[Collection of Plans Related to the Indianapolis Union Railway Company]

Rare archive covering about six decades of the Indianapolis Union Railway.

This fascinating collection of manuscript maps and printed plans provides a cartographic history of the development of the Indianapolis Union Railway Company during the 20th century. The assortment of material, described below, was acquired from the personal collection of an engineer who retired from the New York Central Railroad.

• Collection of sixteen 1950s & 1960 large-scale tracks and structures blueprints, each about 24.5″ x 56″, with moderate edge wear, tearing, creased corners, and some discoloration as a result of the mechanical printing process. These show highly detailed snapshots of segments of line and generally feature tables of revisions, file numbers, and a schedule of sidings and crossings.
• A massive three-part map dated 1961 that provides a large-scale overview of the entire Belt Railroad system. Each sheet (very good condition) measures approximately 30″ x 91″.
• Large transparent plastic sheet, dated 1970, with manuscript annotations. Moderate staining visible in several places. Titled “P.C. Tracks from Depot to West of Harding St. at Indianapolis Indiana. Shows the area around the future White River state park and proceeds west, over the river to the Caven Yard and Vandalia Junction.
• Group of four manuscript blueprint maps dating from the 1910s – 1930s that highlight the progression of track ownership across the Indianapolis area. An interesting visual chronology of IUR railway operations.

The Indianapolis Union Railway was established by several key railroad lines in 1850 to manage joint terminal facilities in Indianapolis. It was renamed Indianapolis Union Railway Company in 1853, and saw the opening of the first Union Station in the world that same year. As rail traffic increased, a new Union Station was built and opened in 1888, followed by further ownership amendments in the late 1920s. Struggling finances during the Great Depression led to further consolidation, with the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad sharing control until their merger into the short-lived Penn Central. Today, what remains of the Indianapolis Union Railway is operated by CSX.