 44596 1945 20 tons Gas
Purdue University Purdue, IN
(converted to Diesel 1960)
Hoosier Valley RR Museum North Judson, IN 08-92
http://www.rgusrail.com/album/inhvrm/pu ... ane_04.jpg
Orton C/N ? 1961 Diesel
Purdue University #4 Purdue, IN
Indiana Transportation Museum Nobilsville, IN
Schlatter Brothers Francesville, IN 10-19
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1400230

Trainzguy2472 · **Joined:** Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:13 pm **Posts:** 5

Thanks for the info. By the way, your link for the Whitcomb diesel is broken.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2230

Judging by the picture of the 45-tonner, the "? ? ?" is probably Indiana University Bloomington. Might be interesting to trace how the locomotive moved from one university to the other... and why in service at Kokomo it had the university initials still on the cab.

I don't know how to trace users on Flickr, but it might be possible, if any data in the link are incorrect, to find the person who put the image up and see if there's an updated version...

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1228

The GE was still at Kokomo in 2020.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5357948

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1228

Now it looks like the red GE at Kokomo is not the Purdue loco.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ataindy/5508483066

This just muddies the water.
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/744733/

Closure of Purdue Power Plant Railroad

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